Santa Came Early

Last Friday night the Ketchikan Humane Society celebrated its tenth anniversary with a fund raising auction.  If you are not familiar with Southeast Alaska, Ketchikan is one of the communities on the islands of the Alexander Archipelago.  Ketchikan is a small town, about 10,000 people.  Sounds big by "down south" standards, but those people live on a 40 mile road system with no way off the island except by air or sea.  I lived there for almost 20 years.  I was one of the founders of the Humane Society.  I went to the tenth anniversary party.  We raised more money than any of us believed possible.  One week before Christmas, a cold night with colder rain blowing sideways.  Our venue was crowded, the bidding enthusiastic.  At the end of the evening, the proprietor had sold all of his food and beverages, all of our items were paid for and carried out, nothing was broken and we were exhausted.  We watched our slide show one more time.  It was simple.  Before and after pictures of the animals whose lives we had saved.  Mostly dogs and cats.  We were reminded of the wonderful Rainbow Bridge where animals go after death to wait for their human friends.  Get a hanky if you follow the link.  The Ketchikan Humane Society is sustained by the devotion and care of many volunteers.  It succeeds because of the vision and passion of one woman, Gretchen Moore.  We agreed that when Gretchen approaches Rainbow Bridge she will be mobbed by the hundreds of animals who felt her loving touch.  If there is truly a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, it is right there in Ketchikan at 12034 North Tongass Highway at Gretchen's boarding kennel and the home of the Ketchikan Humane Society.