Dog rescuing comes with lots of consequences. A houseful of dogs, for instance. An ever-growing dent in the balance of your bank account. A fast-track education in veterinary medicine—and the basics of Zen philosophy. Some of these consequences you might expect; many you probably don't. Like how you'll start judging others by their attitude toward dogs. Or how your priorities will shift... All of a sudden those when I win the lottery dreams become less about yachts and round-the-world trips and more about buying a piece of land and turning it into a dog sanctuary.
Most of all, though, you’ll begin to notice a broadening of your perception. A certain universality.
Rescue, at its core, isn’t about a love of dogs. That might well be what brought you to it, but, once you’re in it, you’ll realize there’s a weird alchemy at work in your soul. Rescue, you see, is about compassion. And compassion is universal.
Prince said it best. (Bon voyage, Your Majesty.) |
Compassion doesn’t restrict itself to a certain breed or a certain size or even a certain species. Compassion for one is compassion for all. It will happen before you know it; maybe your vet will raise an eyebrow the first time you show up with a pigeon or lizard or hamster, but by the time you start coming in (or calling them out to the middle of nowhere) with a horse, a goat, a deer, a… well, whatever form of life needs your help (and theirs), they’ll know to expect you with the broad-spectrum vet kit.
The thing is, not every vet can deal with any animal, or any emergency. And your local dog shelter will probably balk at housing a raccoon with a broken leg. So here’s my advice to you, dear Rescue Padawan. Do some research on the wildlife in your area. Are there any species that, like raccoons or possums, might be considered pests? Those are the most likely to cross your path in need of rescue. There might even be organizations devoted to their protection and welfare; many offer brief trainings or information sessions, even online.
Your focus might well remain on dogs (or cats, or whatever started you rescuing), but consider this your fair warning: even if it does, it won’t be only there. Prepare yourself.
P.S. — The rescue yesterday went... well, okay. The plan was to get two females to bring them in for sterilization, but we only managed to get one. Like I said before, though, one really does need to celebrate every little thing, so I'm looking at this as a 50% success rate :D I'll write more about it, and share more photos, later. For the time being, here's the little one we did catch...
Glad the rescue went 50% rather than nothing at all. I was hoping you'd report back with a full success, but we will be happy with what we get. Right?
ReplyDeleteI have loved listening to all the pet rescue all month long. Can you believe there are only five days left? Then we can all rest.
50% isn't as good as 100%, but it certainly is better than 0% :D
DeleteI'm so glad you've enjoyed these posts, Jeffrey. Seriously, these comments make even the sleep deprivation worth it :)
I think you had success because everything I have read from your posts, this is a victory and this doggie will be better off...you saved a life...that's miracle enough in my eyes.
ReplyDeleteAw, Birgit, thank you!
DeleteSo glad the rescue went well. Compassion can really get you into trouble, but an overabundance is better than none at all! Those are the ones who cause the problems!
ReplyDeleteAlmost done, yay!
You're so right, Yolanda... If we must choose, then yes, I go for overabundance rather than total lack of. As you say, it's the people without compassion that make the most damage. To everyone.
DeleteSo glad the rescue was successful, in part. You can always try again, yes? Compassion is certainly a good quality but makes it easy to have your heart broken too.
ReplyDeleteWe can definitely try again, Debbie. As a matter of fact, I've been trying all week, haha. We'll get there ;) And yes, heartbreak is definitely a risk... But a broken heart is, after all, the best sign you have one that isn't made of stone ;)
DeleteAww she's a cutie! Getting one is better than getting none, so I view this as a success!
ReplyDeleteMy oldest daughter went and picked up her rescue Corgi today, we are all so excited to meet her.
Shelly @ http://hangryfork.com
Thank you, Shelly! One is indeed better than none :) So happy for your daughter and her Corgi!
DeleteCompassion is a bit like a fire hydrant, isn't it - once you open it, it's hard to turn off. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that you were able to rescue that little girl. For her, it is 100% a success!
Tracy (Black Boots, Long Legs)
I love the fire-hydrant comparison, Tracy :) And indeed, once it starts spewing, it just... floods everything :D
DeleteOne is better than none. And maybe next time you'll get the other.
ReplyDeleteLiz A. from Laws of Gravity
You're right, Liz. And yes, we have to keep trying.
DeleteWell done on catching the one, Guilie, only it wasn't 50% success, it was 100% success in one of your two goals. The other will be deferred until later, perhaps.
ReplyDeleteKeith Channing A-Zing from http://keithkreates.com
100% success in one of two goals... I like how you think, Keith :D
DeleteCompassion is everything! If more people had compassionate hearts, we'd have a more beautiful world.
ReplyDeleteGlad the rescue was 50% successful. That's huge! That's one more dog who isn't going to be having litters and litters of pups that then will need to be rescued so you did great!
Michele at Angels Bark
I think you're right, Michele... Compassion—huge doses of it, spilling everywhere and onto everything—would change the world. (For the better, too.)
DeleteThanks for the kind words on the rescue... Yes, at least one of these girls won't be suffering through gang rape and pregnancies and having her puppies killed or lost, and those puppies won't have to suffer any of it at all. That is indeed a good thing :)
What a sweet looking dog. I hope she finds a good home with people who will love her forever. And getting one dog is better than getting none!
ReplyDeleteShe was pretty scared, and probably would've bitten us if we'd come close enough, but the trap did its work painlessly. Unfortunately there are no homes available; shelters and fosters are already overloaded. So, after surgery, this little one was returned to the parking lot where we found her, where she lives with her two brothers and her mom (the second female we were after). Wish we could find her a family :(
DeleteThanks so much for the visit, Marcy!
What a lovely post! Compassion is what drives us to take care of animals. Hope that little female is okay and that you're able to catch the other one in due course.
ReplyDeleteSusan A Eames from
Travel, Fiction and Photos
Thank you, Susan! Yes, we hope to catch the other one soon... -ish ;)
DeleteWhat a lovely post! Compassion is what drives us to take care of animals. Hope that little female is okay and that you're able to catch the other one in due course.
ReplyDeleteSusan A Eames from
Travel, Fiction and Photos
Our rescue cat, Mr. M, spent the night snuggled up with me. He was pretty good about not keeping me up all night. The whole family is besotted with him now.
ReplyDeleteAwwww... That's so very sweet, Tamara! I'm glad to hear Mr. M has found a family :)
DeleteI know what you mean - I think it would be hard to see an animal in pain and just walk away, and I think once you are a rescuer, that would be even harder because you know what you could do to help.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the rescue, one dog rescued is definitely a success, for that one dog, it is everything! She is a cutie :)
Debbie
You're right, Debbie... Rescuing just seems to spill into all areas after a while :) Thanks for the kind words!
DeleteAwww...look at that sweet face! I would consider that a 100% success...you saved a life! I definitely noticed my thoughts have changed since adopting our Emmie a year ago. And I do judge people by how they feel towards dogs...so true!
ReplyDeleteA to Z hopping!
~Katie
TheCyborgMom
I'm glad to hear that, Katie... Sometimes I think I'm such a bigot for thinking the way I do, so it's nice to hear there's others out there that feel the same ;)
Deletewell done of the 50%! Sweetest looking pooch. I agree alchemy begins when compassion begins ... thanks Guilie!
ReplyDeleteFOR the 50%, not of ...
DeleteWeird what compassion can do to us, eh? Thanks for coming by, Susan!
Delete