The Furrytale Farm is tucked away off of a bone-rattling dirt road, on a beautiful patch of land that’s far from the trendy tourist boutiques and restaurants of the island. I pull into the drive and a pack of twenty or so dogs greets me with more barking than is probably necessary, but it’s nice to get an enthusiastic welcome. Later, I will throw sticks for these dogs and try to figure out why anyone would want to abandon, neglect, or abuse them. I’ll wonder why they ended up at the farm, instead of cuddling on the couch or chasing tennis balls, like they were so meant to do.

The Furrytale Farm is an animal rescue and rehabilitation organization on Bainbridge Island, just a short ferry ride from my home in Seattle. It’s intent is to provide sanctuary to the animals who need it most, while also providing education to the public and fostering awareness of animal abuse and neglect. I haven’t been volunteering there for long, but long enough to know that this is one of the most special and incredibly vital parts of my greater community. My work there is by no means a vacation for my body. I muck out horse stalls, pull weeds, feed pigs, and usually go home covered in dust and slop and other less savory concoctions. But strange as it may seem, it’s a vacation for my brain. The hours spent there are a complete break from human reality. Everything is forgotten while I’m at the farm – the bills tacked to the fridge, projects left unfinished at the office, dentist appointments, and the fact that we’re out of toilet paper again. It all just melts away, because I am there for one thing alone: to love.

Jake the Dalmatian leans into my leg and moans with delight when I rub his ears. Frank and George, the tiny dachshunds with a past too terrible to explain (though you can get a taste of what they went through on the site ) waddle over to the gate and beg me to sit so they can crawl into my lap for however long I’ll allow it. I’d sit for days, if I could. Tank, the Rottweiler with the terribly abusive past, follows at my heels and is the most heartbreakingly loyal dog I’ve ever met. Jeremy, the new guy, loves my camera and gives the lens a good lick. And there are so many more, each just as incredible as the last. There are potbellied pigs, with their leathery backs to pat. There are horses to nuzzle, and the rich scent of hay. And of course the dogs, which fill my day with so much joy that I feel like I need to split into a thousand hearts to give back the amount of love that they give me. 

I catch the afternoon ferry home, smelling like hay and dirt and farm, a little self-conscious of the odors I seem to be emitting. And it’s back to the city, with the market still buzzing and cruise ships loading, and me in my car, with the radio, and the smell, and the reminder that this world is so much bigger than myself.

A special thanks to Jessica Eskelson for kicking off our staycation stories feature Your Local Picks. If we're to stick close to home all summer, why not do something meaningful with our time. Take a peek at the whole gang over at Furrytale Farm in Jessica's Flickr set. If this cast of characters doesn't break your heart and then mend it again, nothing will.