My experience volunteering at Barb’s Dog Rescue was an eye-opening experience. As soon as we drove into Mexico, we saw stray dogs on almost every street we passed. I was happy to accompany Tracy to buy dog food – and we bought a lot! We literally stuffed her SUV with as much dog food as we could, roughly 700 pounds. When we arrived at Barb’s Dog Rescue we were greeted by the cutest pit bull mix and an orchestra of barking from puppies and dogs trying to say hello. Barb informed us that her shelter goes through 150 pounds of dog food a day, and with all the dogs she cares for, I believe it. Barb introduced us to all of her dogs and she knew each of their names, and their story. It was remarkable how much love, care, and attention she put into her shelter and the animals that she cared for. Seeing and playing with the puppies was of course the highlight of the trip for me, but seeing the feral dogs also left a lasting impression. These dogs were withdrawn and protective of their pack due to the lack of positive human interaction when they were pups, yet Barb still found space for them to be with their pack and continue to shelter them. I definitely plan to return, and next time I hope to be able to bring puppy food in addition to the dog food. -Shirley, Volunteer
