I just went to check my yahoo email and on the opening page of yahoo followed a couple of links leading to stories about the rescue (or lack thereof) of pets from Hurricane Katrina. I didn't realize until I just read this, that the animals that so many caring owners were carrying throughout the days following the horrific hurricane had to be left behind or their human families couldn't get on the rescue vehicles to go to safety. There are pictures down the side of the first page (yes, I know I didn't use the "tiny" thing for the URLs, but I'm too upset to even go hunting for that right now) of starving dogs with their bones sticking out, and the other page without pictures had some heartbreaking things about people having to leave their pets behind when the pets are all they actually had left... no human family members, only their beloved pets.
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know, wild animals you expect to fend for themselves... but not animals who have come to love and depend on their human families to feed, love and care for them. Can you imagine the fear and sadness that they must have felt as their families (who were breaking their hearts as they left them behind) were moving away from them on boats, buses, etc? I am sitting here with tears running down my face while typing this. Thank God for the Humane Society for going in there and trying to rescue as many pets as they could find, and also for the Marriot Hotel chain who accepted pets as family members. What a shame that the Red Cross can't/couldn't see that they are important too... even if only to their human families who are now heartbroken without them. There is even mention of a blind person having to leave the seeing-eye dog behind. This is awful, just awful. I cannot imagine ever leaving my dogs behind to fend for themselves, terrified and alone. :'o(
I heard the other day that they are also collecting pet food for these animals, Gem. The tragedy just keeps getting worse, doesn't it?
Kather> I just went to check my yahoo email and on the opening page of yahoo
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> You know, wild animals you expect to fend for themselves... but not> animals who have come to love and depend on their human families to> feed, love and care for them. Can you imagine the fear and sadness> that they must have felt as their families (who were breaking their> hearts as they left them behind) were moving away from them on boats,> buses, etc? I am sitting here with tears running down my face while> typing this. Thank God for the Humane Society for going in there and> trying to rescue as many pets as they could find, and also for the> Marriot Hotel chain who accepted pets as family members. What a> shame that the Red Cross can't/couldn't see that they are important> too... even if only to their human families who are now heartbroken> without them. There is even mention of a blind person having to> leave the seeing-eye dog behind. This is awful, just awful. I> cannot imagine ever leaving my dogs behind to fend for themselves,> terrified and alone. :'o(> Gemini
It sure does, Katherine! As I said, until I read the articles a few minutes ago, I honestly thought the pets that the people had with them when they were rescued were also rescued with them. I had no idea that the poor frightened creatures were left behind terrified, alone, and wondering why their family just left them like that.... even though it certainly was through no fault of their own that they had to leave them behind and it must have broken their hearts to do so. At least the humans would have some
*glimmer* of understanding as to why it was happening, but the poor defenseless pets wouldn't have any idea at all why the people they loved and trusted left them behind. :o(
Peace! Gem
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>>> You know, wild animals you expect to fend for themselves... but not>> animals who have come to love and depend on their human families to>> feed, love and care for them. Can you imagine the fear and sadness>> that they must have felt as their families (who were breaking their>> hearts as they left them behind) were moving away from them on boats,>> buses, etc? I am sitting here with tears running down my face while>> typing this. Thank God for the Humane Society for going in there and>> trying to rescue as many pets as they could find, and also for the>> Marriot Hotel chain who accepted pets as family members. What a>> shame that the Red Cross can't/couldn't see that they are important>> too... even if only to their human families who are now heartbroken>> without them. There is even mention of a blind person having to>> leave the seeing-eye dog behind. This is awful, just awful. I>> cannot imagine ever leaving my dogs behind to fend for themselves,>> terrified and alone. :'o(>> Gemini
On our news station here, they showed several scenes of people carrying their pets/ dogs as they were helped onto helicopters. And at the Coliseum in downtown Phoenix, a number of evacuees brought their pets with them. The Maricopa County Sherriffs office, along with the Humane Society has sectioned off a part of the coliseum , made separate screened off areas for each of the pets.. I noticed all the pets had their own bed or blankie in their section to cuddle up with. One man brought his dog, including the 10 little puppies she just had. They're all together being cared for. One woman had her bird, there were a number of cats too. Hopefully they are able to rescue many of the pets that had to be left behind. Marie and the cats
That's good that some of the people got to take their pets along with them. I agree... I really hope they are able to rescue many more of the poor pets left behind, and hopefully one day some of them can even be reunited with their families, or at least find new families to love and care for them.
Yes, Gemini and Katherine the tragedy is just too awful to comprehend. I cannot imagine what those people went through for so long and as for the animals I really believe they suffer just as much from the parting as the owners do.
I never get the picture out of my mind about my horse - once when we were going on a trip to the USA and had rented our place we decided to leave our two horses with friends as we knew that way they would be taken good care of. However when they were loaded into the float the look on their faces made you want to cry - they were just so sad and when the time came to bring them home you cannot imagine the joyful look and the way they frolicked as soon as they got out of the float !! They certainly felt the loss. God bless Gwen
I can definitely believe it, Gwen! I am just astonished when I hear the way some people talk about animals as if they haven't any brains or feelings whatsoever. They most certainly *do* think (some are smarter than others, I give you that... but then so are some humans smarter than others, it's what makes the world go 'round), and they most definitely *do* have feelings.
I've watched our two dogs in the back yard through the kitchen window. The Buffy (the older one) will follow Casper when he gets excited and runs to the back corner because of the neighbour dogs barking, but in general she isn't as playful or mobile as she used to be (she is 13 afterall). So when Casper (who is only 6 and still very much like a puppy in his ways) tries to get her to play with him and she just walks away to lay on the deck, the sad and dejected look on his face is so apparent. He sighs and sits down to just look off across the yard looking so lonely. As soon as either Matthew or myself open the door and Casper sees us, his face brightens up into a very happy doggy smile. And of course when either of us is actually outside with the dogs, Buffy will play with Casper and that makes him happy to no end. ;o) Buffy mainly looks bored for the most part, unless we're there with the dogs... then she *smiles* too.
Casper is more of a thinker than Buffy. Either of us can be doing something, and Casper will sit and watch what we're doing so very intently for the entire time. Buffy loses interest when she realizes we don't have food. hehehe But I have had Casper come over and *nosey* my arm as if to say "Watcha doin' Mama?" I talk to him, and even tell him what I'm doing.... I swear sometimes that he looks like he really wants to learn, and if he were human (or could move his toes like we do our fingers) I'm sure that he would learn whatever it is very quickly. :o)
Animals definitely love unconditionally! They feel the love that their human families give back to them... they trust in their human families that we will always care for them, feed them and protect them... and when they can (and even though some can't because they are too small) they do their best to try to protect and care for us!
The Buffy?... that's like THE Donald only without all the money! LOL
Okay, I started to say "The older one (Buffy)" and meant to change it to "Buffy (the older one)" and forgot to take the first "The" off there... so sue me! ;o) As my Mom used to say "The greatest people make mistakes.... and I'm one of the greatest!" LOL
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