FEATURED PERSON

Marley’s Mutts is truly a community organization.  Our community of Tehachapi (including the boroughs of Stallion Springs, Bear Valley, Sand Canyon, and Alpine) is filled with spectacular human beings who are more than willing to give back, and in our case, help with the plight of Tehachapi’s disenfranchised doggies.  Not long after our inception, I met a woman by the name of Daleen and to say she is unique would be an understatement. 

Daleen is a rare flower; teeming with personality, and as loving as she is hard-working.  Daleen is the manager of shipping and receiving over at K-Mart , whose duties includes taking in and processing of dog food.  When bags of dog food get ripped, torn or otherwise damaged, they are usually discarded, but not anymore.  Daleen tapes and packages the bags back together and the result is a couple hundred pounds of dog food per week.  This food is donated to Marley’s Mutts and we in turn distribute it throughout our community.  I deliver several hundred pounds every two weeks out to the California City Animal Shelter, and the rest is distributed to local dog-owning families who are in need.

Daleen makes sure that we never run out of dog food, but her contribution to our cause is much deeper than that.  When I’ve had a tough day–if we have a sick dog or if we’ve just lost a dog–Daleen can sense my discomfort and is ever -ready to plant one of her bear-hugs on me.  She genuinely cares about the Mutts and (as selfish as it may sound) she definitely cares about me.  When you can count on someone like Daleen to always be in yourcorner, the world is a less scary place. Those who know her will understand what that means because Daleen can kick some butt!  There are a lot of negative forces at work in the world of dog rescue and having a partner like Daleen makes the strength of those forces diminish. 

It should also be mentioned that Daleen is the proud mother of Stormy, another supporter of the Mutts as well as Veterinary technician extraordinaire.  You will not meet a more capable, compassionate, mother-daughter, 1-2 punch than Stormy and Daleen. 

Thank you, Daleen, for picking me up when I’m down, for always being there to talk if I need it and for the
steady supply of dog food to help feed the Muttlies.  You are a true gentlewoman!