Spokes-Dog for Area Shelters

Sometimes we participate in rides to benefit animal shelters with New England Thunder.  The ladies we ride with in that group are very involved in a number of shelters in our area.  The group will read the wish list posted by what ever shelter we decide to visit.  The wish list is usually on the web site of the shelter.  We will shop for items from that list and load our bikes with all kinds of goods to donate.  We usually need a truck too since some members buy big bags of cat food and kitty litter.  Some members will donate old sheets and big economy packs of paper towels.

We meet in a parking lot so we can go on a scenic ride.  There has to be a scenic ride after all, since we are a motorcycle group.  The ride will end at the chosen shelter at the time they will expect us to come.  Sometimes there is a local news paper reporter there to get our story.  We always have an audience when we arrive.  People come from all over to see the motorcycles as we arrive and park our bikes at the shelter.  Cooper gets a lot of attention. Since he is an animal, he's seen as kind of the spokes person (dog) for the ride.  

We unload our bikes and the accompanying car and usually make a big pile of our donations outside the shelter so we can get a group picture with all the things we donated.  Then we carry all the things in to the shelter and help put them where they belong.  

After everything is put away, we get a tour of the shelter.  This is Cooper's favorite part.  I don't bring him in far enough to make the cats nervous or upset the other dogs.  He just likes all the smells and has no idea of the life lived by these animals.

He gets a lot of attention. He kind of makes the statement of what a dog's life should be rather than to live in a place like that because someone gave up on him.  The shelter folks make things as nice for these homeless pets as they can as they wait for a family to come choose them.

Cooper gets a lot of attention everywhere he goes.  His presence makes a statement every time.  If he could make a statement to advocate for these shelter animals, I would want it to be this...

Love your pets.  Spay and neuter them to reduce overpopulation.  

Seriously consider them a family member, as they consider you 

a member of their family.  Learn how to live together and find ways 

to resolve issues.  Dogs have feelings.  So do cats.  What the 

feeling of love is to us is the feeling of loyalty to them.  Create a 

trusting and stimulating environment.  If you're not sure you'll be able 

to keep a dog for his whole life, don't get a puppy.  It is a 

commitment not to be taken lightly.  It isn't fair to an animal to be 

surrendered to a shelter where their futures are unsure, stale and sad.