My Experiences Rescuing Animals

I have a deep compassion and love for animals of all kinds. I've even learned to care for reptiles as well! I never thought that could happen, but it did. It was able to happen, because I am open to learning new things. Once I learned reptiles are great to have around, I was able to overcome my fear of them. I want to share what I've learned about helping out needy animals. I hope this article will influence you to help at least one this year.

I'll start out with wild animals. I'm always on the lookout for those that are in danger of being hit by a car. I see a lot of dead animals - both wild and domesticated - on the side of the road and it breaks my heart. I know most people don't pay attention or bother to stop, but it is important to learn to do so. Now, I know some accidents will happen and can't be avoided, but others can. Too many times I've seen a person speed up to purposely hit an animal with a car. This tells me that the person driving is a mean, hateful and uncaring individual that I would want to avoid in life. If a person is willing to hurt an animal on purpose, they will hurt a human as well. I could go into a lot of scientific proof of that, but I'll spare you. On the other hand, a person that goes out of their way to help an animal, will most likely do the same for humans as well. This is a caring and loving person that the world needs to see more of.

I remember when I was sixteen and had just started driving, I hit a squirrel. There was no way to avoid it. I was on a busy highway and would have been hit by another car had I tried to avoid the squirrel. I cried all the way to my destination because I knew I had caused a living thing pain. A while later, I was leaving a friends house and had a black bear mosey across the road in front of me. Luckily, I was able to stop and just sit in awe of it's beauty and strength. He just looked over at me as if to say, "Hey, how ya doing? I'll be out of your way in just a sec!" I was full of fear watching him, but it was such a wonderful experience for me to have had. That was years ago and I remember it like it was yesterday! Just to be able to slow down and enjoy nature was such a pleasure. So many times, humans are wrapped up in themselves and worry about our needs and don't see those of the wildlife around us. Take time to stop for the bears, you'll be amazed at how good it makes you feel.

It's not very often that I am able to take in wildlife to help it out. But, a year and a half ago, we took in a raccoon. Now, you may have read my articles on her, so you know it hasn't been easy. But I will say it has it's rewards as well. She is not going to be able to be released into the wild. She has something wrong with her that keeps her from climbing correctly and without that, she wouldn't survive long. Her mother had apparently pushed her out of the nest and we happened to come along at the time that a couple of cats were ready to kill her. We gave the mother the opportunity to come get her and she refused, so we have cared for her ever since. Her name is Harley. What I've learned the most about raccoons is that they don't just automatically trust a human. It's just not in their nature. While we've cared and loved for her all this time, she still has her moments of panic and will lash out at us. I have the scars to prove it! As much as I complain about the extra work she puts on me and sometimes the fear she puts in me, I do love her. She teaches me everyday that trust is earned, not given. Sudden moves can be a bad thing and that I should always think before I act. I've learned patience from her as well. If she doesn't want to move, she won't. If she doesn't want to share, she won't. I've also observed how she is with our other pets. I find it very interesting how it varies. She could teach us all how to get along as a human race. If a raccoon can get along with cats (remember, some tried to kill her) and dogs, why can't people of different cultures get along? It's a huge lesson that needs to be learned, for sure.

Now, she doesn't get along with all animals. I will admit to that. I have a male Sheltie, Denver, and they will fight any chance they get. But, I have two kittens that Harley has taken under her wing and it has been amazing to watch their relationship develop. She actually taught them to use the litter pan! She also cleans them and plays with them. It's been an experience watching them learn from each other.

My kittens are also rescues. My daughter called me one day from work (Lowe's) to tell me that there was a litter of kittens in the garden center and had apparently been abandoned by their mother. At the time, Hurricane Gustav was heading our way and she was concerned they would die. So, I loaded up my pet carrier and headed out to get them. There was a total of five kittens, but the last one didn't want to come out of hiding under the fencing supplies. I was just about to give up on her and leave with the four when she finally poked her little gray head out and meowed at us. My daughter quickly grabbed her up. They were old enough to eat kitten food, but still too young to be on their own, so we kept them sheltered in our home. After a few days, we had found homes for all but two of them. I told my daughter to not try to find homes for them, because I'd fallen in love. The two we kept were an orange tabby and the little gray that didn't want to come to us at first. They have turned out to be the best little guys in the world! We named the orange tabby Roan and at first we named the gray Smoky, but she had such an unpredictable attitude, we quickly changed it to Storm. We've had them for about four months now and I have loved every moment with them. They went from being almost ferrel cats to the most loving kittens. Roan has always had a loving quality about him and craves attention. Storm took a little more work to get her to love and trust us. Now, she is extremely loving and dependent on us. She went from a mean little kitty to a loving kitty. They both sleep with us at night and usually try to sleep on our chests or right in our faces. It can be annoying, but I never punish them for it. It is part of who they are and how they started out life. They let us know all of the time how much they love and appreciate us. The purrs and kisses are all so worth it. About a month after we rescued them, our dog, Honey, passed away from cancer. If I hadn't have had those two little lovable kittens, I don't think I would have made it through losing Honey. It was a very difficult time in my life and Roan and Storm both were there for me. They have given us so much more than we have given to them. I have a fear of losing them, either to death or running away. But, I've come to realize that they won't run away. I let them in and out throughout the day, when it's warm enough, I'll just leave the door open a crack to let them come and go as they please. They seem to really appreciate this. They always come back because they know they are loved, wanted and will always find food and warmth here.

