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.
About Me
- Rachel Paap
- In 1966, Bobby Kennedy said-- "It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, we send a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples can sweep down the mightiest walls of repression and resistance. Like it or not we live in interesting times, and everyone here will ultimately be judged, will ultimately judge himself, on the efforts we have contributed to building a new world society and the extent to which our ideals and goals have shaped that effect. " Decades later, I couldn't recapitulate this conviction any other way.
No comments:
Post a Comment