Why help animals? OR Shouldn't we help people first?

One discussion that I sometimes have with others involve the question: why should we help animals when there are so many people who are in need? This was not the topic of a recent discussion, but one that I have been thinking a lot more about since I started my (dream) job at The Humane Society of Indianapolis.

First, I believe that as humans, we have a responsibility to care for our earth, which includes animals. Excessive hunting and fishing can harm a delicate ecosystem, which is ultimately, critical for humans.

Beyond the biological reason of maintaining healthy wildlife, I think humans also have a responsibility to dogs and cats because we have domesticated them. A quote from a story called the Little Prince drives this point home: “Men have forgotten this truth,” said the fox. “But you must not forget it. You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.

For my own enjoyment, I am glad that cats and dogs (and other animals) have been domesticated. I think they are wonderful companions; however, it is upsetting that as people, we have neglected to maintain an appropriate population that would negate the need to euthanize millions of animals each year.

Furthermore, we can help enrich the lives of people if we work towards helping animals. Animals who do therapy work can ease the physical and emotional pain of hospital patients, can be an unbiased and patient reading partner, or can help boost a person's self esteem. People who live alone can also benefit from a furry, four-legged companion as company. Animals can feel like family members!

For some, helping animals is their own way of giving back to those who seem to truly appreciate their good deeds. People have the ability (and sometimes the desire) to deceive others - and it can be hard to trust another person who says they are or appears to be in need. Animals tend to be a bit more straight forward in their non-verbal communication. Even those animals who are not friendly seem to appreciate the help they receive. As an example, I used to feed a colony of feral cats at my parent's house - the cats never let us pet them, but they came back day for the food and shelter we provided them and our family became very attached to the rag-tag group of cats.

For others, being an animal friend means helping right the wrongs that other people have done. Anyone in animal rescue knows that sometimes people can be cruel to animals through no apparent reason but to inflict pain and overpower someone vulnerable.

As a final point, I think that it is really important for every person to have an area that they are passionate about helping. Volunteering adds another dimension to an individual, and it is my belief that we should dedicate ourselves to a cause which will inspire the greatest push towards action. Fortunately, we as people are an exceptionally diverse group; we have people who care for the elderly, for children, for the disadvantaged, for the homeless, and of course, for the animals.

I certainly do not diminish the importance of helping people - I simply find that my talents and interests best serve animals, and I think animal welfare is an important cause that needs our attention.

Hapkido, learning poker, and Aaron is awesome

Greetings! I'm doing a bit better since my last post, so this will be a happier one.

Some of my older postings involved telling you about my new love for Hapkido, which is a Korean Martial (haha, almost wrote martian!) based largely on self-defense. I just took a beginning class, not expecting to like it, and loved it! This past weekend, those testing for their black belts from the hapkido club did so on Sunday. If you've never seen a black belt test, I highly recommend attending one because it is so powerful! These guys look like frickin ninjas and make it look easy! Another cool thing for me was knowing 5 out of the 8 people who tested. Congratulations guys (and girls)! Kudos to you for all of your hard work!

In a completely unrelated topic, I learned how to play poker this week! Albeit, I am not a huge card player, but it was for a good cause : ) The animal welfare club on IU's campus was hosting the tournament in order to raise money for a non-profit in Bloomington that rehabilitates wild animals who have been injured. I also learned to deal, just in case we had enough people. I was really scared to deal, but I wish that we had recruited so many people that we didn't even have enough dealers. Anyway, last night was the poker tournament, and I won fourth place! I would say this happened in part (ok, maybe largely) because Aaron was my "consultant," but it still felt good! And the best part of all, the organization was helped, if even by just a little bit. Go Wildcare! http://www.wildcareinc.org/ (check out the site, you'll see some seriously adorable baby deer!)

To conclude, I'd like to include a mini ode to Aaron. As I've become more interested in improving the lives of animals (always been an animal lover, but just recently discovered the severity of animal cruelty and ways that I can help), he's been there every step of the way. I mean, seriously, for the past month since I've made my own transition to vegetarianism, he's eaten tofu and other meat substitutes gladly, and he's willing to try anything that I cook.

Another reason that I am so grateful for his support is because he has participated in any kind of activity or fundraising event for which I asked his help. He was there when I learned poker, and he helped me along the way. He then came to the poker tournament with me.

In addition, he encouraged me to adopt Bella, he's supported me when I've spent time researching products and companies that don't test on animals, he's hung up the animal welfare flyers that I've created to educate others on topics that I'm passionate about, he's told others about what I'm doing with regards to specific projects, he's decided to avoid all leather, and we now go to Burger King, BW3's, and have changed other restaurants that we frequent to access vegetarian options.

In short, he's awesome because he really cares about animals too and because he suppports me in everything that I do. I love him so much, and I am wise enough to realize how lucky I am!

I've got some exciting news!

Geez, I've been pretty inconsistent with my posting. I'll have to change that!

