Just for Best Friends | ||||||||||||||||||||
Mountain Views News, Pasadena Edition [Sierra Madre] Saturday, October 15, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||
11 JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS Mountain Views-News Saturday, October 15, 2016 MATTHEW’S WORST BRINGS OUT MANKIND’S BEST Happy Tails by Chris Leclerc When disaster strikes, it can be devastating for those who fall victim to it’s destruction. But more often than not, it is during times when nature reminds us who’s the real boss of this planet, that caring people come together and unite to lend a helping hand. The events that unfolded before, during and after last week’s hurricane Matthew could not be a better example of human inspiration made manifest by the unity of many. Countless news headlines captured the details of what occurred along the southern Atlantic coast last week, most of which were sure to instill a sense of helplessness for those watching. But, thankfully there were a lot of news casts that also covered the courageous acts of folks who chose to take action rather than sit by helplessly and watch the storm take it‘s toll. Among the many individuals and groups involved in performing random acts of kindness during last week’s natural disaster were the Washington Humane Society and Washington Animal Rescue League out of D.C. Their good work ensured that many animals would escape the torrents of Matthew before it was too late. They had the foresight to recognize the hurricane was expected to pose an enormous threat to sheltered animals in coastal South Carolina. Concerned for the welfare of those animals, they gathered their troops of volunteers and partners and immediately lept into action. With little time for planning or preparation, they launched a team effort that succeeded in relocating several animals from local shelters in the D.C. area to temporary safe housing to make room for the animals that would be evacuated from South Carolina’s shelters. It was a simple resolution to a potentially tragic problem, but it was also a pretty major project requiring lots of last-minute time and energy on the part of both groups. The bottom line is they got it done and by doing so, they saved the lives of many shelter animals that would otherwise have been caught in the storm and probably perished. Remarkably, the positive results were doubled when the news hit the public and more adopting families showed interest in the pets that survived hurricane Matthew! The Washington DC team effort brought great relief to the staff at the South Carolina shelters by allowing them to focus on evacuating the countless trapped or injured animals in the community. With limited staff and an overwhelming number of animal emergency calls coming in, they could at least be comforted that the animals being kept at their shelter would not have to suffer or die. Another inspiring story that came out in the news was about a bald eagle that had to be very skillfully and carefully removed from the grille of a vehicle in Jacksonville, Florida. The poor bird had been thrown into the car’s front grille by extremely high velocity winds that whipped through the area during the hurricane. Fortunately, the driver of the vehicle became aware of what had happened and was able to pull over and make a call to get help from some brave local raptor rescue volunteers. As a memoir to the close call that the bald eagle had with an early death, they named him “Matthew”, after the storm that nearly took its life. There were also several reports of rescued pets and livestock that had been rendered astray when they either fled out of fear, or were sadly left behind by the owners who had to flee quickly to save their own lives. Hundreds of animals were brought into shelters where they could be kept, at least temporarily until they were identified by their owners and brought back to their own homes, or placed into foster care for later adoption. One very touching story I read on National Geographic.com told of a Facebook post shared by Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge in central Florida’s Orange County. The rescue organization reported a major influx of injured wildlife, including numerous infant squirrels, raccoons and various bird species that had been abandoned or orphaned during the torrential storm. The happy side of the story is that the volunteers at hand had the skills to save the lives of those babies and give them a second chance at life! Hundreds of animals were reported to have been rescued from the streets of the affected areas and brought to shelters in Florida as well as Georgia, North and South Carolina for refuge and tender loving care provided by SPCA & Humane Society staff along with the helping hands of many animal-loving volunteers and the coordination of several rescue groups. It is amazing how so many people are willing to come together and unite to do what is right when disaster strikes and the going gets tough. A disastrous event, whether natural or man-made can be a devastating experience with a very unhappy outcome. But it is in the midst of the tragedy that the human spirit can choose to soar and the broken can be bolstered by the encouragement of their fellow man. In this case, those precious animals were blessed to have come into contact with the kind people who cared enough to go out of their way, and for some even risk their own lives to save them from the storm. I can’t think of a much happier tale than that! Love and let live. SCARLET & TARA: Sisters! Born April, 2016, Scarlet and Tara are absolutely gorgeous, and very sweet. Scarlet is the boldly colored calico, and Tara is more of a dilute tortie. Tara is a bit more reserved, but nevertheless, very sweet. We will keep them together, as they are very bonded. Adopting two qualifies for our Twofur Discount. Two are double the fun for them and you! Lifeline for Pets is a small no-kill rescue. We show some cats most Sunday afternoons at Petsmart, 3347 E. Foothill Blvd. in Pasadena, 12:30-3:30. Call 909-561-7700 for a Meet & Greet. Adoption fee is $100, which includes spay, microchip, exam & vaccine. Our cats are negative FELV/ FIV unless otherwise indicated. See adoption info & application on our website, www.lifelineforpets.org. Sorry, we are not accepting cats at this time. GOOD NEWS: AUSTIN MEOWERS and KYLIE have been adopted! LOOKING FOR A BEST FRIEND? Hercules is a six-year-old handsome German Shepherd mix boy with gorgeous looks that match his playful and loving personality. He has a pair of charming honey-colored eyes, a beautiful light brown coat with dark markings on his nose and ears. And those ears! They are just adorable playful puppy ears that bounce up and down. Hercules was found lost in a parking lot in the city of Rosemead. It is unknown how long he had been on the streets but he is now at the shelter where he is receiving care and love until his forever family comes along. Although he is six-years old, he still has plenty of energy in him to walk or jog around the park and play with his human friends. He likes to play with toys but mostly he likes to get as many treats as one can give. If you would like to show Hercules that life can be good in a forever home and with a loving family; please stop by to meet our mighty Hercules! His adoption fee is $145 which includes neuter surgery, vaccinations, microchip and a free wellness exam at a participating veterinarian. Feel free to call us at (626) 286- 1159 for more information on Hercules. He currently resides at the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society located at 851 E. Grand Avenue in San Gabriel which is located off San Gabriel Blvd, north of Mission and south of Las Tunas Drive. To arrange a ‘Meet and Greet’ with Hercules, please stop by any time from 10:30am to 4:30pm Tuesday through Sunday. Website:www.sgvhumane.org. Go to smile.amazon.com and find the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society and every time you buy something 0.5% will be donated to the shelter! It’s easy to do and helps the shelter with every purchase you make! Let your friends know about this simple way to make a difference! Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com | ||||||||||||||||||||