Trio Animal Foundation

I can’t watch those ASPCA commercials.  The ones about the sad little homeless dogs.  I volunteer in animal rescue, I know the horrible stories out there, I don’t feel the need to raise my awareness and I change the channel. 
Wright-Way Rescue, the place where I found Gibbs, actually offers to take people on their trips to high-kill shelters to pick out the few they can save. 

Excuse me while I cry just thinking about doing such a thing.  I specifically adopt from no-kill shelters to make sure that I only walk out with one pet.  Even at Wright-Way, I was tempted to take home –with Gibbs - a Brittany Spaniel that was just spayed after having a litter of puppies.  (She has since been adopted.)

Those Facebook pages that post the dogs on “death row” hoping for a last minute rescue?  Not a chance that I am going to look there.

Some people might think that I am part of the problem when I refuse to look.  But I maintain that I do my part in giving my time and money – not to mention adopting my pets in general.  Having said that:

I don’t remember when the Trio Animal Foundation first landed on my radar, but it  was probably through its work with the Animal Welfare League – the group that had their A/C units stolen for the copper wires.  Trio is an organization that pulls together resources to help homeless pets receive the medical care they need.  It is not a shelter itself, but sponsor animals with several groups in the Chicago area.  So I started following their Twitter feed.

They have some really sad stories to tell.

“Trio” is a dog that was used as bait in a dog-fight and lost a leg.  At the age of four weeks. 

I looked at the pictures.

More recently, “Dozer” is a dog that was shot by his person.  With a gun.  He is now safe and receiving treatment.

I looked at the pictures.

Yesterday, they posted about a dog they are sponsoring, rescued from a hoarding situation that has been in the headlines around town.

I looked at those pictures, too.

As a casual student of social media outreach, I am fascinated that Trio keeps getting me to click.  I think it is because I know that any animal Trio posts about has a fighting chance.  “Dozer” for example, is not out of the woods yet, and for awhile it looked pretty grim.  But Trio has given him the best possible chance for a happy, healthy life.

I am not yet an active sponsor, or even a donor for the Trio Animal Foundation.  But today, I feel like the least I can do for them is help spread the word.