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Arts & Entertainment

Last Hope

 Last Hope Animal Rescue has helped me overcome many obstacles that has effected my life. 
   My biggest struggle was the passing of my dad. My dad was my best friend for the past 16 years of my life. Two years ago when he had a major aorta aneurysm and a stroke, I felt like I lost my best friend. When my dad got sick, I was forced to see life in a different way. My family and I practically lived at all the hospitals and rehabilitation centers my dad was transferred to. After 6 1/2 months of suffering my dad passed. That day just felt like my entire world had crumbled into nothing.
    After a month after my dad passed, reality finally hit me. I realized what had just happened to my family and I. As a result, I took a hard turn and turned to destructive decisions. After shutting everything, and everyone out of my life, I turned to self - harming. For a while self- harming too over my life, and at that time I figured nothing mattered and that this was the only way out. Looking back on this now, I realize how much of a closed- minded decision self- harming was. Self - harming at that time I thought was going to make everything better and was going to bring back my dad. However, all it did was make matters worse, it didn't take back my dad, and it didn't solve any problems. 
     After Hurricane Sandy, I got involved with volunteering at Last Hope Animal Rescue. At the time I got involved with Last Hope, I looked at it as a way to just get out of the house. After a few months of volunteering at Last Hope, I realized how much these dogs rely on us volunteers. I became so involved with these dogs that I completely forgot about everything else that was going on in my life and just focused on the one thing that mattered the most: THESE AMAZING DOGS. Along with trying to make a difference in people's lives, I soon realized, the major difference I was making in these shelter dogs lives. Seeing these amazing dogs getting adopted one after the other, is a wonderful feeling. And knowing that you helped make that adoption possible makes it an even bigger accomplishment. 
    Volunteering at Last Hope Inc helped me through this difficult time in my life, and I'm fortunate enough to have had this wonderful animal organization in my life. Now, I am a full time student at Molloy College and still an active volunteer at Last Hope. 
  ANIMALS CAN MAKE THE SMALLEST DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIFE, BUT YOU ARE THE ONE MAKING THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE IN THEIR LIVES. 
 P.S. Volunteering at an animal shelter is differently a lot of hard work, but once you see the difference you made in the dog themselves, you feel accomplished. I know personally, trying to train a dog that is hard to deal is a lot of hard work, but the day when you hear the dog has an adoption pending is just a wonderful feeling that you helped make that happen.  I personally, work specifically with this one dog. He is the most adorable, and hilarious coonhound I have ever trained. As of now, JohnBoy is 3 years old, and even though he still doesn't know how to walk correctly on the leash, and tries to play bite everyone,and everything he is coming along great with his leash training, and basic commands. Hopefully someone who will be stern with him and continue to work with him, will find how much of a loving and amazing dog JohnBoy really is. 

By: Florentina McGrath

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