The recent fires in Napa and Sonoma counties haven't affected me directly, but all the pictures of the survivors and their pets touched me.
In many interviews I've listened to, their dogs and cats were more important than anything in their homes. Getting out with only the clothes on their backs, but with Fluffy or Fido, made all the difference to them.
Sometimes Fido was the hero, like this dog who refused to leave the flock of goats under his care. Be sure to click through the slideshow, and be careful of the dust likely to appear.
This gets me in my usual meandering fashion to the topic of Paying It Forward. Many people think the idea originated in a movie, but Benjamin Franklin wrote about the concept long ago. I've had help like this several times, most recently when I was between jobs and had a dreaded (but not unexpected) veterinary bill. Due to a situation beyond my control, my cat ended up in very bad shape and the final bill leading up to putting her down was $350. This was money I didn't have to spare in my budget, but a friend knew what was going on and took care of it, keeping me above water.
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| My Tortoise Shell, Feliz |
That money was freely given with the belief that I'd do something similar for others when I had the opportunity, and indeed I have given money and other items to people with the same instruction given to me: "I don't want this back, but look to do the same for someone else in the future."
The fires and the stories of pet owners saving their beloved animals made me think of the Animal Rescue Foundation right away. I've been a fan of A.R.F. for many years and liked the way their idea for rescuing animals came about:
" The catalyst for ARF came on May 7, 1990 at a televised baseball game between the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees. In the middle of an inning and amidst cheers from spectators, a stray tortoiseshell cat looking for food took a wrong turn and suddenly found herself on the playing field. Trapped in the enormous Oakland Coliseum and frightened by the roar of the crowd, the frantic cat dashed around the field, desperately leaping at any means of escape and eluding the players and umpires who tried to capture her. Panicked and unable to find a way out, she slinked towards the infield, exhausted from her ordeal. Tony La Russa, then-manager for the Oakland Athletics, coaxed her gently into the A’s dugout where she would spend the rest of the game in safe confines. Tony and his wife Elaine, a life-long animal advocate, discovered there was not a single no-kill shelter in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area and that the little cat would likely be euthanized. They took her under their wing and exhausted every lead in hopes of finding a safe haven. At last, they were able to place “Evie” – named after Oakland A's team owner, Evie Haas - in a permanent, loving home where she could live out her natural life."This group delivers on all their promises to do everything they can as openly as possible to help animals, and that is why I made a donation to their fire relief fund.
This isn't exactly Paying it Forward, since I don't directly know the people receiving the help or was able to tell them why I donated, but knowing A.R.F., I'm certain the idea will get through.
The Takeaway
- Helping with no no strings attached is a good thing. Doing it with a group that is making a difference is fantastic.
- No direct purchases were made by me in the last week, but a donation was sent to A.R.F.
If you have comments, suggestions or corrections, please post them so we all can learn. And remember, Some Is Always Better Than None!
NOTE: All items tested were purchased by me. No products have been loaned in exchange for a favorable review. Any items sent to me for T&E will be listed as such. Suck it Feds.
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