I'm one of those types who cries at the drop of a hat when I see any kind of ad or mailing about mistreated or abandoned animals. My heart goes out to them so much because they're so helpless. They can't speak up and go, "Hey, can you help me over here?" So, I've always admired vets, their assistants, and rescue workers who, in the face of a disaster, are as concerned about the animals as the humans.
Case in point, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, literally thousands of pets were either abandoned or unable to be evacuated with their owners. Groups like the Louisiana SPCA went in and rescued pets in the heavily flooded areas. The Guard even helped out whenever they found animals.
It touched my heart seeing beloved pets reunited with their owners.
But many are still in shelters without their owners. Organizations like the Humane Society and the SPCA work hard to help these pets find loving homes.
It must be so hard not to get attached to all the little animals you work with in a time like this. But God bless these people for the work they do. Animals are strong-willed and smart and can take care of themselves for the most part, but I have to say that I greatly admire all the men and women who put themselves out there on a daily basis to help our animal friends.
My husband and I rescued an abandoned cat many years ago. She was probably 7 or 8 when we took her in and she had many medical problems. But we got her to the vet and got her on the right track and she was with us for another 7 years before crossing over the Rainbow Bridge. Here's my Puddy Tat:
And let's not forget our favorite boy here on Books, Boys, Buzz...Knut the Polar Bear in Berlin. Thomas Doerflein, one of the zoo keepers, has dedicated his life for the past six months to raising Knut so he would survive. He's definitely one of my heroes! As is everyone at the Berlin Zoo.
For more information on these wonderful heroes, visit some of these websites:
Louisiana SPCA
Mississippi SPCA
Boston's MSPCA Angell Memorial Hospital
Kitty Angels
Greyhound Rescue
Humane Society
Thanks so much to those people who help out the animals!!
We hope you'll stick around all week and let us know who your heroes are, as well.
Marley = )
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6 comments:
Marley, you tugged at my heart and had me nodding furiously while reading this. Fabulous--thanks!
And tying back into my favorite book/movie from a blog post a few weeks back, I remember telling a friend if I had been a character in The Stand, that I would have stayed behind (rather than made the mecca to Mother Abigail) because it seemed the cats were immune to the illness, and I wouldn't have been able to leave them...
I'm with Tina, Marley. This was a very heart-warming post. I hated seeing all those pets separated from their owners when Katrina hit.
Knut is getting so big! I can't believe it.
I used to work at a small humane society as the education coordinator. Because it was so small, I worked as a kennel assistant as well. You do get attached. You do get your heart broken. You do end up with extra animals... I took home three cats and only worked there for a year! It's a tough job and kudos to those who work in it full time... I couldn't.
Teri
Oh Marley, you totally broke my heart! I believe the people who help animals are my greatest heroes too. When I hear about all the poor animals who die every year because there aren't enough people to take care of them...I feel like turning my house into a menagerie for them.
Whenever I see a stray dog or cat, I always feel like crying because I want to take it home *so* badly and keep it as my own.
I adopted my baby cat, Ash, from the Humane Society 2 years ago and he is the great love of my life.
I'm with you Marley..those who love animals have my heart!
i wish i could adopt that orange kitty.
What a sweet post, Marley. And those folks are absolutely heroes--the kind that often get overlooked.
We got my dog (a Chow mix now 17 years old) through a humane society adoption at Petsmart. Despite her emotional baggage--if I ever met the monsters who owned her the first 18 months of her life I'd beat them senseless--she's the sweetest pup ever.
Hugs,
TLC
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