This past week, my daughter called again from work. Again, another cat. This one was in the parking lot and is about six months old. He's also an orange tabby. He has been a little bit harder to work with. He was filthy and stank really bad when we got him home. I think he'd been living on the streets for a while and was probably dumpster diving for food. He also had oil on him, so he'd probably been living in cars for warmth and protection. The first time we fed him, he ate like he hadn't had a good meal in a long time. He's already put on a couple of pounds this week just because he's had regular meals. We have had trouble with food aggression with him. He will fight off Roan and Storm if he feels they are going to take away his meal. Just last night, I gave each of them a piece of grilled chicken. I placed them in three places around the room and he still went and stole the chicken from Roan. Storm puts up more of a fight and usually doesn't give in to him. We've named this one Milo. He also seems to have trouble getting along with dogs, but that is slowly changing. Our Corgi, Triscuit, has made a great effort to play with him and to make sure he understands it's play. He's still a little shy with her, but he's getting there. Denver, the Sheltie, isn't as friendly so Milo has a harder time with him, but they usually just avoid each other. Overall, I'm glad we now have Milo. My son has really taken to him and he is a very affectionate cat. So, he's one more that won't become feral. I also will be getting them spayed and neutered soon. Through our local humane society, we can get vouchers to certain vets and get it done for $15 each. If you decide to rescue any animal, please get it spayed or neutered to prevent anymore unwanted animals. Most vets or humane societies will help out with it.

We've also rescued dogs over the years. Most of which we've been able to find new homes for. A year ago, we rescued a female Beagle, Sadie. This one we all fell in love with and kept her. She was also very loving and appreciative of the food and shelter. That's what I notice the most with the rescues compared to the pure-bred bought pets. They are more loving. We purchased our Corgi and got our Sheltie by breeding his father (our dog) to his mother (a friend's dog). While they are very loyal and loving, they will never know how bad life could be. So they won't ever fully appreciate what they have. Our story with Sadie ends sadly, though. As much as we loved her and she us, she was a Beagle and they tend to want to wander. Every morning, I'd let the dogs outside and she'd literally climb the fence to get out. I never was able to stop her. But she had a regular routine that I soon got used to. She'd run the woods for a while then make her rounds to the neighbors and then make her way home. Each morning she'd be gone for a couple of hours. At the first of deer season this year, she left one morning and never returned. I know in my heart that if she'd been able, she would have. But, being a Beagle, I believe someone stole her. We had never tested her to see if she'd make a good deer dog, but I think she would have. My hope for Sadie is that whoever has her is taking care of her. It makes me sad and I miss her a lot. I am thankful that I did get her spayed, so I don't have to worry about her being overbred. Sadie taught me a lot, also. It may be a hard lesson to swallow, but I know now that even though I could trust her to come home, I can't trust humans to allow her to do so. In the future, if I ever own a Beagle again, I'll figure out a way to keep her in the yard.

I had also mentioned rescuing reptiles. I know a lot of people say the only good snake is a dead one. Well, I beg to differ. In my family, we have a habit of pulling over to get snakes and turtles off of the road so that they won't get run over by a car. Sure, used to, I wouldn't worry about them, but with my son, I've come to learn that they play an important role in the environment as well as any other animal. Snakes, both venomous and non-venomous, are great to have around the house. Of course, with the venomous, you have to take precautions, but they can still be helpful. I'd much rather have snakes around my house than mice. Mice get into everything and spread disease, snakes don't. They may hide in places you don't want them to, but they'll at least keep the rodents at bay. This past summer, we found several snakes in our yard, ranging from harmless garter snakes to dangerous copperheads. Each time, we allowed them to stay, but always took notice of where they were. Most of the time, they'll run from you as quick as you run from them. But not only do they keep the rodents down, but insects as well. The smaller snakes will feed on beetles, roaches and grasshoppers, keeping the population down and keeping my flowerbeds beautiful. Frogs, although are amphibians and not reptiles, are great to keep around, too. They eat the flies and other pesky insects we don't like to have around. And while we're talking about insects, don't forget to appreciate the bats. They do wonders at lowering the mosquito population! As frightening as some of these creatures are to humans, they are no where near as harmful as insects are.

I hope with this article I've influenced you to appreciate wildlife more, from bats to bears. And to stop to think about how you treat these and other animals. The next time you see a cat or dog that is homeless and desperate, consider helping it out. Even if it's only for the short-term. You can do it and it won't break the bank. So many people claim they can't afford to help animals, but most of the time, it won't cost more than a few cents a day. The rewards are great - animals give unconditional love and they'll help you heal if you've been hurt in any way. My life is so much better because of the animals that are in it. Yours could be, too.