As an animal owner and lover, I am more than excited to volunteer at the Wolf Run Wildlife Refuge for my service learning projects. When I first looked at the organization options, I was immediately drawn to the the idea of helping animals and being involved with Wildlife. I began to research the organization and fell in love with their goals and and stances on animal rescue; and, of course, I fell in love with the beautiful animals at the refuge.
http://wolfrun.org/
To introduce myself a bit, my name is Katie Bernardo and I was born and raised in Corbin, Kentucky. Corbin is a very small town in Southeastern Kentucky that is located near the Appalachian Mountains. Because of this, I became very aware of the Kentucky wilderness around me at a young age. In my back yard alone, it isn't uncommon to see a small group of deer, a lone coyote, and even a wild bobcat every now and then. These sightings have allowed be to grow an interest and love for the animals of Kentucky.
The Wolf Run Refuge has a number of animals that they care for, however, the wolf hybrids sparked most of my excitement. Not only
do these hybrids resemble my own Australian Shepard dog back home, but they also embody so much strength, nobility, and gentleness.
For comparison sake, here is a picture of one of Wolf Run's hybrids named Journey and my dog named Lucy.
I believe that I already have a warm place in my heart for these hybrids because of Lucy. Even though Lucy is not a hybrid, many people are scared of the way she looks and her size. Some people would hurt her if they felt remotely scared by her presence, and I now realize that the Wolf Run hybrids deal with the same issues but on a much greater scale. Because they are partly wolf, many people are afraid of these animals. They are not deemed safe to be in a domesticated setting and are forced to live in the wild, or at a place like Wolf Run.
The staff at Wolf Run dedicate so much of their time to making the lives of these animals the best that they can be. On the website, they say that "God made the animals strong. He made them true survivors." I believe that this statement truly expresses the strength of these animals, and the compassion that the staff has for them.
I don't know how much more I can emphasize the beauty and stature of these animals. But here is my favorite picture that I found from the refuge, and hopefully you can appreciate their beauty a much as me.
To say the least, I am thrilled about beginning my service at the refuge in the near future. No matter how small or large, I hope that I can make an impact on the lives of these deserving animals.
No comments:
Post a Comment