Profiles in Compassion Carla Phillips Since January 2007 until the point of writing this Carla Philips has invited 38 dogs to live out the last little bit of time they have left on earth in her home. This can vary from a few weeks to a few years. As a hospice foster mom working in partnership with Best Friends Animal Society, and other rescue programs, dogs of all ages and sizes have spent whatever time they have left in a warm, welcoming environment listening to the TV, hearing the click of knitting needles, the doorbell ringing for the many visitors Carla has over and all the normal sounds of a home, the dishwasher, the vacuum and the hum of the fridge. Carla is often asked how she can do this work as she experiences loss frequently. “It isn’t about me, it’s about the dogs,” Carla will tell whoever asks that question. “I can feel sad as each dog passes but then I need to be open to receive another dog that deserves a home for his or her final days and there are a lot of them.” Maybe Carla is more prepared to do this work than some of us are, because, as a Registered Nurse she spent time in the human hospice field working with people at the end of life. And for most of Carla’s working life as both an RN and an attorney she worked in medical malpractice as a mediator. “I dealt with death in that role as well,” Carla told me. “I would often see people at the toughest times of their lives coping with the death of a loved one.” Carla’s home is decked out with a lot of squishy beds and blankets for dogs with all kinds of ailments. A large dog door leads out to a spacious fenced and wire roofed back yard so even very little dogs can feels safe from aerial predators like owls and hawks in the desert South West. Water bowls are everywhere for whenever the mood strikes and feeding the nine or ten residents is a lengthy undertaking as most of the dogs are on meds of some sort or another. “Negrita was in the first group of dogs I brought her to my house. The staff at the Sanctuary felt she would not last a week she was so ill but she lived with me for three weeks. Three weeks knowing she was in a home.” Carla remembered. “Buddy, a poodle mix, was with me for two years and three months. Bailey was a black pug with lots of medical problems. She lived with me for 14 months. And Rusty, the Chow Chow, was here for about 5 months. Prince, a very large but almost feral dog was with me a bit over two years. Zuma, the most damaged, was here for about two months. She had been chained every day of her life in the direct Arizona sun with no shade. Magic Man, was with me for about 18 months. His loss was especially hard because I really was not prepared. He was little, and I thought healthy, so I hoped to have him a long time.” Each one of the 38 dogs is buried and remembered at Angels Rest, the memorial park at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, with an engraved marker stone, Carla’s gift to every dog who has passed through her life. Each dog has his or her own Placement ceremony where a small group of friends will gather to support Carla and tell stories from their experiences with the dog, share a laugh, cry, and say a final goodbye as that dog is placed in the ground with loving care. A basket of polished stones is offered to all in attendance to choose a stone that speaks to them and place on the site. This is a tradition in many religions and cultures around the world and is a way of linking to the memory of the person or in this case the animal buried there. Also Carla has a photo scrap book put together by her neighbor, Barbara Dott, who is a photographer and designer. Every dog has his own page featuring a large photo with elegant text. Carla shares this book with everyone interested in her work. As each page comes up she recalls a story about that dog and his or her life with her. It is sad to know they are not longer alive, but also joyous because Carla knows she gave each dog the best life she could for however long or short that was.
Posted on: Fri, 19 Jul 2013 20:30:43 +0000
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