I continue to be amazed at the people I meet who have dedicated
their lives to animal welfare. The thing that strikes me about this
group is that an animal in need is an animal they will try to help
regardless of where that animal may be. There are many well meaning
folks who will think things through and make the reasonable decision to
help those animals within their community, where they can have the most
impact and timely response. For this group, the understandable
reasoning is along the lines of "think globally, act locally" as they
volunteer at shelters and rescue groups.
There's another group
of activists who not only do what they can within their own
communities, but also step up when there's a need elsewhere, regardless
of its location on the globe. I've been honored to have met two such
activists. One has traveled to Thailand, where she will be rescuing
three dogs that might otherwise not have a second chance. The shelter
the dogs have been living in has lost their
funding and it's been coupled with several structures collapsing after
recent storms. The other activist works tirelessly in Canada, keeping
tabs on worldwide shelter and rescue efforts. My Pet Street is proud to
be a supporter of the work Earle Bingley does via the Canadian Voice for Animals.
While many of us might not follow in their footsteps, I can't help but equate what they are doing as similar to Doctors Without Borders. Sadly, even within the activist ranks, this is a hugely controversial issue - do we draw the line and only help those animals in need within our community borders? Or do we reach out and help wherever we can? These two friends have made their decisions, and I honor them for that.
If you are dedicated to helping locally, and you are in the San Francisco Bay Area, I encourage you to consider a donation to Taj Meow Animal Sanctuary, which was destroyed in the Santa Cruz Mountains fire last week. The picture above shows the destruction. Rosi Mirko, of Town Cats is collecting donations via PayPal from her site. Let her know it's for Taj Meow, and she will forward the cash. That's the way it works with activists, each looking out for the other. May they all be blessed regardless of where in the world they choose to do their work.
Photo credit: San Francisco Chronicle
