Hope

Most people that know me, know that I have a very un-emotional approach to animal welfare --intent on ending the needless killing of beautiful dogs and cats across this country. I've learned to apply a business model - a practical and tactical model, as opposed to an emotional one. It is the only way for me - the only way to focus, and remain steadfastly determined to cause a ripple effect, and ultimately save the lives of our innocent "best friends."

But of course there are times when emotion creeps in -- when I'm in the presence of a gorgeous creature that I know has very little chance of survival in the cage of a shelter, when I see happy dogs wagging their tails as they are walked into the front door of a shelter; their naivete, their excitement. Could that have been the first time they took a ride in a car? Were they merely excited to be out and about with the only people those dogs have ever known and been loyal to?

And when I hear of stories that are so profound, it's as if I can feel my heart being pulled out of me, bit by bit.

Every single day I receive an average of 15-20 emails about "urgent last chance" dogs and cats in shelters or similar situations. Do I dare open each one up and look at the photos? What else can I do? I can't just delete, but there is no way I could save each one of them. My networks become exhausted for forwarding, but I try anyway. Every day I think about the rest of the world -- does anyone have any possible idea that so many (over 5 million) animals have their "last day" and never even make it into a darn email?

One of those emails was about a dog named "Gideon." The gorgeous bony cream colored shepherd mix had been hit by a car and dragged -- leaving his entire one side of his body ripped off completely down to the bone. He was found by animal control. Clearly this boy was a stray, with a strength that gripped the edge of life.

Soon after the email showed up, he was rescued by an Orange County rescue organization. Weeks later he is still in recovery. I don't want to give any more details away, please read this story that ran about Gideon here:

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/rescue-wheaton-dog-2239672-gideon-people


Click on the photos. I dare you not to cry.

This, a "happy" story within a heartbreaking one -- just may be the HOPE that we, fighting together on behalf of every stray, unwanted, abandoned, and neglected animal, needed to close out 2008.

How It Began, This "Purpose."

Over the years, many people have asked "how and why did you get into helping animals Rachel?"

Obviously, the people who ask aren't the ones that knew me as a pre-adolescent, when it all began.

I despise the use of cliches, but I'm sure most people have heard the phrase - "it found me" -- whether referring to a professional field, a 4 legged friend, or even just plain love.

Well at the age of 11, I stared into the eyes of a lobster and it hit me, I would never be able to eat another animal, and my quest to help all creatures burst forth from there.

Two years of vegetarianism later, I had delved into the broad world of animal rights; animal cruelty, laboratory testing, factory farming, companion animal overpopulation and other areas of animal abuse and exploitation. At 13, I became a member of the New England Anti-Vivisection Society (unbeknownst to my physician/scientist father). Throughout middle school I refused to dissect any animal, (painfully made clear to my parents with my dis-satisfactory grade), I researched and presented reports on animal exploitation issues, and continued to refuse my grandmother's brisket, chicken soup, and "nice piece of fish."

My diet didn't seem abnormal to me at all. On the contrary, as a varsity gymnast for four years in high school, the veggies and carbs did my body good. Sure it was difficult to find a balanced meal at times - in those days there were hardly as many options as we have today. Difficult, but I must admit, it didn't frustrate me. There hasn't been a single day in over 20 years that my personal conviction and dedication has been unsteady.

Animal welfare - the welfare of all animals "found me." I knew that for the rest of my life, I would work on behalf of every at-risk creature. It wasn't a choice, it was a magnet, and I was, am always being pulled towards it.

I suppose some people call it a "purpose."

There are other passions of mine, and I feel lucky to have explored such vastly different and exciting areas in the advertising, entertainment, literary and music worlds.

It is hard to walk away from what we deal with in this field. This is certainly not a "9-5er" profession, or one in which you feel you've done enough. "Enough" is never close when animals are needlessly dying and suffering every day.

