RV'er of the year a Georgia dog rescuer

December 31, 7:04 AMAtlanta Dogs ExaminerSandy Weaver Carman

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RV'ers know the Good Sam club.  Sort of like a AAA just for people who tour the country in motorhomes and trailers, the Good Sam community is very close-knit.  And when discussion started about awarding an RV'er of the year each year, beginning with 2008, no one had to think too hard to decide where that honor should go.

It went right here in Georgia, to a man whose travels introduced him to a dog and whose heart was so big he decided to help homeless animals in addition to giving that stray a good home.

Richard Daniels lives in Waynesboro, GA with his wife Sue.  In 2005, while camping in South Carolina, they saw a skinny, frightened Lab mix in the RV park.  He asked about the dog, and the park manager said "he's just a stray.  Visitors feed him and he hangs around."

The Daniels' were haunted by the thought of the stray dog, and went back to the campgrounds and adopted him.  Richard started blogging on the Good Sam website about life with the dog he named Old Fella, the adjustments the family was making and the progress the new family member was making.  Good Sam club members were inspired by Richard's success and his passion to help other strays across America.  Soon there was a national network of rescuers who helped re-home strays from RV parks, and shortly thereafter, Richard and his wife started their own state-licensed rescue in Waynesboro, named for their friend Old Fella.  Through their efforts, dozens of strays in Burke County have warm homes this winter.

Richard Daniels will be honored at a rally in Albuquerque, New Mexico in April 2009. The recognition is good, but a little bittersweet, as Old Fella passed away in June of this year. The Daniels' now share their home with two more rescue dogs, Peaches and Suzie, and retain their strong commitment to animal rescue not just as a way to help the animals, but as a way to keep Old Fella's memory alive.

Most of all, Richard Daniels enjoys the feeling of helping. “Rescue dogs, particularly old dogs, always know when they’ve been rescued,” he says.