Young Volunteers

This article, focusing on the young volunteer caregivers, is a special highlight of this month's article on the Texas sanctuary.

In many ways, the growth and development of DAWGS has paralleled that of its young volunteers.

As the sanctuary has expanded in scope and size, the DAWGS kids (several of whom were featured recently in Best Friends magazine) have matured. They have shown a level of caring and commitment to animals that inspires the adults around them.

A shining example of that progress is Jesse Brunmeier.

Month after month, through summer heat and winter cold, Jesse has been there for the dogs. His devotion is such that Mark gave him the honorary title of "TLC coordinator."

As such, Jesse (below right) is "Johnny on the spot" whenever a new arrival requires special attention and love.

That was how he became attached to a longtime resident by the name of Feeney, a fragile dog who desperately needed a loving presence in his life. Through time, Feeney and Jesse became fast friends.

Then one day, Feeney found a home.

Jesse knew that adoption was the goal, and that it was the best thing that could happen to Feeney, but he was heartbroken nevertheless. He struggled for a long time with the emotions brought on by Feeney's departure.

Then one day a month or so ago, another exceptionally needy dog showed up on the DAWGS doorstep.

The timid shepherd mix had been tied up to the front gate during a blinding snowstorm, and Mark knew right away that she needed Jesse's special touch.

"OK Jesse, here's your project," Mark recalls saying.

To push things along a bit, he named the dog Fawney.

It didn't take long for Mark's intuition to be proven right.

Like Feeney, Fawney was originally shy and afraid around others. And, like Feeney, Fawney learned to trust Jesse. And Jesse was in love again.

"Whenever he'd disappear, I'd know where to find him," Mark says. "He'd be in the kennel with Fawney."

As Christmas approached, Jesse, who lives with his grandmother, confided in Mark that he wished he could adopt Fawney for Christmas.

He broached the subject with his grandmother, who was sympathetic, but afraid that the dog was too big for their house.

At Mark's suggestion, however, Jesse took Fawney home for an overnight visit one Saturday night. The visit went well -- so well that Fawney has since spent the better part of two weeks with Jesse and his grandmother.

Whether or not Fawney ends up living with Jesse permanently, it is clear that both the dog and the boy have benefited from their relationship.

In the true spirit of DAWGS, Jesse says simply, "It's just hard for me not to be thinking about that special dog."

Other children featured in the Best Friends magazine article are still involved, as well, although their level of involvement naturally fluctuates along with other activities in their lives.

Molly Kruse (pictured at right), Alix Allen (featured top right) and Kali Williams, dubbed by the Trulls the "three amigos," are part of the core group of kids who have helped hold DAWGS together since its inception. While the girls' commitment to the cause hasn't waned, they have had fewer hours to spend at the sanctuary in recent weeks.

Noting that the girls are active in basketball and volleyball -- two powerful forces in Dalhart -- Mark is actually pleased that they are doing other things.

"For us to be successful out there, we have to be sure our kids prioritize what's important in their lives, doing things that balance their lives," he says. "Then, if they have any time left on their calendar, we want them to come out and spend time with us."

Mark fully expects that when volleyball and basketball seasons end in February, the girls will quickly reappear in full force.

Other children have increased their involvement since interviews for the magazine story were done.

At that time, Lauren Yocum (right) was just starting as a volunteer, and still learning to cope with the chaos brought on by all those dogs.

A soft-spoken girl with a shy smile, she has since settled in as a competent, caring, and dedicated worker.

In fact, she worked so long and so hard that her grades started to suffer. Her parents forced her to cut back on her hours at the shelter until the grades bounced back up.

Well, bounce they did, and Lauren was soon back at the sanctuary, working long, hard hours.

So much so that Mark and Diane have had to make sure she was still spending enough time doing other things, like studying.

"We had a couple of days where I had to send her home," Mark says. "She was just spending way too much time out there on the weekends."