Our Core Values - April Sanctuary Update - Our Companions Animal Rescue

Hi Everyone!

Much of what I write in these updates paints a picture of Our Companions as a place that’s a little bit different. Different can start in a lot of ways. Often, it’s a little bit of magic with the right people in the right place at the right time. But if you want to make different sustainable, to keep what makes something unique for the long term, that will always take effort. A big part of that will be understanding and being able to articulate what it is that makes you different. Several years ago, we at Our Companions went through a process to to be able to do just that, understand and articulate what makes us different. What resulted was our Core Values. You’ve likely seen the posters around the buildings and seen it in our job postings, but I’d like to take this opportunity to really lay it for you, our volunteers and supporters, since you are such a highly valued part of everything we do.

One thing that is never hard to find in animal care people is Compassion. But while it may be obvious that Our Companions is built on Compassion, it’s still worth stating everything that word means here. Of course Compassion is at the center of how we approach animal care. Taking in dogs and cats with the most need and giving them a soft, low-stress, home-like environment in which to heal and recover is all about Compassion. But Compassion also informs our many interactions with people as well. Whether it’s our staff, our volunteers and supporters, our clients, or anyone who calls our helpline, it is important to us that everyone be treated with the same Compassion that we show to our animals, no matter how challenging that may be. There is no way to truly be there for animals, without also being there for people.

Scout’s compassionate volunteer pals have kept him warm over the winter with a plethora of caps

Our staff and volunteers always have plenty of cuddles to share – Nikki deserves nothing less!

When you’re trying to do something big and important, there’s no way to do it alone. It’s always a team effort. Our Companions is built on Cooperation. Our staff, volunteers, and supporters are always finding ways to share their strengths in an effort to be more than the sum of our parts when trying to give our dogs, cats, and clients their best shot at success. And we hope that this month’s Volunteer Appreciation gestures let you all know how valuable your Cooperation is to us.

Angel and Milo firmly believe that teamwork makes the dream work!

Jaxon’s idea of cooperation is helping you finish your cupcake – how kind of him!

So much of the DNA of Our Companions revolves around the value of Innovation. From the beginning, it was all about enacting any and all ideas we could to make life better for dogs and cats in our area. Not only the Sanctuary, but also Canine College, our various community support programs, and the truly unique work of the Helpline show just how willing we have always been to try new ways of doing things in order to provide the most impact that we can. We always welcome ideas from all of our staff, our volunteers, and our supporters, and we work hard to keep the avenues of creativity open.

Juno’s friends have been working on teaching her fun new skills to keep her working-breed brain active and engaged

Miel is learning to nose target a touch stick to further bond with her handlers. Innovative indeed!

The value of Respect is another one that may seem obvious, but it’s what that value means here that makes it special. It’s the “why” behind everything we do. All living things deserve Respect and to have their value and dignity recognized. Why else work so hard to do such difficult things? Of course, working with these special dogs and cats, as well as their human families, can be very fun and rewarding, but when the tough times hit, it’s that foundation of Respect that keeps us all on solid footing.

Fearful and spicy as she was when she arrived, the cat team did everything they could to keep Cider comfy and cozy as she settled in

It is important to Brooke to maintain friendships, so we made sure that her frequent playdates with her best buddy Cole could continue even after he was adopted!

Lastly, we have Trust. It’s a hard thing to come by in this world, no matter what you’re trying to do. But without it, there’s no way to hold the work of the mission together. We believe the best of people. That not only includes the wonderful people in our OC family, but all of the people that we connect with as well. If we didn’t, it would be impossible to move forward with the urgency and optimism needed to do the big things that make us different. We also firmly believe in inspiring Trust in others. We work hard to live up to our commitments to the people we work with, as well as our commitments to the animals to treat them in a way that gains their Trust in us.

Can Milo be trusted with a couch of his very own? We think so!

Our shy cats trust us to ensure their safety and allow them to come out of their shells on their own terms

So, there you have it! The story of all those Core Values posters up around the sanctuary and the recipe for what makes Our Companions the organization we all know and love. We so appreciate the part that you all play in making this magic happen! Thank you all so much!!

Rosie’s Roundup

Hi Everyone!

It feels like it was a little slow in coming, but summer is finally starting to roll in for real. And what comes with summer? Summer vacations, of course! And who could deserve a great vacation more than our fantastic volunteers? That said, having so many of you away can make things a little lonely for us here. So, please keep an eye on the volunteer calendars and updates from your volunteer coordinators. If you can do a little extra to help cover for other volunteers who are away, your furry friends here at the sanctuary would greatly appreciate it!

See you soon!

Rosie

We have some sad news to send out this month, which was made all the more sad by how close it came on the heels of wonderful news. Many of you who work with the dogs knew Bella during her time here. She was a senior who came to us at a tumultuous time in her life and was not in the best of health. While she was very sweet and a volunteer favorite, her stress and separation anxiety not only impacted her emotional health, but also took a toll on her physical health, as she ate poorly, lost weight, and was a challenge to treat for her ailments. Luckily, her knight in shining armor came in the form of one of our dog staff, Katie. Katie, her partner, and her dog and cat welcomed Bella into their home and watched her blossom into a smiling, joyful girl. Unfortunately, soon after, Bella was infected with anaplasmosis and her age and frailty gave her no resources to recover from it. After a fast decline, they had to say goodbye to their sweet girl. While her time in our lives was short, we will always remember Bella, and will be grateful to Katie for giving this girl and her challenges a chance.

We also had to say good bye to Sierra this month. She also was not with us long, but made a big impression. She was the picture of serenity and loved her time outdoors watching the world pass by. And she loved her visitors, with a loud purr that would start as soon as you entered the room and continue all through her time in your lap. Her health was a bit dicey right away, and she soon developed a respiratory issue that our vet partners were unable to clearly pinpoint a cause for. She declined rapidly, and we knew it was best to let her go. We will miss her dearly.

And of Course…Adoptions!!

April was an incredible month for adoptions here! We don’t know where the magic came from, but we hope it keeps coming! On the cat team, sweeties Peaches, Cassie, and Sabrina, young mama Minnie, and fearful to friendly success story Wynken and Blynken all went home. And with that, we were able to welcome Butters and Toast and surprise guest Ozzie. On the dog team, senior buddies Spot and Skipper went home to different families, and sweet Sophie went home as well. That let us welcome in precious Princess and handsome Hank.