So, I was walking dogs this morning and I saw a cute cottontail bunny hop through the very small brush and it brought me so much joy. I mean, a big smile appeared on my face as if I was getting that dope double chocolate Barnes and Noble cupcake or something. And last night, I tossed and turned after hearing about a video where this trashy guy had this pit bull in fear, literally shaking, because he slapped it really hard in the ear constantly and laughed while doing it.

I was livid!I wanted to do something about it! I want to have stronger legislation to protect animals or imprison thugs like this guy. I want there to be restrictions on new construction so these animals that are “a pain” won’t be harassed for eating grass or precious plants because they need somewhere to live. I want to make a difference and I used to think that it was with children, but sometimes I feel like all of the work I have done with kids is practically for naught because their parents undo what I work with them on anyway.

But animals. They are so innocent and don’t have parents or teachers to protect them. They are babies in the wild for a short time before they are sent off on their own. Of course they aren’t just born and “pushed out of the nest”, I see Canadian Geese in our neighborhood all of the time training up their young. But they aren’t protected for long. And even if they were, people are the greatest danger to them and some of the behavior I have seen from people towards them and other animals is simply horrid.

I wanted to be a vet when I was little like many other kids have. I loved each and every one of my stuffed animals and they all had names, and I would treat them as veterinary patient’s and care for them ever so gently. I wasn’t so gentle with my outdoor cats, though at the time I thought that my “real animals” enjoyed being dressed up and pushed in a stroller like my stuffed ones and baby dolls did. But I loved them with all of my heart. I didn’t pursue my early dreams of being a vet because I didn’t think I was strong enough in math and science.

So here I am today, not working with animals, but constantly concerned about their welfare. I met a really nice ASPCA (www.aspca.org) volunteer at a mobile adoption unit in NYC over the weekend with my guy. I explained to her that I thought that the work that she was doing was awesome but I did not have the thick skin to volunteer because of fear of attachment. She started talking about how she felt the same until she saw how well the animals were cared for and how great it was to see them matched up with their furever home ( I inserted the fur part).

Now I feel called in a sense to do something about these atrocities and to really help animals. I think fear and sadness based videos help a lot. I really do. But I also feel that education is key. If pet awareness was taught to children in schools from a young age, then perhaps real change could happen. Educating children should not solely be left up to places of academia, but many kids are taught right from wrong at home. If we could start early, then perhaps there would be less animal abuse and more respect for them as living, breathing beings.

I don’t know where to start with this, but I am going to look into it. I also think that the community at large could benefit. I got an email from then Nextdoor Neighbor app and it was talking about foxes and during the spring they bring their young near homes to protect them from larger predators. It outlined how they were not dangerous to families and that after a few weeks they would go back to their habitats. That was a form of community education and a few thousands people saw it, it sure made me aware. But there are so many people that did not.

In addition to my million other projects, I think that this is something I will strive towards and research. I know that there are a lot of nonprofits and initiatives and nature centers that have mass appeal and name recognition. I’m not looking for that. Not at all. Instead, I am looking to give people knowledge and perhaps that will empower others and in the end, animals will have even more protection and advocacy.

What are you passionate about? Are you pursuing it? Well I think you should! Because if we don’t live for what we are passionate for, then what is life really all about?

simply~

Dee