Many of us are somewhat relieved to see 2008 go, just as we look forward to welcoming the new year. With luck, better economic times and a healthier stock market await on the horizon.
Despite last year’s problems, 2008 also brought some special memories. China seamlessly hosted the Summer Olympics. America elected a new president. The Phillies won the World Series. And, for the first time, the Good Sam Club has selected an individual as our RVer of the Year.
Naming the RVer of the Year will become an annual club event, and, beginning with the 2009 recipient, members will have the opportunity to use our Good Sam website to both nominate and vote for deserving individuals. To select the initial recipient, I sat down with a number of key Good Sam staff members.
It was easy. We were all in agreement. Many of you have read
Highways articles and postings on the Good Sam Club’s online forum about Richard Daniels of Waynesboro, Georgia, and his rescued dog, Old Fella. We couldn’t have made a better choice for our inaugural Good Sam Club RVer of the Year.
For those who haven’t heard about Richard, here’s his story in a nutshell. In 2005, he and his wife, Sue, spotted an old stray dog with a pronounced limp at a South Carolina campground. The dog had lived there for three years and relied on the kindness of RV guests for food. Haunted by the dog’s plight, Richard shared his concerns with other RVers on the Good Sam Club website at www.goodsamclub.com/forums. Fellow forum participants encouraged him to find the dog a home, and he finally returned to the campground and adopted the dog himself. Fittingly, he named him Old Fella.
Known as Dixie Flyer on the forum, Richard began telling stories of the dog’s adjustment to his new life. “He’s wagging his tail all the time now, as if it is on automatic cruise control,” typed Dixie Flyer. “I have learned a lot about humility and enduring the hardships of life from him. He never gave up and he never gave in. He just kept the faith that someday he would have his turn at a better life. It is now his turn.”
Inspired by the dog’s spirit, Richard founded the Old Fella Burke County Animal Rescue, which currently consists of a group of volunteers who foster elderly stray dogs. To date, Richard’s volunteers have transported almost 40 stray dogs from Waynesboro to the New England area, where they’re placed in larger animal shelters and are more likely to be adopted. Shelter officials are amazed at how well the Old Fella dogs behave as a result of their care and training.
Richard continues to use the forum to help place rescued dogs. Last year, he found Anna, a retriever who had had a leg amputated. Good Sam members Ryan and Beth Eaton read about this dog and agreed to adopt her. The only problem: they live in Spanaway, Washington, 2,800 miles from Waynesboro. Through the postings on the forum, Richard coordinated transportation for Anna, calling on fellow members who volunteered to use their rigs to ferry the dog across country. After this amazing journey, Anna (who has been renamed Tia) enjoys her new life in the Pacific Northwest.
Today, in addition to opening his home to two newly rescued dogs (pictured on the left), Richard is devoting his efforts to building a dedicated animal shelter so that he and his volunteers can provide a safe haven for even more animals. Most of all, Richard feels rewarded by the love and devotion he receives from his rescued pets. “Rescue dogs, particularly old dogs, always know when they’ve been rescued,” he says.
Old Fella’s Forum
Read all about Richard Daniels’ animal-rescue efforts by visiting www.good samclub.com/forums and clicking on RV Pet Stop. There, you’ll find the Old Fella online thread along with other animal-related topics.