by Gray Wolf's Resident Labrador
Retriever
Hi there. For those of you who don't know me,
I'm Buck, the resident Labrador Retriever at Gray
Wolf Ranch. I hold, "in my opinion," one
of the most important positions here at the ranch.
My responsibilities are numerous and have grown
sig
nificantly
since Gray Wolf Ranch has expanded not only in
its facility but also with its credentialing. For
starters, the acreage around the lodge has tripled
in size, meaning that I have much more ground that
needs to be covered, sniffed, and marked on a regular
basis. It's important for me to continue to let
the wildlife in the area know who's "boss." The
local deer, coyote, and various residential pets
know that I'm king of my castle.
Secondly, with the addition of our Wolf's Den,
I have one more residence that I need to keep tabs
on, as well as four more young men who are walking
into early recovery and needing my input from time
to time. I might add that one of the Wolf's Den
residents has a very energetic puppy that also
takes a considerable amount of my attention. I
don't mind the extra workload because the residents
here are absolutely terrific. It's a great honor
for this canine to be a part of their recovery
process. It continues to be amazing for me to watch
the profound transformations that occur during
their time at Gray Wolf. When they leave with their
graduation medallion in their pocket, they are
changed men. It is a very powerful and rewarding
experience. To think that I am part of that process
gives me a great, warm, furry feeling inside. I
really miss the guys, "the residents," when
they leave here, but from time to time I am able
to overhear the staff talking about alumni and
getting reports on their well being. I am also
very excited about the upcoming alumni trek in
August, hoping that I will get a chance to catch
many a tennis ball thrown by a large variety of
my old friends who come back to participate. It
has been fantastic developing a solid alumni base
here in Port Townsend because that means there
are even more sober young people around to pet
me and spend time with me. All in all, I would
say that I have reached the top of "My Labrador
Mountain" and feel that life couldn't be much
better than it is here at Gray Wolf Ranch.
Until next time,
Buck
