The value of volunteers

Volunteers are the lifeblood of most charitable organizations. For animal shelters, this fact is obvious just by walking in the door. Volunteers clean kennels, do paperwork, file for grants, donate money and goods on top of using word of mouth about the animals they come in contact with.

Volunteers from businesses donate time and services to rescued animals including training, food, leashes and collars and toys.

It takes them all to keep most animal shelters running. Should all the volunteers drop of the face of the earth, a shelter would need even more money to keep operating.

Right now we have pilots who use their planes to fly animals between shelters. Drivers who transport animals all over the country, trainers who donate time to work with formerly "unadoptable" dogs to make them adoptable.

The man hours associated with volunteers simply cannot be calculated but there are many organizations out there who wish they had volunteers. They may be located in an area where pets are simply not an important part of the landscape. They may be located in a rural area where there are not as many people with time to give.

Some friends of mine started a dream several years ago in a remote area of Missouri. This area has a high incidence of dumped animals. Hank and Della Hadley are on the brink of having to close Kindred Spirit Animal Rescue. Although money is always needed, Hank sent out a plea for volunteers. You see, they both work and run the rescue and he has only had one day off since they began. He is not a young man and the 24/7 operation of a shelter is a lot of hard work.

He has a few dedicated volunteers, but given the area he is in, not as many as he needs to help keep the shelter open.

So if you are reading this and live anywhere close to Fairdealing, Missouri, please consider donating some time to keep this rescue open. Of course, they won't turn down the money, but the people are who they really need. Right now they are taking in no more animals and are trying to find homes and other rescues for the animals they have. They can be contacted at

Center Inc/ AKA/ The Ripley County Humane Society
HC 1 Box 3977
HWY 160
Fairdealing, MO 63939
(573) 857-2044

They have closed down their website and their Facebook page. Please help if you can.

They have made the news in several places. Check them out here.

Please continue to volunteer and donate your time. You could be the difference in saving a life.