Bonnie Dickinson

My hero is Bonnie Dickinson. She is the founder of BARK (Bonnie's Animal Rescue Kingdom). She rescues abandoned dogs. She grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey. The reason she started BARK was because she loves animals, especially dogs. She had always thought about becoming a vet but wasn't able to. When her own dog died of old age she went online to adopt a new one and she saw that the rescue group that she was adopting the puppy from needed volunteers. She offered to help, and three years later she started her own dog rescue organization in Bergen County called BARK. She is inspiring because of her love for dogs. She is caring because she gives them a home. Bonnie is also very compassionate and patient with dogs.

I find Bonnie inspiring because she loves dogs and cares for them even when she knows she will have trouble finding homes for some of them. She receives many calls from landlords who discover abandoned dogs after a tenant has moved. Bonnie always comes to the rescue. She never has dogs put down. Instead, she finds them good homes and if no one will take them in, she becomes their owner. Sometimes a dog is badly injured or has been abandoned because he/she is suffering from an illness. Bonnie knows he/she may not have long to live but she still takes the dog into her home and gives him shelter and love until he/she passes away. She has inspired many dog lovers to volunteer their time to her cause. They provide food, shelter, medical care and above all love to these animals who have been treated so cruelly by their owners. That is why she is so inspiring.

I find Bonnie helpful because she believes so strongly in what she is doing. She does all of this work for no pay. She spends a lot of her own money and leisure time taking care of the dogs. She simply wants to save as many lives as she can. Bonnie even travels regularly all the way to North Carolina to rescue abandoned dogs there! Bonnie could not do all of this work by herself. She depends on her many volunteers and foster families.

Bonnie is very compassionate. She even rescues dogs from animal shelters. When some animal shelters become overcrowded, animals are euthanized to make room for new ones. Bonnie is quoted in a March 17, 2012 news article the record as saying: "The more fosters I have, the more dogs we can rescue from a kill shelter." By fosters she means kind people who are looking to adopt a pet and who would welcome an abandoned dog into their home. So Bonnie is able to continue her good work not just because of the volunteers who help her out but because of the families who open their hearts to these dogs in need. That's extremely compassionate.

Bonnie Dickinson is my hero because she has such compassion, love and respect for animals in need. I admire her because she stands up for what she believes in. If she knows about an animal who has been abandoned, is being treated cruelly treated or may be put down she will rescue it. She is very patient and caring with the dogs she rescues. I am also patient and kind to all animals. I am so impressed with everything that Bonnie is able to do for dogs that I am going to volunteer to work with her organization this summer.