Wonderful World Wednesday
White Dog read this quote by Martin Luther King Jr. the other day and we have been thinking about it a lot since…” Never be afraid to do what's right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society's punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.”
It is hard being noble in these times, Puff has complained, because the Knight in Shining Armor is no match for a selfish thug with a machine gun. We have debated the burnout factor of fighting the “good war” sometimes seemingly alone and the deep-in- our-soul conviction that truly, we are NOT alone, that more than we can imagine still believe in reaching out a hand, doing the right thing, making a choice to make a difference.
To remind us of those out there looking after the welfare of others, Quinn called our attention to the organization, Feeding Pets of the Homeless, www.feedingpetsof thehomeless.org., a nonprofit volunteer organization that provides pet food and veterinary care to the homeless and less fortunate in local communities across the United States and Canada. Their efforts have effects far beyond the care of the pets themselves.
Why? 3.5 million Americans are homeless. Between 5% to 10% of homeless people have dogs and/or cats.Who? Each homeless person has a unique story; they are people with mental disorders, addicts, parolees, families, disabled, elderly, abused spouses, teens, and veterans.
How? Collection sites accept donated pet food from people like you. They then deliver it to food banks, homeless shelter and/or soups kitchens which have agreed to distribute the pet food to the homeless and poor.
Feeding Pets of The Homeless organization awards grants to veterinarians that go to where the homeless congregate and provide veterinary care. Grants are given to homeless shelters that will allow pets sanctuary with their owners.
Without help many homeless and poor would have to turn their pets over to overcrowded animal shelters because they cannot feed or provide vaccines and veterinary care for their pets. Without help many of these folks would lose the only living thing that brings them comfort and unconditional love. Without help the elderly and disabled that rely on Meals on Wheels would not be given pet food along with their own meal. Here are a couple of success stories…
Wyatt and Morgan) are lab mixes. Their dad, Ted, lost his job and all three live in a trailer in the desert without hookups. The trailer is near a chicken coop that is not kept clean. Both dogs ate chicken poop and got a bad case of bloody diarrhea and bloody vomiting. Pets of the Homeless got them treatment which included exam, fluids and amoxicillin. Both dogs are on the road to recovery. The best part of this story is the vet technician offered Ted, Wyatt and Morgan a place to live in exchange for being the care taker of her own dog rescue.
And there is the dog that waits outside while the homeless man enters the soup kitchen for his daily meal. His eyes light up and water when he is given a zip lock bag of dry dog food. For the man it is one thing he will not have to worry about today.
It is a wonderful world, as we remind ourselves today to look past the “odds” and remember that we, all of us together, SHALL overcome!