Anyway, on to my good news... If you've been reading this blog, you know how passionately I feel about the welfare of animals, and when I had this idea to involve my parents' neighborhood in Indianapolis in on my helping animals, I got to work.

In order to successfully execute this plan, I needed to get permission from the neighborhood association first, so I emailed the president and was invited to go to the meeting last night. I was really nervous to go because I didn't want them to shoot my idea down after I had just driven 45 minutes from Bloomington for the sole purpose of meeting with them.

My idea was not only accepted--they loved it! And I left that meeting in a pure state of euphoria. It felt great, and I felt motivated to take on the challenge.

So the idea? Well, there is a "Mutt Strutt" for Indianapolis in which dogs and their owners will pay a registration fee and go to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to walk around the track to raise money for the Humane Society. I thought this was a great idea, so I scaled it down to size. I'll be hosting the same event in my neighborhood, and the registration fee will be $5 per person (free for dogs!), and we'll be walking/running a little over a mile for the event. Absolutely all of the money will be going to a local rescue.

Prior to the event, I'll be opening up a contest for the people in the neighborhood to send pictures of their dogs and cats to enter their furry friend into the cutest dog and cat contest. While registration is going on, there will be containers with pictures of the adorable pooches and kitties in which participants can "vote" on their favorites with spare change. While the walkers and runners are out on the course, the money will be counted up and winners of the contests will be announced. The dog and cat that raise the most money will be given a prize.

The neighborhood leaders loved the idea because it was unlike anything they had ever done, it spanned across all ages, and was easy to do.

Oh and by the way, they agreed to pay for the event! Can't get any better than that!

The other piece of great news is that Aaron and I adopted a beautiful new dog! She's chihuahua, and her name is Bella. She's five, well behaved, and up for anything that Aaron and I want to do. She's been so fun to have, especially because this is my first dog. I'll post something longer a bit later with pictures, but I thought I would share the news!

Yowza! It's been a long time since I've posted!

Hello friends! I'm back. I took a short hiatus from blogging because I've been so darn busy with school, hapkido, stuff for the business, and stuff to help out my animal friends!

It's all good and worthy of my attention, but sometimes all of it just piles up at once, you know?

Last night, I spent most of it awake studying for a midterm that I had today. I thought it went pretty well, however, I was talking to some friends about questions that I changed my answers to because I was unsure of them, and I'm pretty positive that I had the correct answers prior to changing them.... Gr....Oh well!

After the exam, a friend of mine invited me to go to Chipotle with her and a friend that I didn't know, and we had a blast! Chipotle's delicious, and we laughed a ton. It was a great way to relieve some of the stress from the exam.

I've just got one more class of the day-statistics-which I'm not thrilled about, but immediately following class, I am volunteering with the campus animal welfare group to get the message out about the puppy mill legislation that is in the works for Indiana. I'm sooo excited. Doing this kind of work makes me feel so fulfilled and wonderful. I just want to tell everyone about it!

In case you're from Indiana reading this blog and would like to know more about the legislation, here's some information about it and how you can help abused dogs in Indiana. And by the way, if you know of anyone who might be interested in participating to help stop the worst abuses of dogs in Indiana, feel free to copy, paste, and spread like wildfire!

Right now, there is legislation in the Indiana Senate to make dog breeders more responsible and end suffering in puppy mills around Indiana. The bill in a nutshell makes breeders give the dogs food, water, veterinary care, and little bit of exercise. So, really basic stuff. It also limits the number of dogs that breeders can have so that dogs are not neglected due to huge numbers. Even if you're an IU student from out of state, you are still considered a constituent for Indiana Senators!

If you'd like to call, it takes about 2 minutes and these three steps:

Step 1: Go to this website http://www.in.gov/apps/sos/legislator/search/
Step 2: Choose Indiana Senate as the elected office and enter your zip code to find out your senators names
Step 3: Call this number: 800-382-9467 and ask to leave a message for the senators that come up in your search

You can use this sample script if you like: Hello, my name is (name), and I am calling to leave a message for (senator’s name) regarding House Bill 1468. I wanted to let (senator’s name) know that I support this bill to end suffering in puppy mills and that I oppose any changes that weaken it. Thank you.

Notes:
1) They should ask for your information (name, address, etc.) to make sure that you are a constituent. If they don’t ask, the message is not being passed along.
2) Also, there is an indefinite time period to call about this because the date for voting has not been set yet
3) Pass this on to all animal lovers!

Pulling at your heartstrings

Check out this video made from pictures of animals at a shelter in Texas. It definitely tugs at the heart. Here are some ways that you can help shelter animals:

1. Volunteer your time. Many of these animals are lonely with little human interaction. Volunteer to play with cats, walk dogs, or just pet an animal that desperately needs human companionship.
2. Donate money. Animal shelters appreciate any sized donation.
3. Donate needed items. Find your local humane shelter's website to view their wishlist. Often times, they need towels, blankets, clay kitty litter, cleaning supplies, and other pet necessities.
4. Get your pets spayed or neutered. Please help prevent pet overpopulation by spaying or neutering your pets. You can save lives this way, and there are probably low-cost clinics that can do this for cheap.
5. Educate others about spaying and neutering. If you notice a friend with a litter of puppies, encourage them to seek to have the pet fixed.
6. Do NOT buy a pet-Adopt! Many animals come from facilities that churn out animals like machines, and these dogs or cats are very mistreated. They are lonely, not given proper veterinary care, and abused. Please view: http://stoppuppymills.org/ for more information

As always, thanks for reading and supporting your local animal shelter!

