As everyone can see I love my pets. They make me laugh with all their crazy stunts, they keep me company and they're there by my side whenever I'm having a bad day or just because. I know that many people don't feel the same way that I do about animals. Many people just say: "Well, they're just animals." Well...yes they're animals but they're also so much more. Growing up my mom always instilled in me that we need to have compassion for animals because a lot of the times they can't' fend for themselves, they can't tell you when they're hurt and need help. We should care because compassion is what makes humanity great. Please do not think that I'm trying to lecture anyone, this is just how I feel. I know that a lot of animal rescuers feel the same and I'm grateful that they are around.
This brings me to talk about Chi Chi and her story.
So my mom found Chi Chi on the street, in the middle of the pouring rain, scared and alone. My mom's description of the scene broke my heart because I know that there are many animals out there that don't have the same luck Chi Chi did. They never find the home they're looking for and they die alone. It's an idea that I can't fathom.
Well Chi Chi was brought into our home and my mom took her to our vet fearing that Chi Chi was hit by a car. The vet found nothing wrong with her. So my mom brought her back and we began to nurse her back to health.
It took us about three months to really get Chi Chi healthy. When she got here she slept for two days and she wouldn't eat a thing. Now try stopping her! For the first month she didn't have the strength to get up from the blanket in her crate. I would have to carry her outside so that she could go to the bathroom. It took another 2 months for her to feel comfortable enough to leave her cage. We would leave the door open and she wouldn't come out. It took a lot of patience to wait for that day. We had to allow her to come to us so that she could fully trust us and know that we were here to help her.
We still haven't figured out exactly where she came from, how long she's been on her own and why she was by herself at such a young age. Chi Chi isn't an old dog she barely looks like she's two. Sometimes you never get the answers that you're looking for.
The plan was to find her owners. Maybe she ran away? I don't know. What I do know is that there are certain things she does that leads me to believe that she didn't have it so great. She's still scared of her leash, she's deathly afraid to go out the front door, and if you make sudden movements she flinches and runs away.
So, I kept her because I couldn't and I can't let go of her. There were and still are too many what if's and I love her too much to find out that maybe she was abused or abandoned. She has become a part of us and the cats have come to love her like she's one of them.
So I was unable to find her a home after we rescued her and that's okay but there are those who do this on a daily basis and I am amazed at how they are able to do this. This is where I want to write about Ashley Owen Hill and her incredible organization that helps animals on a daily basis.
Ashley Owen Hill has an animal rescue group called Lucky Dog Rescue in Meridian, Mississippi, she is the co-founder of the application Pet Pardons on Facebook, and she is an area representative for the non-profit organization Dogs Deserve Better. Ms. Hill has dedicated her entire life to rescuing animals and you can tell that she has an immense heart just by reading her blog.
Pet Pardons is an application on Facebook where users can post pictures of animals on death row or in a no kill shelter who need help finding homes. What you do is you click the advocate button and this automatically posts it on your Facebook wall that way someone who sees your wall may want to adopt the pet. Often times maybe someone on your friends list might know someone else that may want to adopt these animals. This application has saved numerous animals and if we continue to share the information then maybe we can reach the goal set by Pet Pardons which is to end the killing of pets in shelters and to adopt homeless pets by January 1, 2015.
It's a huge order to fill but if we support it we can contribute in helping these animals that are just looking for someone to love them and give them the companionship that they themselves are desperate to share.
The Lucky Dog Rescue blog shares stories of the dogs that Ms. Hill rescues on a daily basis. Here she shares her feelings about animal rescuing and she reassures those that are doing the same thing she is that they are not alone. By sharing these stories she shows her readers the good and the bad in animal rescuing. This blog also showcases the many dogs that are up for adoption in her center. Her hope is to find forever homes for the dogs she cares for, to educate the public on how great a need there is to help these animals and to unite with other rescuers in order to better serve these animals.
Finally, Ms. Hill is an area representative for the non-profit organization Dogs Deserve Better. This non-profit organization helps rescue chained and penned dogs. This organization relies on it's volunteers and donations. For more information or if you would like to donate, if you would like to find a representative for your area or if you would like to participate please go to dogsdeservebetter.org.
Thank you to Ms. Hill for allowing me to share her story. Thank you for doing what you do.
Although she can't read this, thank you Chi Chi for being you.
http://www.facebook.com/petpardons
http://luckydogrescueblog.blogspot.com/
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