The Politics of Caring

Today I got a valuable reminder of the nonpolitical nature of animal sheltering from a reader. First, a clarification. I actually started this blog 7 months ago like so many other blogs - as a semi personal place to write about whatever topic tickled my fancy. I soon realized how pointless and uninteresting that was and months later changed the blog, including its title and address, to become this one. But the old posts remained along with some political content that was totally irrelevant to the subject of the animal sheltering. That has now been removed. The animal shelter formerly mentioned on this blog is absolutely non-partisan and non-political. Second, in the world of kindness and compassion towards animals there are no political lines. While the world and the news seems obsessed with politicians and their squabbles we animal lovers concentrate on healing the wounded, feeding the starving, sheltering the lost and finding homes for the homeless. We are so fortunate at our shelter to have generous donors of all political persuasions, parties and beliefs that make the work we do possible. When they look into the eyes of a frightened dog or a motherless kitten, conservatives and liberals - Republicans and Democrats - share the desire to comfort and help. And we need their financial help more than ever. Our dog kennels have fallen into disrepair due to age and the toll that frequent cleaning and an inadequate ventilation system have taken on them. The walls are simply falling apart and the ceilings and walls are dotted with mold. A generous donation of windows from a major corporation helped but we need to spend at least $5,000 to patch up the damage until we can build a new facility. Unfortunately I'm not at liberty to tell you where to send donations if you were interested in helping. (see 7/19/05 entry) This weekend: happy stories.