For the love of all things four legged and furry!

It should first be pointed out that I have a great love for all things furry, no scratch that...all living things. I love nature is probably a better way of putting it.....all the creatures of the earth.  
I am passionate about protecting the rights of children as well. I am normally a very shy and quiet sort of person, but if some-one tries to hurt a child or an animal.....Watch out!

I call it the mama bear in me....Grrrrrr

Last week my daughter and I were watching a vet show on TV. Some ladies brought in a rather scruffy looking, small white dog wrapped in a towel. The ladies explained that they had watched a car hit the little dog and just drive off, leaving it to die on the side of the road. The poor little dog was not in a good way, the vet said it was a miracle she was alive at all. Because she had fought so hard, the vet promised to do all he could for her. They gave her some pain relief, ran some tests and contacted the owner. When the owner arrived, this lovely little dog mustered all her strength to stand and greet her owner, wagging her tail and giving him a lick. The owner explained how a friend had taken the little dog for a walk. He had tied her up to a pole while he went inside a shop. But some-one had let her go. The security footage at the shop,  showed a young man walking along the sidewalk, stop, let the dog go and steal the lead. Being such a busy street, it was only a matter of minutes before the dog ran straight in front of a car and was hit.

Normally I would have been so angry, asking ‘Why would some-one do that?!' or yelling ‘What an idiot, did he think it was funny? Surely it wasn't just to steal a dog lead!'

But no....not this time. There was no anger as I heard the vet say... ‘Sorry, we can't save her, the injuries are just too extensive'  

I held my daughter close and we watched with tears streaming down our cheeks as the owner said goodbye to his ‘best friend'. It was such a tender moment as he gently stroked her head and talked softly in her ear. The little dog wagged her tail and licked him on the face for the last time.

It is a little hard to explain just what I felt.....sadness I suppose more than anything else, because I realized that the man who let her go could not have experienced such love and devotion....or he would not have untied her and stolen the lead. My life has been blessed and filled with memories of many furry family members. Over the years I have had such a rich connection with many pets, and they have brought joy, laughter, sadness, companionship, loyalty and love ....in abundance. I soooo wanted the driver of the car to feel even a little of that love and devotion. Perhaps then he would not have been so callus as to leave a little creature on the roadside in pain. It was then that I realized....there was no anger and loathing inside me. It felt so much nicer....so much lighter. I found myself thinking of the joy and the love that animals have brought to my life....and I wanted to share it!

My prayer is that everyone feel the love and joy that owning a pet can bring, or the wonder of really 'connecting' with an animal in the wild. If only these men could pay attention to the animals that co-inhabit this beautiful planet, they will begin to see the myriad of life that is all around us and the glorious wonders of nature. Perhaps if they too can feel such a connection.....they would want to save at all costs, rather than destroy without giving it a second thought.