Letter writer: Brother Wolf Animal Rescue came through in time of need

I am employed by a local health care organization. On a recent morning, an older couple showed up at our facility. The husband had sustained an injury in a fall and was the caregiver to the wife, who was in a wheelchair. The determination was made that both patients needed to go to the emergency room as the needed care was beyond the scope of our facility.

During their interview, it came out that there was a dog in their vehicle. It is common knowledge that I am a “dog person.” I was called in to assist with the dog while our health care professionals dealt with the patients, [medical technicians], ambulance, etc. The woman was very upset and concerned for her dog, sobbing. She was reassured that the dog, Daisy Mae, would be well taken care of until she was returned to her.

When I approached the vehicle, the dog went ballistic. It was very frightened and protective of the vehicle. Having had little experience in removing an unhappy dog from a vehicle and truly not wanting to be bitten that early in the morning, I texted Denise Bitz, founder of Brother Wolf Animal Rescue, requesting assistance.

Her response was immediate: “Of course we will help.” Within 20 minutes, a Brother Wolf Animal Rescue staff member was at our facility. Armed with a leash, some peanut butter and dog cookies, he had the dog out of the vehicle and was petting it within five minutes more.

BWAR agreed to temporarily house the dog until the determination was made as to whether or not the couple would be able to continue living independently and caring for their pet.

Denise’s answer to me in my time of need is the same one that BWAR management, staff and volunteers have given thousands of times to the animals and citizens of Asheville and Buncombe County over the years. Such a simple statement with complex results: “Of course we will help.” The peace of mind this sentence gave to the woman whose whole world seemed, at that moment, to be falling to pieces is immeasurable.

It would be my bet, however, that the tax monies saved by our municipality through the work done by BWAR in the sheltering, feeding, vet bills and care of the thousands of animals that have been placed into loving homes through BWAR is quite measurable.

It is my feeling that any support that we citizens and our government can give to organizations such as Brother Wolf is an investment well worth making with incalculable returns. My thanks to Brother Wolf Animal Rescue.

— Ed Cawley
Asheville