(this post dedicated to Rosina McVicker, Phyllis Ayoob, Karin Monday, Wendy Geller,  Susan Clary, and the people of Our Companions Animal Sanctuary, and Siglinda at The Goathouse Refuge)

I’m starting my “Malevolence-Free Monday” with a thank-you note to the angels-on-earth who devote their hearts, homes, and wallets to Animal Rescue.  In the attached video, there’s a line from Annette King-Tucker’s poem (credit below): “I know of no creature unworthy of my time.”  That’s the Rescuer, in a nutshell. If every heart on our planet felt this way-and I don’t mean saying it, or posting a cute meme about it, but living it and exemplifying it with action?  There would be no war, no hate, no bigotry, no superiority-dances being done by the jib-jab-looking talking heads on televison. Yes, the pundits would be out of business but you know, people not dying because of their skin color, orientation/identification, or beliefs, so okay. But I digress.

I am honored to know some rescue people. They are as diverse a group (as far as political views, socio-eco status, religious views or lack thereof, etc.) as you’ll ever find. They love and respect each other. They don’t waste their time with hard-hearted thoughts about each other because of their philosophical or political leanings. Why? Because at the core of their open and loving hearts lies the truth from Ms. King-Tucker’s poem: “I know of no creature unworthy of my time.”  That’s not just a belief to a Rescuer-it has become a part of their DNA. These are, on so many levels, the most evolved humans on earth. I know this to be true. I also know that they are some of the most un-sung heroes; fortunately for us and for millions of animals, they don’t do any of it for glory or thanks. But they deserve some human gratitude. Which, I’ll grant you, is nothing compared to the grateful smile of a Pit Bull who was once used as a bait dog and is now looking at you from his side of the couch, waiting for you to throw the ball again-but hopefully, Rescue people, you’ll read this and share it with other like-hearted heroes. I want you to know how much I appreciate you:

Thank you for going to the shelters, taking photos of the souls on death row, and posting them.

Thank you for seeing those photos and pulling the animals from the shelters.

Thank you for fostering or adopting those furry beings.

For every cat, dog, rabbit, horse, or wild friend you prevented from facing a confused and terrified end on a steel table-who now sleeps nestled in a +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++(leaving that typo in because it was made by my Rescue kitty) anyway, nestled in a child’s warmth or trots around a welcoming farm-Thank you.

Thank you for medicating, bathing, and curing the dog who is hairless from mange, and seeing the beautiful soul behind the inflamed and raw skin.

Thank you for dressing the wounds of abuse. Your tears of compassion heal wounds and hearts and wash away the pain like nothing else.

Thank you for waking up every two hours to bottle feed kittens whose mother died giving birth to them.

Thank you for setting up cross-country transport chains so an animal can go from death row to a happy home (and see a little bit of the country as well).

Thank you for being part of those transport chains and putting thousands upon thousands of miles on your vehicles to do so.

Thank you for taking in senior animals who were ‘surrendered’ to shelters. AKA “They’re old and not so fun now, so here ya go.” I doubt there’s any gratitude greater than that from these faithful friends. Thank you for giving them a dignified and love-filled rest of their lives, and for holding them through their final moments so they can cross over looking into the eyes of love.

Thank you for giving up your weekends to sit in pet stores with rescued animals at adoption events.

Thank you for praying through the event that THIS will be the day that someone will look into the eyes of the one that’s trying to hide in the back of the crate-wanting so much to go home with someone but afraid to risk rejection yet again-and say, “That’s the one!”

Thank you for trapping, neutering, and spaying thousands of feral cats-knowing they will never love you and that you may never see them again, but content that they will be healthier and happier because of you, and that you have prevented hundreds of thousands of births of unwanted kittens.

Thank you for my sweet Chloe, and my beautiful and a little nutty Desi, both adopted from rescues.

Thank you for helping me get more than a dozen neighborhood strays neutered and vaccinated.

You shift the energy of the universe every day with every heart you change from desperate to joyful. If you were not doing what you do, this world would be very bleak indeed. Thank you.

Just thank you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peace, friends. Just peace.

Rescue friends, I invite you to add  your website addresses in the comments to raise awareness for your organizations.

Poem Credit:

Written from a wild heart by:
Annette King-Tucker, Animal Rescuer
Wild Heart Ranch Wildlife Rescue
Claremore, Oklahoma
http://www.wildheartranch.org