Be Kind to Animals

Today is the first day of Be Kind to Animals Week and I'll be doing my part to keep this at the forefront of your thoughts throughout the week. It is also the first day of National Pet Week here in the United States, though I think that should be an international event.

Please check out the links above to see what general things you can do to honor and promote these worthwhile endeavors. I'll offer lots of other ideas during the week, but in the meantime, I'll leave you with a very specific reminder of WHY such events must exist.

A Dog Sits Waiting

A dog sits waiting
in the cold autumn sun,
too faithful to leave,
too frightened to run.

He's been there for days now,
with nothing to do
but sit by the road,
just waiting for you.

He can't understand
why you left him that day.
He thought you were stopping
to go with him to play.

He's sure you'll come back,
and that's why he stays.
How long can he suffer?
How many more days?

He's sick now from hunger,
he falls with a sigh.
He lays down his head
and closes his eyes.

I wish you could see
how a waiting dog dies.

Now, to really bring this idea home, I am personally asking you to do whatever you can to specifically help a very dear friend of mine, and all the furry ones that she cares for and supports. She owns and operates Second Chance Rescue near Daytona Beach, Florida.

She is responsible for rescuing, caring for and fostering out many, many homeless and needy dogs following Hurricane Katrina's destruction. She also single-handedly sought out owners and played a crucial role in reuniting displaced pets with their rightful owners.

During my second trip to NOLA, I became very well acquainted with her and her rescue group. I just found out today that Second Chance is in an immediate and desperate situation. They need to pay off a substantial veterinary bill, which has accrued on behalf of her caring for so many unwanted and rescued dogs. If they can't pay their bill off immediately, they will be unable to provide for the animals currently in foster care or offer help or hope to any new animals.

The woman behind Second Chance is a marvel and I can not only strongly endorse, support and recommend her to anyone who has interest in animal welfare, but say beyond a shadow of a doubt that her heart is pure and her intentions and concerns are only for the furry ones.

So if you are in a postiion to offer any sort of financial support at all, however small, PLEASE contact her directly and see what you can do to help. TODAY.

Yes, this is a personal plea and no, you won't see me doing this very often, to this degree. But I won't apologize for doing it now.

This woman came through for me when I quite literally had nothing left to give and made it possible for me to prolong my own rescue endeavors even when she could no longer be there herself.