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Originally Posted by Patricia  Great article! Strangely enough, I had one of these experiences just last night. It wasn't an act of kindness towards a person, but towards an animal - which to me is just the same in the sense that we're all living beings. I have a strong connection with animals and I feel a great deal of compassion for animals in need.
But I can't stop thinking about him, worried that he's still out in the streets by himself. Breaks my heart. I know there are thousands of other dogs in the streets, but I connected with this one. I keep thinking that I should have found a way to keep him. I feel terrible about this. How do you cope with this kind of feeling, when you've done your best to help, but are still left with the feeling that you should do more? This happens to me frequently when I try to help others - humans or animals. |
I know what you mean. I try and help animals as much as I can as well. I try and focus on the good I can do and have done. You have two other dogs that without you, would be in the same state as that this dog if you had not taken them in. Sometimes though, that is of little comfort to me. Sometimes in those situations, if I can’t take the animal, I will take and pay a no kill shelter to take them.
It breaks my heart to see animals in need of a home who don’t have anyone to love them. I focus everyday on what I can do to make the situation better.
If this is a big deal to you, try doing something to change it. Open a no kill shelter, volunteer at one, donate to one, make contact with one so when you have an animal in need, you know where to take her.
Recently, I visited an awesome no kill shelter which I thought was truly inspiring. They had turned their house into a home for animals. They had over 100 cats, 10 dogs, and probably other animals I did not see. They made trips to the kill shelters and took whatever animals they could save. They then charge and adoption fee to keep the place running. All the animals played together, and the humans loved each and every one of them. They also started a low cost spay/neuter programs so anyone could take their pets to any clinic in the area and get their animal fixed for 20 bucks. They have helped countless animals just with that.
Start doing something now so if the situation presents its self again, you can do something about it.
On a different note. This post had a different affect on me then what I am reading here. I started to reflect on past few days, then the past year to see what I have done to help. Every day is the world better when I go to bed then when I woke up in the morning? And everyday, I make sure I can say yes.
I looked back at what I have done in just the last 48 hours. I run as a volunteer EMT for my city, and I ran Thanksgiving Day and night. Lots of people during holidays have emotional issues to work through and sometimes all we can do is listen. There was a fire while I was on shift, and the fire guys pulled an unconscious not breathing person out. That person is now breathing on his/her own.
I typically spent 40 hours a week (maybe more) at the fire station.
On top of that, we put together a proposal for more money to adopt a bigger family in need and got it approved. Over the holidays we buy the whole family toys, each a thick winter coat, socks, Christmas dinner, and things for around the house (laundry soap, diapers, etc).
For the first time this year, we decided to do something for the 2 nursing homes that we respond to on a daily basis. The 4 of us who do all this stuff at the station were amazed to find resistance to this idea from the other members. Their augment went something like, “These are private nursing homes, which mean they must have money. Therefore, they don’t need anything from us.” My squad partner piped up even before I could and said, “money is not the point, having them know we care is.”
The residence from a volunteer organization to help out, truly amazed me sometimes, but that is slowly coming around, and is awesome to watch and be part of that.
That is just the short list of things in the past 48 hours. There is a lot more ranging from fixing peoples computers who really need it, to helping pick up paper someone dropped.
In short (or maybe long with how long this post got
), Steve’s post pointed out to me how much I already do, but more than that it made me reevaluate to see what else I can do. And I already have some great ideas.
Adrienne