We’ve said it before, Rescue Ranch volunteers are critical to our mission. They perform essential tasks and, together with staff, ensure that Rescue Ranch can continue to save lives. Volunteers donate their time in different ways as their schedules and lifestyles permit. We need and appreciate them all. This week, I spoke to Sue and Bill Doron who have been donating their time to Rescue Ranch for over 20 years.
As I joined Sue and Bill in the living room, we bemoaned the dreary weather that was preventing us from taking pictures outside. We consoled ourselves with the thought that all the rain and snow might mean fewer wildfires this summer. Our local communities could sure use a break from the suffocating smoke and the stress of evacuation.
I took up a position across from them on the sofa. Sue shared her armchair with Maverick and his comfort bear. I listened as they recounted their experience as Rescue Ranch volunteers.
Rescue Ranch, The Early Days
The couple, who are lifelong animal lovers, began volunteering at Rescue Ranch in the fall of 2000. That was also the year the organization obtained its 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. The rescue had been operating informally since about 1992 and was located on Black Mountain, just south of Hornbrook, California.
For Sue and Bill, it was an opportunity to help dogs, spend time in a beautiful setting, build community, and get involved in a cause they were passionate about. Still in the workforce, they spent their Saturdays at the rescue: walking dogs and taking them up into the hills, away from their kennels to the great outdoors.
Between 2006 and 2009, the ranch stopped doing intakes. It continued to exist as a nonprofit while the board and committed volunteers sought to adapt the facilities at what is now the Adoption Center in Yreka. The main building on the donated land was just a shell. There were no kennels, essential plumbing, or other necessary installations. It took three years, but with the help of grants, donations, and volunteer labor, Rescue Ranch reopened its doors and began operating out of the Yreka location in 2009.
Fostering and “Foster Fails”
By 2012, both Sue and Bill had retired. Bill, who holds a doctorate in political science, stopped teaching, and Sue left her position as the Nutritionist-Coordinator for Siskiyou County WIC. Retirement didn’t slow them down, though, they continued to help out at Rescue Ranch, walking dogs, doing vet runs, shopping for supplies and fostering. Both also served on the board for about 10 years, stepping down in 2017.
Sue and Bill began fostering dogs before the move to Yreka. Their first foster was a shepherd mix named Mark. He was in bad shape and failing to thrive at the shelter, despite the care he received. Plagued by digestive issues, the emaciated dog just paced in his kennel, anxious and hungry but unable to put on weight. After spending time at home with the Dorons, Mark grew into a healthy, happy, adoptable dog. Had he not gone to what they knew was a wonderful home, Sue says that they would probably have kept him. The toughest part of fostering is letting go.
The couple has fostered 20 dogs of all sizes over the years. Some like Fritz, Daisy, and now Maverick , were “foster fails,” which means that their fosters adopted them.
When they brought Maverick home at the end of 2022, Sue and Bill discovered he had an enlarged heart and a collapsed trachea. Now his cough has all but disappeared and he’s doing great. He’s come a long way and is helping to fill the void left by Sue and Bill’s long time senior companions: Fritz, the Chihuahua mix, and Daisy Mae, the poodle. Fritz was their first small dog foster when he arrived on the scene in 2011. Both senior dogs passed away just months apart last fall. It was a heavy blow.
Still Volunteering 23 Years Later
After 2017, the couple decided to shift from walking dogs at the Adoption Center to volunteering at the Rescue Ranch Thrift Store.
Now, in March of 2023, Sue and Bill continue to lead an active life that includes regular visits to the gym, meals with friends, social events, and trips to the coast. Of course, they’re still Rescue Ranch volunteers.
They tell me they really enjoy helping out at the Thrift Store once a week, where the volunteer staff is great and everyone is in it for the dogs. They also continue to foster, do vet runs, lend a hand at events, handle some administrative tasks, and shop for supplies. They’re amazing, as are all of the volunteers who helped shepherd Rescue Ranch through its initial growing pains to where it is now.
Volunteer At Rescue Ranch Today!
Rescue Ranch could really use more volunteers right now. Both the Adoption Center and the Sanctuary are very much in need of assistance with daily chores as well as puppy and dog socialization. We could also use more fosters and help with office support, maintenance, and other tasks. If you’ve been thinking about volunteering, now would be a great time to join us! Please visit our volunteer page to learn more.
