As a young girl growing up in a not-so-perfect home I lived through my books. I escaped my environment by reading. While I loved reading the children’s classics I also enjoyed biographies. I read about Helen Keller, Amelia Earhart, Clara Barton, and Eleanor Roosevelt. Their lives of accomplishment and overcoming adversity inspired me to write. I wrote short stories for school and kept a diary from the time I was about ten years old. There is something very uplifting and therapeutic about writing your thoughts and feelings down on paper. The dream was always to write something that someone else would enjoy reading.
The years passed like a fast-forwarded movie. Rick and I married on my eighteenth birthday and within a few years we had started a family of our own. We moved to the country to raise our children. Once they grew up and began to raise families of their own Rick and I pursued a dream that we shared, rescuing Dachshunds. Our lives quickly became emmersed in the world of rescue and our home quickly filled up with senior and special-needs Doxies. That was in July of 2001 and now fifteen years later we can’t imagine our lives without the sanctuary.
The day after Christmas 2015, I sat down at my computer to write about our sanctuary. The notes from my journals and the ledgers I kept of our rescues refreshed my memories, and the chapters poured out of my heart so fast I struggled to type them. A very busy and short six months later my book is published and helping to support our dream.
A few weeks ago as I sat down for the first time to package books for shipping I realized that it was no longer just my dream, it was now my product. The little girl that dreamed many years ago of writing for the public is now an entrepreneur, a marketing executive, and a source of advice for many dog lovers. And to insure that my thoughts of accomplishment don’t carry me away, I still get to scoop doggie poo out of the yard each week. 🙂
Rick and I are beginning to set our sights on our new dream. That is the long-term prospects of the sanctuary. Right now we are limited to around forty dogs, because they are housed mostly in our home and our back porch. We have eighteen acres of land that is mostly going unused, and we can’t help but ask ourselves what if we were able to build a separate building for our sanctuary? What if we were able to rescue, rehabilitate, and re-home twice the number of dogs we can handle now? What if we never had to say no to a Dachshund in need because we don’t have the space?
We have no way of knowing what the future will bring. But we do know that our dreams have a way of coming true when we work everyday to make it happen. We know that we are doing what we were meant to do and that God isn’t through with us yet. We know that many wonderful people are willing to help us reach our goals if we can assure them that our hearts are true and our intentions are strong.
So we say to everyone who has purchased the book, and to everyone who has donated to our expenses that we are not done yet! We are going to follow our dreams as long as we can still get out of bed each morning. We are going to continue to RESCUE ONE till there are no more that need us. We hope and pray each day that you will all continue to help us make those dreams come true.
The little girl inside me squeals with delight each time we get a new order for the book, or read a new review of someone who has read the book and believes in our efforts. That little girl that dreamed of making a difference with her life and her words has not lost her dedication. She found the perfect Prince Charming and together they can make all of their dreams come true.
Please purchase the book if you have not already done so. You can mail a check or money order for $14.95 + $5.00 shipping and packaging to The Promised Land, PO Box 826, Gardendale, TX 79758 or use PayPal.me/promisedland. (Promisedlanddachshund@yahoo.com)
The Promised Land Dachshund Sanctuary 
I grew up in Odessa, Texas… You are doing some awesome work. Thank you.
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First and foremost, thank you for the beautiful, well-written book! This morning I sat in my chair with my coffee and finished the book. In my lap sits my beautiful little Ruby..she is a long-haired rust and brown colored mini dachshund. 11 years ago, I adopted Ruby and Rufus at the tender age of 6 weeks. They were quite the pair! You could never find one alone…they were ALWAYS together. Each with their own distinct personality and quirks! Two years ago Rufus suddenly became ill…it ended up being a bleeding tumor in his heart. After being at the emergency vet from 9:30 PM the previous night, at 5:30 AM the next morning…with my husband, son, and Ruby by my side, we loved on Rufus and said goodbye…It was the hardest thing to let go and let him cross the Rainbow Bridge. Little Ruby was distraught. Long story short, her anxiety at being alone without Rufus brought on Pancreatitis…which lead to Diabetes…all within four weeks. With the loss of nearly 1/3 of her body weight, it took nearly 9 months to stabilize Ruby’s blood sugar. Today, two years later, she struggles with Dimentia, Diabetes, and blindness. Yes, she is special needs, but I wouldn’t trade her for the world. When I am home, she is either in my arms, on my lap or touching my leg. Your beautiful book validated that I have done the right thing by my baby girl (not that I would have done anything any differently)! I tip my hat to you and all that you do for the little ones! May God’s love continue to shine down on you!!
Patti
Kettering, Ohio
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