Mutt Militia, say hello to Rob Eckno, our volunteer of the month for April! Rob has been volunteering with us for the past 2 months and has become a regular at the Ranch each week. He was blown away by Zach’s story and how Marley’s Mutts all began and was impressed by the rescue mission giving animals with basically no hope, a new life.
Rob has enjoyed helping with projects that provide the animals with a great home environment and loving on the dogs, the pigs, Humpty & Pal, and Ollie, the goat. One of his favorite things about volunteering is that each week he is learning something new about working with the animals from Josh, our Ranch Supervisor and Behaviorist.
His advice for anyone considering volunteering is, “Don’t hesitate another second! It’s such an awesome experience. I drive two hours each way and wouldn’t miss it! Fill out the volunteer forms and come to the Ranch to be part of this incredible mission! It’s so great to watch the dogs truly enjoying themselves in the gorgeous Tehachapi landscape. It’s such an inspiring feeling to know that in showing the dogs that someone cares about them, that we get back 100 times more from them with the love they give us. It’s an amazing experience!!”
Here is a fun fact story Rob shared with us. “Working on the cruise ship docks in Juneau, I would crunch up almonds and hold them in my hand. Every day for two summers, right about 2pm, the same pigeon flew on to my arm and ate the almonds. If I was busy talking to someone she would wait on a bench and then fly over. Other workers on the dock would say, "Hey Rob, here comes your girlfriend!”
Thank you, Rob, for your dedication and service to Marley’s Mutts!