Allen’s Comments (group member since Oct 22, 2012)

Allen’s comments from the Saving Animals from Disaster -- Animal Rescue group.

WHEN A LOVE FOR ANIMALS ENTERS YOUR LIFE

When people love animals and are determined to express it, they can be invincible in their pursuit. A classic example is scientist, author, and inspirational speaker Jane Goodall. Her love for chimps in the forests of Gombe catapulted her into becoming a respected spokesperson for the protection of endangered species and animal welfare causes.

The pristine forests offered Jane an exquisite peace and tranquility. In a passage from her book Reason for Hope (Warner Books 1999), she writes about what close contact with animals means to her.

"On an open grassy ridge the chimps climbed into a massive mbula tree, where Fifi, replete from the morning's feasting, made a large comfortable nest high above me. She dozed through a midday siesta, little Fanni asleep in her arms, Frodo and Freud playing nearby. How healing it was to be back at Gombe again, and by myself with the chimpanzees and their forest. I had left the busy, materialistic world so full of greed and selfishness and, for a little while, could feel myself, as in the early days, a part of nature."

We humans turn to animals for comfort, playtime, serenity, unconditional love, and a number of other spiritual qualities we can't find as readily from any other source. We nourish and rescue animals and receive similar blessings in return from them.

On this week of Thanksgiving (in the United States), what blessings are you grateful for that have come into your life because of your love for animals?

"Our society has made animals dependent on the kindness and generosity of humans. In return, animals serve as conduits for people to fulfill their primal need for connection to nature. The animals in a home may be a person's only and deepest source of unconditional love. Millions of people need this kind of love - love without judgment, artifice, or stinginess - in a universe of emotional and spiritual isolation."
--Allen and Linda Anderson, RESCUED: Saving Animals from Disaster, p.4

What were they thinking?

The people who volunteered after Hurricane Katrina were thinking that the animals needed them.

While millions evacuated, animal lovers headed toward the ravaged, toxic Gulf Coast. Later they would remember that it felt as if they were answering an inner call. Many would say, “It was not a decision. I had to go. I couldn’t stand by and do nothing.”

Some stayed for a week or two weeks. Some returned repeatedly as if addicted to the drug of selfless service. Some used up all of their vacation time. They lost or quit their jobs rather than leave fellow rescuers to battle on without them. They gave each other nicknames like Boston Bob or Possum Lady. They found like-minded people and formed friendships that will last a lifetime.

When they least expected it, they were aided by corporate giants like Winn-Dixie, Wal-Mart, UPS, PETCO, PetSmart, Continental Airlines, and T. Boone Pickens. National Guard and Coast Guard personnel, police officers, and firefighters carried puppies to them or showed them where animals were trapped in flooded houses.

Animal lovers toughed out Hurricane Rita and refused to abandon the thousands of animals who still needed them. They grew angry, cantankerous, and vocal. Most learned to work together with people who did not share their approaches and philosophies. Some became frustrated with the slowness of bureaucracies and splintered off to form their own organizations. Some broke laws and made up their own rules. Months later they still did not know the work others had done in different parts of Louisiana and Mississippi. They may never know the rewards and consequences of their actions for themselves and for other people and animals.