Event Date: November 28, 2010

In my circle, Sundays are usually a time spent relaxing watching football, or more likely, recovering from Saturday night while watching football. One of the great parts of the 20 Causes, 20 Days project is to emerge on a Sunday afternoon knowing that I had a productive day instead of deepening the imprints on my couch all day.

Today was no exception.

We would be helping the good folks at the Sierra Pacific Great Pyrenees Club today, and I found myself excited to have the opportunity to interact with a breed of dogs that I hadn’t spent much time around ever.

It was a foggy morning when I left, and upon arriving at SPGPC I found myself a bit anxious that no one else was there yet. Was this the right day? Were the directions correct? Did people forget about this cause, citing the Thanksgiving holiday?

Luckily, my fears subsided as three cars pulled up almost simultaneously. The volunteers emerged with smiling faces, and I could see that each of them were excited to be spending their Sunday morning with me.

Okay, they were excited to be with the Pyrenees, but nonetheless, they were here and ready to help out.

Colleen arrived first, then sisters Amber and Audra, and finally Will. We met out in front, and one of the senior volunteers Gary took us on a quick tour and filled us in on the history of SPGPC.

Pam Tobin and her husband Jim founded the Club in 1996. They had bred and shown these beautiful dogs for years, and once they realized the demand for rescuing these magnificent creatures, the SPGPC was born.

The headquarters is in the back yard of the Tobins’ house, and in addition to the main kennel building with the Pyrenees, there are dozens of geese and ducks gallivanting freely on the premises, along with a half dozen mini horses in adjacent pens.

As we walked along the pond toward the kennels, we were greeted by loud barks from the three Pyrenees on the deck of the house. Gary mentioned that these dogs are among the most friendly and loving of all dog breeds, and extremely loyal to their owners.

Based on the aggressive nature of the barks emanating from the deck, I could tell that they were definitely wary of the new people on their property, but I also could see that they wanted to get to know who we were.

However, we had another destination in our sights: the kennel. There were nine dogs on the premises on this day, though they can accommodate up to 22 based on how they get along with other dogs.

We entered the building and by this time a few more of their regular volunteers had arrived to help out. Today would not be a solely “playing with dogs” kind of day. Rather, we would be put to work.

We would be helping clean out the entire kennel building. Based on the amount of built-up dust and cobwebs adorning, well, pretty much everything in the kennel, it was a much needed task.

The dogs were moved to the outside portions of the kennels and we got to work. We first removed pretty much everything that wasn’t bolted down. Will took charge of cleaning everything we moved outside and organizing things into large bins. Amber, Colleen, and I began vacuuming the cobwebs off the walls, ceiling, and cages in preparation for painting the interior of the building. Audra grabbed the mop and cleaned the floors.

It was a complete team effort and most amazing to me was that everyone tackled each chore with gusto. Not once (verbally) complaining about the tasks at hand.

I say verbally in parentheses because I imagine they were feeling the same way I was: eager to play with these beautiful canines! But that’s the point of volunteering: to give yourself up to the cause, knowing that every task a volunteer helps with is crucial to further progressing the mission of the cause.

We attacked the painting with a passion. During the course of this, I went around and checked on each of the volunteers, and I was relieved to learn that each of them had made some time to spend with some of the dogs.

Perhaps the most exciting part of the painting was when I climbed atop the cage to paint a hard-to-reach corner. As I edged my way toward the corner with a full tray of white paint, the bracket gave way and the entire fence took a sudden lean. I thought I was going to crash through as white paint spilled all over my shoe and all over the kennel floor below.

I slowly regained myself and found my way down. Nothing was hurt or damaged, except for my pride a bit. Though I’m sure my pride couldn’t have been any more damaged than it probably was a few minutes before I nearly crashed through the cage. I realized that the angle at which I was sitting gave everyone in the entire kennel an all-too-clear view of my plumber’s crack. I didn’t think anyone had noticed, but then I heard Amber throw out a “Say no to crack!” reference.

We laughed, and while on the surface it was a bit of dark humor at my expense, it was another reminder that when people are working to benefit worthy causes it’s really hard not to feel good about it.

That’s the great thing about volunteering, whatever the task, whatever the cause. You feel good about doing it, and that energy shines brightly to the others around you. It helps you stay warm on a cold day, and it can bring you out of a funk.

On this day, working closely with beautiful, friendly Pyrenees dogs and eager, warm people gave me a great feeling of satisfaction that I am helping bring people together in the name of helping others and making our community a better place. I know my mom would be proud of me and excited to be fulfilling her dream.

As for the Pyrenees, once they were allowed back into the kennel we could feel how they were excited about their upgraded new home! Clean floors, no cobwebs, and a fresh new paintjob. They were excited and the constant tail wagging confirmed that.

Sierra Pacific Great Pyrenees Club is always looking for volunteers. They offer a myriad of volunteer opportunities, ranging from day-to-day care to spending time with the animals to fundraising. Volunteer information can be found below.

I had a great time at the SPGPC, with the club members, club volunteers, my volunteers, and of course, the dogs. I know the volunteers enjoyed this experience too.

Amber said “I remember how despite the fact the dogs are ‘rescue’ dogs, they looked happy to be in the care of Pam and Gary. I remember when I was walking Hope and Gary walked by, he stopped her and gave her a hug and kisses on her head.  The passion that Pam and Gary share for these dogs goes more than just providing a shelter and food for them, They are really committed to the well being of the dogs.  That passion is what really hit home for me.”

Thanks again to Gary, Pam, and all the volunteers for joining me today. It was great to work together for the greater good, and share some laughs in the process.

I would recommend that everyone learn more about – and get involved with – Great Pyrenees. I am talking about both the breed of dogs and the Club who is devoted to rescuing and finding homes for these lovable canines.

No matter what is going on in your life, you will leave here refreshed and rejuvenated.

Sierra Pacific Great Pyrenees Club
916.791.7580

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