Would you like to do something about Michael Vick?

Many know that Michael Vick was convicted of crimes related animal cruelty involving dog fighting at his home. He owned dogs that were trained to kill others dogs, and those who survived were brutally killed. Soon, he will be released from prison, and YOU can do something regarding his reinstatement into the NFL.

If you would like to sign a petition asking the NFL NOT to reinstate him, follow this link:

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=61039348626&h=SOWt9&u=0bMjj

If you would like to sign a petition asking the NFL to test him for a psychological disorder before being reinstated, follow this link:

http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/vick_psychopathy

I urge you to consider the implications of these petitions. By signing them, you are communicating that you value integrity over talent and justice over suffering. I believe in second chances, but I also believe that this type of brutality can easily be translated from animals to humans. Please stand up for those with no way to communicate their pain.

Funny Cats ; )

Have you ever seen http://icanhascheezburger.com/ ? It has funny pictures of cats (and other animals as well). The website is great for animal lovers, and it's nice for a distraction as well. Note: There are pages and pages of funny pictures for you to look at during class or at work!

Here are a few of my favorites to get you started:

Enjoy!

Ode to Mimzy

As promised, here is my post about my beloved bunny, Mimzy.

She became a part of my family on June 30, 2007 when her owners did not want her anymore. I took her in, and she has remained one of the most important "people" in my life ever since! She currently resides in Bloomington with me in my apartment behind my red futon, where she happily munches on her hay, lettuce, celery, and other green goodies that she loves. Her hobbies include running around my apartment, being pet on the top of her head, shredding her phone book and towel, taking care of her stuffed animal, and of course, eating.

Don't be fooled by her fuzzy exterior; Mimzy is a beast. If touched in the wrong spot, she will turn into an attack bunny, and you'd better watch your fingers! Also, she will not stop at anything to be pet as she desires and will nibble your pants until you pay attention. It is best to keep valuables out of bunny reach too, as she loves to chew on anything that she can get her paws on!

This is one of my favorite pictures of the little girl:

I think she's beautiful!

An update since my last post: It took me several days to recover from the video I saw last week. It has inspired me to become more involved in improving animal welfare. I plan to do all that I can to make progress towards this cause. One avenue that I would like to go down in order to achieve this goal is to educate people about animal abuse through my company. I plan to collect some literature about animal welfare to put in my office, and I know about a low cost spay/neuter clinic in Indianapolis that I want to share with others. I have about 400 people in my database of staff--what a wonderful opportunity to tell others about my passion! I also want to start donating food, litter, and blankets to the animals at shelters in town, and if I am able to (emotionally), I will certainly donate my time.

If you are interested in learning more about animal welfare, I am more than happy to share the little knowledge that I have accumulated over the last few days.

Also, I decided to post the video that impacted me so greatly from the other day. Please watch with CAUTION, however. It is very shocking and disturbing, but I think its purpose is to inspire others to make a difference in the lives of animals. Note: I am not a member of PETA, but I do support SOME of the things that the organization does, however, not all. This video is for educational purposes only.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-kvZq4ARg4

Late night fretting

I really should be sleeping right now, but something's been bothering me tonight. I recently saw this video posted on a blog about animal abuse, and the images were so disturbing. I do not even want to describe the scenes in words, they are so terrible. I have such a soft spot for animals, and I could not banish those images from my mind. The bad thing was, I didn't really want to because I didn't want to make myself think that I took the problem lightly, but I wanted to stop thinking about it so that I wouldn't be in so much tumoil emotionally.

I decided I had to talk to someone about it, so I shared my feelings with Aaron, and we eventually came to the conclusion that there are more animal lovers than there are abusers and that those who abuse are sick and disgusting people. Also, I decided to kind of respectfully remember the lives of those animals who are at the mercy of others and take a moment of silence in their behalf and recognize their struggles. Obviously, I cannot go back into time and change the past or their circumstances, but I realize that there are things that I can do in order to affect the future. I can't convey how much I would love to change those circumstances.

I hope that I'm not sounding over-dramatic. I'm still having a really difficult time moving on from those thoughts and images. I would appreciate if you (if there are any readers of this blog) to leave a message about your thoughts about this or what you do to help animals, or if you just want to leave a message about how much you love your pet. I would love to hear about good people who are spoiling their pets!

I sure spoil my pet rabbit, Mimzy. She is one of my loves. She has her own rabbit house, toys, fresh veggies, and she gets lots of play time when she runs around my apartment for her exercise. Maybe my next post will be an introduction of her-an ode to Mimzy.