I grew up in a pet-less household, and despite reading Black Beauty, Dr. Doolittle, and Beatrix Potter, I regarded animals as things: cute and/or impressive things that were fun to watch at the zoo, or things that might have been cute and/or impressive once, but that we were nevertheless now eating.
As I got older, I tried to be polite about other people’s pets, but to me they were hairy nuisances, forever barking, whining, pawing, and in one case, barfing on my shoes. (It was an English dog that did the barfing, and we hadn’t even been formally introduced.)
Too easy to last
So how did I become this person who stands on a stepladder to capture spiders and crane flies in her house and set them free outside?
Well, I got acquired by a cat. I fed her the first time just to make her go away (I know, right?). But of course she stuck around, and I began minding that she was outside, with January rain drenching her fur, which, now I came to look at it, was actually quite beautiful. Anyway, it could have been me outside in the wet and the cold, and I’d want to be let in, wouldn’t I?
The thin end of the wedge
So I let Annie in. Then cats in general. Then dogs. Birds. Sheep. (I’m referring to my heart here. There isn’t room in my house for all these animals.)
I have more pictures of English sheep than of my English friends. At parties, I will sometimes leave the people, fascinating as they are, to go and sit with the dog for a while.
Letting animals in has brought me joy mixed with considerable pain, because, let’s face it, nature is basically just one big restaurant. A design in which so many beautiful creatures can survive only by devouring one another: whose bright idea was that?
And my childhood ambition was challenging enough without including animals. I intended, when I grew up, to end war, poverty, racism, hunger, and disease. I spent hours in the back yard pretending to be Robin Hood, then Zorro, then Superman: all crusaders for the right, all in disguise. But my disguise was better. Who would suspect a skinny near-sighted little girl of being a super hero?
How has that worked out, Rhiannon?
Okay, it’s a work in progress.
Wars are difficult to stop, but I can say I’ve been tear-gassed trying. People are hard to save, but I think I’ve helped a few. I’ve rescued three cats, plus the spiders and the crane flies, and I volunteer at my local animal shelter.
While we wait for me to acquire my superpowers and save the rest of the world (maybe in my seventies?), let me tell you about a few people who are rescuing animals right now.
Keep those critters safe!
Your dog ate your cat’s food so your cat nibbled some chives. Bad things? Yes, as you can quickly verify on the Home Safety Guide for Pet Owners website. This easy-to-use resource covers Common Household Dangers (rubber bands! mothballs!), Food Safety, Pet-proofing Your Home, Specialty and Exotic Pets (fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians), and Pet Safety during Natural Disasters (as a Californian in an earthquake zone, I love the tip about making a list of nearby pet-friendly motels). At the end of the guide, there’s a list of links for further information.
Samaritans to the rescue
ARME’s Beagle Freedom Project (I originally typed “Beatle,” which would be a fun kind of rescue – I’ll save you, Paul! Call me!) saves and finds homes for beagles and other animals used to test medicine, cosmetics, and household products. Many of these animals have spent their lives in cages, never feeling grass under their feet or seeing the sun. All rescues are done legally with the cooperation of the facilities involved.
Eldad Hagar of Hope for Paws … if you can watch any of his videos without tearing up, you’re a stronger person than I am, Gunga Din. So maybe you could take over the saving-the-world gig for me?
Planning a move? The ASPCA has a Moving With Your Pet guide that can help you choose your new home with your pets in mind, plan your road trip, pet-proof your new pad, and more.
They also serve who only sign a check
And of course every rescue organization, as well as your local animal shelter, are grateful for donations, however small (the only kind I can afford).
*Dons cape*
Off now to work on those superpowers.
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” – Mahatma Gandhi