I learned the hard way my first years working in animal welfare, my entire focus was on my job running a spay and neuter clinic. Hundreds of physically and emotionally challenging hours spent in the field trying to educate pet owners, while all "spare" moments involved the side effects of spending so much time in low-income communities: fielding calls, saving strays, witness to abuse, communication breakdowns, extreme poverty, and general apathy towards the creatures I held so dear to my heart. There was no time for anything else. It is no wonder that I lost touch with many of my friends during that time.

Over most recent years, I've come to understand what "balance" means. I started to make room for my other passions and activities. Ironically, with a life more well-rounded shall we say, I find that I am a better professional. My ideas are more fresh, and creative.

Although my "purpose" found me long ago, I firmly believe it can hit anyone anytime. So perhaps the answer to that question "why did you get into this Rachel?" should be simply put --
I didn't, it got into me.

Today, I read an article about a 60-year old woman who started an animal rescue in China, and recently took in 100 of the earthquake area stray and injured dogs. She left her successful career, bought a few vans, started picking up more and more strays, and set up a sanctuary called "House of Love."

Her response to the same question that I have been posed is so powerful and so perfect to me, I just may steal it:

"I started down a road, and couldn't turn around."

Every 63 Seconds in California...

For the past several weeks I've had images of dead shelter animals on my mind.

I was asked to develop a billboard campaign for a special project in California.

Upon searching for images, I spent hours on stock photo sites, animal rights and cruelty sites - anything to find just the right images. I wanted the most beguiling, yet incensing images. With billboards (including digital), the visual is crucial, we only get one shot at grabbing people's attention. These spots needed to truly drive it home, and convey without any ambiguity -- that we have a grave, expensive, and sad problem.

An average $250 million of tax dollars are spent each year by Californians, to house and euthanize over 400,000 dogs and cats. Our state shelters take in over 800,000, more than half leave in body bags. Indeed, we love them to death.

Some photos were devastating. Haunting photos of tortured and tested-on dogs and cats, cages packed with live animals, their bodies literally stuffed into two feet-sized crates, and waiting to be purchased for meat. Photos of piles of euthanized animals on shelter floors, or in freezers, or in trash bags showed up continuously. Piles and piles of dead animals.

Is it possible to put that image in your head if you've never actually seen it?

Frankly I pride myself on removing emotion out of the equation in this realm, yet I could hardly keep from wimpering, as I sat at this very desk in my Hollywood office staring into the screen at those harrowing photos.

How else could anyone react?

Although I support the mission of many animal rights organizations, I generally have not understood the tactics used to promote their messages. Most of the campaigns I have worked on have solely intended to cause people to act, change, or become educated. Therefore, creative was formulated in such a way, and targeted in areas that statistically showed there was a lack of information and resources.

This time is different. This campaign will, or should, affect people.

For these brief moments, it seemed to make sense to me why some of PETA's campaigns used disturbing photos of animals in harm. Their mission may not have been to directly get people to change their behavior, rather, the images would shock and alarm, bringing instant attention to the issues. Therefore, over time, a true awareness and familiarity with the problem would be achieved.

In a way, it's difficult to evaluate the better benefit: getting people to slowly change their behavior, or increased recognition of the cause at hand.

Besides, we must give credit for their brave efforts. How often do you see ads, marketing or any promotions at all that include actual photos of animals that have died in shelters?

The question is - will we reach people in a new, effective way with images, or with statistics, or with educational information?

I dream about producing incredibly powerful ads that are so ubiquitous, that the issue of companion animal overpopulation evolves into being ordinary. Just an ordinary problem, that we are working on collectively. Like a director, I envision filmed spots from beginning to end. They even include powerful songs that will pull the viewer in, just like a soundtrack should...

And with repetition, our community will newly discover how to make an impact, how to be part of a solution. By then, maybe we wouldn't be euthanizing animals every 63 seconds in California, as we are now.

While You Were...

So often when I find myself in a really great mood, or laughing with friends...I think about what the animals are going through in the shelter right at that very moment.

