Giving Thanks: For Animal Caregivers

I am grateful for anyone who cares for animals, whether they be the pets in their homes,  homeless shelter animals, helpless farm animals subject to abuse, or even the wild creatures in their back yards.  You all know who you are.  And I think you are wonderful.

Mother Teresa once said, "We can't do great things...We can only do small things with great love."

I agree that each animal we care for is an accomplishment on a small scale.  However, I would say that each life we save, or make more comfortable, IS a great thing....

The world seems like an alien place to me sometimes.  Hearing about the political contention, pervasive corruption, injustice, cruelty and pain, seems that this world is not a place that I want to be a part of.  In darker moments, I wish I had the courage to find a way out of it.

But then, I spend time with some good people who love the dogs at the Buddy Foundation;  I have a new friend there, Lulu, a 5-month-old Beagle.  She will, no doubt, have a new home very soon.

Or I read a remarkable story about a woman in South Barrington Illinois who cares for abused and abandoned horses; She took in an emaciated 5-month old that was to be euthanized.  The foal had only one eye from being kicked by another horse.  With patient and gentle care, this foal is now the "princess of the sanctuary".

Or I visit the Cosley Zoo in Wheaton.  This is one of several working farms in the Chicago suburbs whose mission is to preserve wildlife and promote conservation and education about native creatures. 

Or I see an article about a sanctuary in Peoria that cares for cats, dogs, and any wild creature, like wounded robins or pigeons.  Oh, there are countless examples right here in Illinois, let alone around the country.

I realize then that there is great work being done, and yet to be done.  So, rather than despair about belonging to a world that is capable of hurting the innocent, I can, in a small, great way, be a part of the world that helps to alleviate suffering and makes life better. I can, along with so many caring, self-effacing and admirable people, find meaning in the care of these creatures.