Saving the animals

If you've been to my Facebook page, then you know how I feel about animals. It is littered throughout with posts and videos from the Humane Society (a great organization).

It has been said that older women tend to be the softhearted souls who to take in the strays, the unwanted, and the injured animals and give them comfort. As a former copywriter, I know that animal rescue groups tend to target these 'older women' in their fundraising campaigns because 1) they generally have extra $$$ lying around, and 2) they are the softhearted ones--read: 'easy touch.'

Well, that's me.

There is one caveat, of course. Money is definitely NOT lying around my house. The recent recession took care of that. Not only did hubby lose his contracting business of 33 years (and better than half of our income), he lost about 40 percent of his retirement, too--money that was set aside for when when we really, really needed it. We haven't touched it yet, but we've had to tighten our belts, just like everyone else.

That brings me to the animals. I've always supported the ASPCA and Defenders of Wildlife. These are both terrific organizations and do a lot for animals, wild and domestic. I also give to horse rescue organizations, largely because I love horses (I like TB Friends and Lifesavers, but there are many others). In these hard economic times, there have been so many people who have had to give up their beloved horse companions. They just didn't fit into their bottom line. So where do unwanted horses go? Unfortunately, too many end up being starved, abused, and neglected.

Not Beauty. No siree. I'm hanging on to her--not giving up my 'baby.' It's hard, but I know things will get better.

But it is bad for so many other horses, ponies, and donkeys, not to mention the mustangs that still struggle to run free in the high plains states like Nevada.

In April, I wrote a letter to our local newspaper to highlight what goes on in our community (Solano County) that few people know about--horse tripping. Oh, I know there is so much other stuff going on: Puppy mills, dog fighting, abused farm animals, oiled birds and wildlife, feral cats running and breeding amok, drowning polar bears, whaling, entire wolf families being mowed down just to leave the cubs parentless orphans, and just plain cruelty (Google "Buddy" the dog who was dragged to death or 'crush videos'). Sometimes it is just more than I can bear, and I mean that literally. Sometimes I cry at the fundraising letters I get. If I could, I would open my arms and hasten each and every animal inside, but I cannot. I want to protect them all, but I can't.

So what do I do? Well, I try to send $10 or $20 now and then. It's not always easy. But then I tell myself, if everyone only sent in $5, it would add up, and it would help--a lot. And I don't mean to send it to just ANY charity. Check them out. Send only to those charities that put their money where their mouth is. When in doubt, go to http://www.charitynavigator.com/.

In the meantime, here's the letter on horse tripping I published in the local paper. I hope it did some good, but it was published when the local political campaigns were running hot and heavy... and, hey, who cares when teachers and police officers and fire personnel are being laid off? Who cares about horses when the state is bankrupt...? Sometimes I think my letter was a mere squeak given all that was going on. Maybe a dozen people read it and paid attention, maybe more. I'm hoping the latter.

"Greed, frustration, anger, sexual thrills, whatever the ‘reason,’ defenseless animals are being tortured, starved, injured, and maimed in our community. Looking the other way when you know what is happening is not only inhumane, it adds to the violence in our society.

"Even now, men of a certain ethnicity are practicing for their upcoming ‘rodeos’ (these are not the sanctioned PRCC American rodeos, but non-sanctioned rodeos that abuse horses). One of the things they do is called ‘horse tripping.’ This is a barbaric ‘sport’ where people pay to watch as these cowboys chase an innocent, unsuspecting horse and when it reaches approximately 25 mph, they abruptly lasso the legs and yank viciously, causing the horse to fall head over heels. This usually results in broken teeth, broken legs, and all too frequently, broken necks. Unfortunately, pregnant mares are particularly singled out for this cruel practice. And this is supposed to be a show of bravery?

"There is a strong documented connection linking animal abuse and domestic violence. Studies have shown that 88 percent of families where there had been physical abuse of children, there were also records of animal abuse. In four out of five cases, battered women reported that their abusive partners had also been violent toward pets or livestock (Wisconsin). Other studies show that The Chicago Police Department’s Domestic Violence Program took a look at the criminal histories of animal abusers. Of these, 30 percent had domestic violence charges on their records. See the ASPCA website for more information.

"Please help by not attending these rodeos. If you see a horse that has been abused in any way, please call the authorities. This ‘sport’ is fueled by greed and perpetuated by blood-thirsty spectators. Horse tripping condones violence that all too often ends up on the domestic front. Watching horses crash head first into to the ground just to watch it break it’s neck is abhorrent and grotesquely inhumane. For those of you who subscribe to this brutal, sadistic practice, I sincerely hope that you truly get what’s coming to you on Judgment Day."

That's it. That's the best I could do given the word count they allowed.

But, come to think of it, if everyone wrote a letter and sent $5 to the ASPCA or Defenders of Wildlife or Humane Society, wouldn't that make a difference? To what cause, you ask. I don't care. Pick one. Horse rescue (there are hundreds), oiled birds (Audubon Society and others), Polar Bears (Defenders of Wildlife and many others), dogs and cats (ASPCA or HSUS), circus animal sanctuaries/rescues (again, there are so many to choose from).

That's it; just $5 to charity and a letter to the editor of the local paper. (I suggest doing it monthly). That adds up to maybe a half hour of your time and $5 + 44 cents for the stamp. It is still 44 cents, isn't it? (That's $65.28 per year--tax deductible, too!)

What is this world coming to? Where will the earth be when all its diversity is gone? When the whales are gone, when the mustangs are gone, when the wolves are gone, when people turn away from starving, abused, and neglected animals. Are we becoming less humane? Sometimes that's exactly what I think, and it upsets me--a lot.

I'm an 'older' woman--upside of 60, not yet succumbing to the 'old' tag just yet! But if it wasn't for us 'old' and 'older' women, who would look out for the animals? For sure there are a lot of us, but we can't do it all ourselves, ya know. I also know that there are many, many other people out there who do care, but who simply feel too overwhelmed to do anything about it; like whistling in the wind or crying in the rain. Who'll notice? What difference will it make?

Are you one of those people? If so, maybe you can help change the world with $5, a stamp, and a letter. Don't just sit on the sidelines. Don't turn away. Get involved. A $5, a stamp, and a letter to the editor. That's all. A pittance? Yes, but every journey begins with one step. Step up. Every little bit helps.