It doesn't necessarily bring me down, rather, it makes me relish those moments even more. It also stirs in me a renewed strength and determination to do something for them.

The animals that were given up because their owners are moving, or the cat scratched the furniture, or they got a new, younger pet, or, it was getting too old, too incontinent, too loud, too dirty, not cute anymore, not fun anymore. For some time the pet was safe, fed, cared for and possibly loved - then one day it goes for a ride in the car, it's excited. Until from inside the cold stale cage, it watches while their loved one walks away forever.

That's the part that kills me. Imagining how scared and confused they are. If they were human, they'd internalize and wonder what on earth they did wrong. Like when a child's parents divorce, and it becomes a personal blow, a devastation sometimes that is carried around with them through adulthood, until they are capable of understanding that it had nothing to do with them, it was merely between the parents.

There are other times when I can't stop thinking about the shelter animals, and it does act like a filter for joy, how can I let joy in thinking of them?

But we're human, and this is what we do, we move on, and we'll be happy no matter what others are going through. It's about us, about the now, the moment, right?

If you see images of people being brutally harmed and killed in other countries for no reason, or dying from a preventable disease, we may feel something briefly, or we may act. But what happens when the images are out of view? Do we naturally seek out ways to help? Or are we always trying to escape the sad and horrible truths that occur every minute in this world?

This is not meant to be a cynical slant here. I am truly intent on understanding why certain crises continue - when it is so painfully obvious to me that they could have come to an end some time ago. All it takes sometimes is to pay a little more attention.

So while you are enjoying your day to day, and everything in between - please be open to a wider landscape. Including all the natural beauty in everything. And maybe we'll find beauty in opening up a little more, and helping, in any way we can.

p.s. these are current photos of real dogs and cats in shelters right this very minute.

For the LOVE of...

A beautifully crafted song

How the vivid, bright colors on a painting from 200 years ago are still so lovely

Crisp, cool air and a smooth navy sky

Warm, fresh homemade popcorn with melted soy butter and the perfect amount of salt

The view from the top of Runyan canyon, and the invigoration from the hike up

A photograph that pulls you in, whispering what's happening in a scene from 50 years ago

The smell of fallen, burnt-colored leaves on a cold ground in a small New England town

A book that is so thrilling, you can't bear to finish it

The way the sky opens up so wide, just as you approach Palm Springs going east on the 10 freeway

Pride in your mom's voice each time you answer the phone

The special private feeling while walking alone in a foreign city

A piano melody

Delicate, modern, yet classic stationary, with a texture you can feel without touching it

Being transported back to high school with just one song

Bright green and white bunches of new Lilly of the Valley blooms in the ground

A bond so precious between grandparents married over 60 years

Driving in LA when it seems the entire city has gone on holiday

The unstoppable wagging tails of happy dogs

Deep and true empathy for other and all sentient beings

Perfect moments between friends with contagious laughter

Words like gravity, loquacious, diligent, blue, fragile, california and lovely

A small frozen pond you can ice skate on

A film so powerful it changes the way you live

That high-pitched, sweet "meow" of a rescued kitten

The way Paris resembles a black and white photograph, and a page out of any Andre Breton novel

Candlelit evenings while minutes flow from day to dusk, dusk into night

Large, intricate snowflakes that disappear on the New York City streets on a December evening

The moment when your vulnerability emerges in front of the one you're falling for

The flopping golden ears of a dog leaning out the window in the backseat of the car

Recognition of experiencing pure joy

The involuntary tearful response to a powerful operatic duet

Dogs that plop down when exhaustion kicks in, followed by a sigh and a content groan

The appreciation of an elderly person after being helped

A newborn nephew's face wearing your brother's expression

The comfort of a ritual so simple it makes you smile

The transformation of an abused, scared dog about to be killed at a shelter into a trusting, affectionate new family member of a doting couple

Second chances for every unassuming beautiful cat and dog

The power of realizing you can make a difference.

Spread the LOVE...