The passing of Dr. Gabriele Barrie last month left a massive hole in Pound Rescue, but her trusty lieutenants are determined to carry on the work of the non-profit's founder in support of the area’s homeless animals.
Barrie had already been caring for abandoned animals for over a decade when she founded Pound Rescue in 1994, eventually building a network of foster homes that has taken in thousands of cats and dogs over the years.
Barrie was a dynamic force, a hands-on leader in all facets of the Okotoks-based rescue, so her passing has created an enormous void that new president Rosa Kurtz and others are doing their best to fill to continue to do right by the animals.
“Gabi was the main person that did everything, and we did what she told us to sort of thing, so to have that role changed to being in charge and having to know all the ins and outs of the rescue is a big learning curve,” said Kurtz, who has been on Pound Rescue’s board for more than two decades.
Kurtz said treasurer Stephanie Heidt has also taken on a greater role and two new board members have joined, adding there was never any doubt that the organization would continue to operate as Barrie would have liked.
"We assured her that (we’d keep it going),” she said. “We both have a great love for animals so neither one of us wanted that to happen and, first of all, we wouldn't even know how to shut it down, although we're finding it's a lot harder than we thought.”
Kurtz said stepping into her best friend’s shoes was emotionally draining at first, but she’s learning on the job and coming to appreciate all that Barrie did and the motivation behind her actions.
“We're operating in the exact same fashion as she did. Stephanie, I think, has been with us for 10 years and I've been here over 22 years, so, I mean, we were well trained,” said Kurtz.
“Stephanie and I have always agreed with what she (Barrie) stood for and how she operated the rescue. We both believe in everything she believed in, so it was easy to transition that part of the rescue because that's how we would operate anyways.”
As for the paperwork and all those easy-to-overlook details, well, that’s been another story, but Kurtz said Barrie did her utmost to prepare them after receiving her diagnosis last summer.
She said the rescue has struggled to find forever homes for many of its dogs and cats as adoption applications dry up, and because it doesn’t have a shelter, it has a limited ability to accept new animals, so it will put a renewed focus on education and the need to spay/neuter pets.
Kurtz also wants to make the community aware that Pound Rescue is not a rehoming agency but rather a lifeline for abandoned animals.
“I get daily calls from people wanting to surrender their dog, and that's not what we're about," she said. "We’re about the abused, the mistreated, the abandoned. I'm here for the dog that was freezing in the snow that had nowhere to go. That's what we're here for.”
