Are we there yet?

According to the nifty weather station my brother gave me last year, its minus 22 tonight and that makes the living room the most popular spot in the house. Between chairs and dog beds .... between rockers and rugs, there are enough cozy spots for everyone to bask in the cozy warmth of the wood stove.
For my money, the fact that they all get along well together is a much bigger part of the picture of domestic bliss than the toasty fire could ever be. Admittedly, their social networking isn't always face to face, but they have still become a well oiled team that would be the pride of any section head.
At the end of the day, the way ahead for the animals will take both teamwork and social networking. This is something that successful managers understand, and bit by bit it is rippling out into the animal rescue community on this continent.
One of the first, and best examples of this, was the Mayor's Alliance for NYC Animals, http://www.animalalliancenyc.org/new/index.php. In the eight years since its inception in 2002, this organization has united over 160 rescues and shelters in the pursuit of reaching the goal of a No Kill New York. They're not there yet, but in the first six years they have succeeded in dropping the kill rate by 35%. Their website is an awesome example of what is possible when everyone works together and pools their resources.
In the course of researching the Rescue without Borders story, I've tripped over another great example of how social networking and teamwork are saving lives.... a great group of volunteers that have formed a rescue and shelter alliance called "Highway to Heaven". http://www.highwaytoheaven.350.com/home.htm They are a volunteer transport network that works with southern shelters and northern rescues to successfully save lives ... lives that would often be lost in the horror of a gas chamber.
And before the keyboards catch on fire ...yet again ... about that, I would like to remind folks that life is life, no matter where it is. To criticize groups that try to save lives from away with statements like " we have enough &^* homeless pets here in NS without importing them" reflects the same narrow thinking that has some mean spirited people criticizing the generous help for Haiti because we have needy people right here in Nova Scotia.
There is the promise of this type of cooperation both in the new strategic plan for the society and in the burgeoning spirit of support at Metro for the rescue community. Better yet, if you read the online minutes of the January 25, 2010 BOD meeting, item 6 includes the very promising statement that "With the additional kennel capacity that will be available as of April, the shelter will be able to take in more dogs from other SPCA's and rescues in Nova Scotia and beyond"
Its been a rough old ride for the society since the Celtic Pets seizure two years ago tonight. In the months that followed, public support dwindled to the point where the society was at real risk of drowning in its own dirty washwater.
Along the way, me and my big mouth have burned more than one bridge at branch level, and I make no apologies for that. Like the three year old in the back seat, I'm only really asking 'are we there yet?'
It was two years ago... and it was yesterday. But it was yesterday. We might not be there yet, but I'd like to think we're on the way.