Wolf Within

Gees, I better get my speakers hooked back up on my puter, I get enough noise in one day, but I've been missing out on cka radio and the great volunteers who dedicate their time to give us great tunes to surf cka with!!! I keep saying "i'm gonna get them hooked up" and that "gonna" word means I ain't done it yet.
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While things have been sluggish where the shelter is concerned, something "great" happened a few days ago, we won over another opposer, who has fallen "in love" with one of the crew.
This guy, had visited the old houses "looking for a pet" but was just looking to see what could be critized... what fool has 40 cats and a couple of dogs? right! Surely something to see in a small village that never heard of shelters before.
I bumped into him again a few weeks ago and asked if he'd lend a hand with my daughters dogs while she and her son were in Montreal over the Christmas season visiting with her dad.
The guy is a dog lover, so he agreed and we bumped into one another at her house.
He asked me why I do what I do - even though it's literally a "crappy" job and he can't phantom why someone would spend their days cleaning and poop scouping. I just answered that I love what I do (cuz i do) and that the rewards that come from what I do (people and animals) is the richest thing I've done in a while since leaving montreal.
He's a carpenter and I asked that he come out and help me build a frame to use as a shelf to put cages on - my arm is taking it's sweet time at healing and it's not as if I can take any time off or stop using it, but twisting it, is still out of the question, so he agreed somewhat reluctantly. I think his curiousity got the best of him, so he came out to the house.
Of course he was bombarded by the dog and the cats, who naturally had to smell him up and down - but one kitty, kinda kept her distance while the others checked him out.
"Jinny" a tiny framed black short haired spayed and vaccined 4 yr old female, finally made her way to him after the others initially finished checking him out. He patted her and she suddenly decided she was hanging with him - literally! He was wearing a hoody sweatshirt, for which Jinny claimed his hood and comfortably nestled herself into his hood. Now some of the crew is use to noise and others aren't but Jinny has been around me since almost birth and is use to it when I'm cutting wood, vaccuming and other, so noise is not a big thing for her (loud music is tho)
Try as he did, she did not want to come out of his hoody and he did not want to be aggressive with her, so he said "fine, I've got wood to cut, that outta do it eh?" and I said "no, she'll hang in with ya but I can take her out of your hood"
His curiousity got the best of him, so he said "no, leave her there if you think she'll stay"
Well, he cut the 2x4's for the frame and put it together - she remained in his hood and just followed his weight around when he leaned over - perfect balance and she was not at all bothered - just content to be in his hoody, hanging out.
He was a tad impressed by her desire to befriend him and how - unlike most cats - didn't budge from his hood, even when cutting wood and building the frame (she's a trusting little soul)
When it was time to go, I had to remove her and she kept leaning towards him, seeking approval or assistance to get back in his hood - he chuckled and shook his head at her mannerism.
A few nights ago, I was out and about with my daughter and he happened to notice her vehicule at a common aquaintances home, so he stopped in.
The conversation lead to the shelter and our host said "you gotta get rid of those cats H - people are mad at you and I don't see your purpose". Well before I got to answer, the gent who came out to build the frame for the shelf, piped up and said "I didn't either until I met "Jinny" - it's certainly a different lifestyle but one that even I could get use to" - well my daughter and I both veered our heads at the same time, cuz this guy "use to say" - you need help of somekind to place yourself in such a predicament with so many damn animals -
And just yesterday, I got a cord of wood (i heat with the fireplace and 2 heaters) so he came out with his chainsaw to cut my wood for the second time, I was thankful.
When he came in for coffee, no sooner did Jinny hear his voice, she ran over, jumped on his lap, stood up to greet his face and seek approval to enter his hood.
He leaned to the side so she could hop up and she did.
He looked up, smiled, shook his head and said "even I would never of believed that this could happen"
he's hooked in lil ol Jinny - she's won him over....... (he's 39 yrs old by the way)
So bit by bit, things advance, people have a change of heart, people see that the old mentality has alot more to it and that critters, can be and are - great companions!!!
I can't believe what he said the other night - how defensive he got, how he replied before I did, how his opinion and response was so open and said with heart.
10 points for me and ya gotta love that lil Jinny, she is a handful of character - expressive, in touch and now has a hood to be carried around in.
If this guy gets a new place of his own and considers fostering Jinny, I certainly wouldn't give it a second thought - she chose him.
IT's been quite the task trying to influence a mentality that's been carried on over generations however it has been changing, too much is at stake and too many LIVES can be influenced for the better - I realize this is not for everyone, but incidences such as this, shows the individual, how deep down, there is communication, there is attraction and there is alot of love to be shared -
Corny? I've learned that it is to some but to those who live the experience, it's an eye opening understanding of how animals and people bond...
chow for now