June the 19th is a date that is of paramount importance to this charity, and without June 19th 2006 there wouldn't be a SHAK as you all know it today. That horrible day was the day that I lost my dog to Lymphoma out of the blue, just an ordinary guy running his own business with 1 pet dog that went everywhere with him. That dog was called Shakur (meaning 'thankful to god') or Shak for short.
I don't want to go through the whole twisted paths that brought me to where we as a charity are today, there isn't the time to go through all the good times and bad times, but I do want to say how proud I am of what has been achieved in the memory of a dog that got me through some tough times, and really was my soul mate.
When he died, I swore I would never put myself through that ever again. The loss and pain was too much to bare. Today we have around 70 in our care. Yet I have seen and been present for the last breath of so many dogs since that day and I would be lying if I said it got easier..... It doesn't. Everyone we lose hurts even more.
Today of all days we were asked to help three. Two we saved, one disappeared into the hideous world of not knowing. A change of heart maybe? Or to another vets who are less conscious with the needle? I'll never know. But we saved two (more on one of them later.) I'd like to think Shak would be happy with that return, everyone keeps telling me "you can't save them all." But the day I stop trying to save them all is indeed the day that I myself won't be saved.
So 9 years on, the charity I founded in memory of my best friend continues to help the dogs that nobody else wants. The video below shows one of the arrivals today. He is exactly the kind of dog I set this charity up for. The ones nobody else wants. The fact he arrived today just proves that deep down I must be trying to do something right. The politics, the media frenzies and the huge ego's connected to rescue mean nothing to me, I'm simply trying to give a little back to creatures that gave so much to me in the shape of one.....
I miss you Shak, you changed my life forever. I hope what I set out to achieve in your memory will continue to help so many more just like you.....
Stephen Wylie.
I don't want to go through the whole twisted paths that brought me to where we as a charity are today, there isn't the time to go through all the good times and bad times, but I do want to say how proud I am of what has been achieved in the memory of a dog that got me through some tough times, and really was my soul mate.
When he died, I swore I would never put myself through that ever again. The loss and pain was too much to bare. Today we have around 70 in our care. Yet I have seen and been present for the last breath of so many dogs since that day and I would be lying if I said it got easier..... It doesn't. Everyone we lose hurts even more.
Today of all days we were asked to help three. Two we saved, one disappeared into the hideous world of not knowing. A change of heart maybe? Or to another vets who are less conscious with the needle? I'll never know. But we saved two (more on one of them later.) I'd like to think Shak would be happy with that return, everyone keeps telling me "you can't save them all." But the day I stop trying to save them all is indeed the day that I myself won't be saved.
So 9 years on, the charity I founded in memory of my best friend continues to help the dogs that nobody else wants. The video below shows one of the arrivals today. He is exactly the kind of dog I set this charity up for. The ones nobody else wants. The fact he arrived today just proves that deep down I must be trying to do something right. The politics, the media frenzies and the huge ego's connected to rescue mean nothing to me, I'm simply trying to give a little back to creatures that gave so much to me in the shape of one.....
I miss you Shak, you changed my life forever. I hope what I set out to achieve in your memory will continue to help so many more just like you.....
Stephen Wylie.
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| Shakur Wylie 07.03.1999-19.06.2006 |
