The 2008 Rescue Picnic was held on July 12, and it was the most attended picnic to date. Even with a sign-in sheet and pictures to look at, we can only estimate the number of dogs and people. The best guess is 48 dogs and just about the same number of people. With the current price of gas, and the hundreds of miles some of them drove, that is astonishing.
To all those who came, we offer our heartfelt thanks for letting us visit with you and all the dogs we have known over the years. From the comments we heard we know it’s a big part of your summer, too. In addition to the pictures here, many of the pictures Jeff took are posted now at http://nwsams.smugmug.com/rescue.
Some of the dogs Cheryl and Steve rescued were at the picnic, as well as the first Samoyed we placed and the first we ever fostered. Many of the Sammies were repeats this year (and every year), and some were here for the first time. It was our first combined Oregon/Washington picnic and we hope many more will follow.
As rescuers, this is both the best and most frustrating day all year. We can’t tell you how much enjoyment we get from seeing all the dogs again, but how much we wish we had time to sit down with each and every one of you and get caught up on your dogs’ lives. We’re sorry we didn’t get a chance to talk to each of you a lot more. We always appreciate updates and pictures during the year.
Thanks to all of you who were able to come join us. Mark your calendars for the 10th Annual Samoyed Rescue Picnic on July 11, 2009!
