Animal Matters

Helping Animals Knows No Boundaries

2008-08-01T07:23:00.000-07:00

We're pleased to have a guest blogger this week. Enjoy a view into Israel's animal rescue work through the eyes of Alex Wolfgang:

A few weeks ago, I took a trip to ISRAEL for a ten day educational/recreational tour through the homeland of “my people.” Although, I’m hardly religious, I still felt enough of a cultural connection with my Jewish heritage to want to explore this country. The sights I saw were mind blowing: beautiful mountains, relaxing beaches, and modern cities compacted into a small country about the size of the state of New Jersey. And even though my eyes were often distracted by the exceptionally attractive women I spotted walking the streets, it didn’t take long for me to realize that this astonishing little country has a severe stray animal overpopulation problem. While I recognize the similar problem with animals in the US, what I saw in Israel was incomparable! With each city we visited, I saw more and more homeless pets-especially cats. Particularly, I remember walking through an outdoor market in Tel-Aviv and counting over 30 stray cats! I further explored the situation to find a few of these felines had a notch on one of their ears (indicating that they had been spayed or neutered.) What a relief! There are some animal activists here!

When I returned home I began researching the situation. I contacted Nina Natelson, the director of the Israeli advocacy group CHAI (Compassion for Helping Animals in Israel). I asked to her to educate me on the major issues and expressed my interest in wanting to help with their efforts. This group is awesome! They’re producing a humane education curriculum- a 450 page book with over 100 lesson plans, fact sheets, resource lists, etc. on animal related issues. And, what’s even more exciting is they have a Mobile Spay/Neuter clinic-the first of its kind in the Middle East. Unfortunately, due to lack of funding, the clinic has temporarily suspended their services! Their expenses are quite high because they pay 3 salaries (vet, assistant, driver), gas, maintenance, supplies and advertising (to attract clients). Fees charged for their low-cost services cover about ½ of their costs. Additionally, they are expecting some grant money from the Israeli government which will cover another ¼ of the costs. They just need help with the last ¼-about $25,000.

Again, I’ve never been religious. But, I do believe that we all have a purpose in life. My purpose has always been to help animals. Like hundreds of other visitors in Israel, I saw this massive problem of animal overpopulation; I saw starvation, dehydration and disease. And rather than just ignoring this problem, I’m vowing to make a difference. I want to somehow raise this $25,000 for CHAI (www.chai-online.org). I’m in for $500; any fundraising ideas for coming up with the rest?

The Healing Room

2008-06-10T03:44:00.001-07:00

My mom died too young. When she was doing chemo, she stayed in our guest bedroom to rest, to fight, to live. Even though she's gone, I can still feel her in that room. I can hear the laughter, the cries and her breathing. What a special room. Since her passing, we foster rescued dogs and cats in that room. My mom's spirit nourishes these animals who just need a break from the tough world outside. In that space, they're fed, loved and rehabbed to go onto the next part of their journey. The room is healing for these 4-leggeds in need and for one 2-legged who feeds off the strength the memories in that room provide. Where's your healing room?

Why'd the turtle cross the road?

2008-05-26T13:13:00.000-07:00

... I guess he wanted to get to the other side. During my lunch hour the other day, I saw a huge turtle limping across a busy road. Some drivers were being cautious around him & some didn't stop for him at all. I did a fast U-turn, threw my car in park & went to pick him up. Another guy got out of his car also & got to the turtle first. Unfortunately for the turtle, the guy was kind of a wimp & instead of caring him, he ended up kicking him with his feet to reach the embankment. I yelled at him to stop & let me get him. The turtle had done one too many somersaults!

The guy held traffic back while I picked the turtle up & walked him to a nearby pond. I felt like that was my purpose for the day. I wasn't even supposed to be in that area (my friend had cancelled our lunch date). Nothing like divine intervention to lead me to this turtle who just needed to get to the other side of the road. I always want to be that person who stops.

If we can't change our friends & family...

2008-04-20T16:05:00.001-07:00

I've received a slap in the face one too many times by friends and family who've chosen to buy their dogs instead of rescuing. I'm not going to lie. It's stings. I hear all of their lame reasons but bottom line, they're wrong. They know about all of the millions of innocent animals dying in our nation's shelters and on the streets. They know of the puppy mill horrors. And interesting enough, they know of all my sweat & tears that go into helping just a small fraction of them. So here's my predicament. Do I tell them to buzz off & never talk to them because of their terrible decision or do I shut my mouth & go with the flow? I've taken the middle road. I have to say something then I put up with it.

When you buy, someone dies! Period. I can't let my loved one's negligent decisions deter me from helping all of those who need help. I'll accept that people are only human. They screw up. I'll keep moving forward. Ironically, it's the complete strangers in this world who give me hope!

When "Rescuers" Go Bad

2008-04-20T14:34:00.000-07:00

What do you do when you know of an animal rescuer who buys dogs from breeders? How does one rectify this hypocrisy? Does the good one does for several dogs outweigh buying once in a while? Who am I kidding...there's no justification for it. It's wrong...plain & simple. When you buy, someone dies. There's every breed, size, personality languishing in a shelter cage somewhere. Never an excuse to go elsewhere to acquire a pet.