“Compassion is not religious business, it is human business, it is not luxury, it is essential for our own peace and mental stability, it is essential for human survival.”
~Dalai Lama

Embrace all living creatures

A human being is part of the whole, called by us "Universe," a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole [of] nature in its beauty. ~Albert Einstein, 1950

Unbelievable

As someone in the comments section said, "they are everywhere...idiots that is".  You really can't fix stupid.

Three years ago

Three years ago today the judge in the Michael Vick case lifted the gag order regarding the fate of the Bad Newz Kennel dogs, and now we all know what happened.  Today, Best Friends and BAD RAP are sharing stories about the dogs on FB.  I can't get enough.  The stories can also be viewed on their websites.  This case was so big because it was the first time in history that dogs taken from a fight bust weren't simply euthanized, but rather evaluated and viewed in terms of a victim rather than than a violent predator.  It has turned the precedence on its head.  Now dogs rescued from fight busts are evaluated and looked at for rehabilitation.  It is all good news, except that dog fighting continues.  I keep praying that someday all animals will get treated with the love and respect they deserve.  It will be a good day when that happens.

Dog

Dogs Deserve Better was called to a catholic church in Pennsylvania shortly after the new year.  There was a Shepard on the property of the church hiding in the bushes.  The dog had been there for about two weeks without food or water.  Dogs Deserve Better rescued him and took him to the vet.  He has become known as Ezekiel.  Ezekiel was shot in the head and survived.  The priest apparently said from the pulpit one day that someone needed to get rid of the dog.  That may be how he came to have his head wound.  An animal abuse criminal report was filed by DDB and representatives have gone back to the church to see if anyone knows who did this do the dog.  No one has admitted knowledge of anything wrong.  Ezekiel's story can be viewed on YouTube.  It is heartbreaking and all too common in this world.  In tribute to all of the animals, someone posted the following story on Facebook.  We would do well to have it be our compass.  Best Friends Animal Society has a campaign that started last year to create a world where there are no more homeless pets.  I hope to see that campaign succeed in my lifetime.  Sadly, I think we are going in the wrong direction.  I hope the story below gives readers something to think about and reflect on.  We must do better in the world.


When God had made the earth and sky the flowers and the trees ,He then made all the animals the fish, the birds and bees.

And when at last He'd finished not one was quite the same. He said, "I'll walk this world of mine and give each one a name."

And so He traveled far and wide and everywhere He went, a little creature followed Him until it's strength was spent.

When all were named upon the earth and in the sky and sea, the little creature said,"Dear Lord,there's not one left for me."

Kindly the Father said to him"I've left you to the end I've turned my own name back to front and called you dog, My friend."

Author Unknown

A new year

It's a new year!  I'm glad for a fresh start.  The end of 2010 was not great.  Many changes at work and none of them good.  I started looking for a new job, but my past has caught me and the consequences of my actions will continue to hamstring me.  At least for a while.  I have become resigned and that's not necessarily a good thing.  I look forward to a new year and hopefully a new found strength to move forward and be the best person I can be.

Interesting interview and so timely

A few days ago I added a link of a letter from Best Friends founder regarding Michael Vick and the state of his rehabilitated dogs.  Best Friends was very clear, Vick only made overtures to the dogs based on court order or in hopes of increasing his public personality.  Now he's talking about all of the things he's been accused of ignoring in the past.  Be willing to bet his publicist coached him about talking as he does in this interview.  It is unlikely that he really feels any of the things he's said.  Michael Vick really should be a non-issue at this point.  Maybe he will keep some inner city kids out of dog fighting, but he still lacks the credibility of the guys who came from the street and are now working towards the end of dog fighting in the inner city.  One of the federal attorneys on the Vick case said that they won't stop dog fighting, but they'll put a dent in it.  I still pray for the day when it ends. There are an awful lot of sociopaths involved in this heinous activity, and until they change their thinking, it will continue to be a serious fight.