Going through boxes as we start downsizing for old age, I come across a looseleaf binder. It’s year after year of Pet Talk columns that my mother kept, going back 30 years. My mother, I get that; I could have written “Cathy loves dogs” a million times and she’d have framed it and hung it in a place of honor. But you? You must be weary of all my stories. So all I can say is, if you have been reading all these years and still do, you must be crazy.
No, you know I’m just kidding, I just want to say thank you, because this means you are a dedicated animal lover and that is quite obvious or you would have moved on long ago.
There was a time when this column brought you information you had never heard before, but today, with Facebook and Twitter, there is nothing you haven’t seen or heard or can’t Google. You can look at real-time videos and photos of animals available for adoption. You can visit web pages and have a blow-by-blow documentary online about this dog running down the road, being picked up, showing up at the shelter and the new adoptive parents.
But every once in awhile, there is a story to tell, and I’d like to share this, with great care so as to not offend or reveal too much. These are stories behind the scenes, things that would make you say, “Wow, how cool is that” (well, maybe not, but that’s kind of my own favorite expression).
Months ago, a person who was taking a walk and happened to have animals with her, was involved in a serious accident and rushed to the hospital. The animals were brought to the shelter. The owner was known, but there were no family or friends who could take these critters. The injured party spent weeks in the hospital and then in rehab, recovering from injuries. During the time in rehab, the owner was finally able to travel with help, so it was important to us that her animals be close enough to visit and not in a private home that might be inconvenienced by bus and taxi schedules.
Shelter staff cared for these critters just like their own, and found a perfect foster home to look after them until they can be reunited with their owner. The weeks they spent with us were precious because not only did we get to help the animals and the owner, but also the staff got to see the love and dedication this owner has for her animals. It was heartwarming and humbling that someone so badly injured had just one thought on her mind, coming to pet her critters every day she was physically able. It was an honor and a privilege to help her out.
At this time of year, when we are all scurrying to prepare for the holidays, consider this one owner and her big heart; all those who helped her kitties, from the police to the shelter staff to the foster home and beyond; and all those who do this kind of work on a daily basis. It does not matter if it’s a holiday, the middle of the night, somebody’s birthday. When the call comes, they go. It does not matter if they get muddy or bloody to help a trapped or injured animal; they go. It does not matter if they have to pay out of their own pocket to care for an animal that has been abandoned, neglected, abused or injured; they go.
Come Christmas morning, when you are sitting in a warm house sipping cocoa and opening gifts, someone is getting in their car and going to take care of animals who have no home. Thank these people when you see them. Give them a hug. Some days they need it. And some days, just seeing these furry friends going home to their owner is all the hug they need.
Take care and thank you, just for reading.
