I must be crazy..

[TikiTalks]

I always look for good deals on CraigsList.. and then I inevitably stray to the Pets section and look through everything.. puppies for adoption.. things happening at the local shelters.. and nearly everytime I end up closing the browser page either disgusted, depressed, or angry. Today, Their's a parrotlet for adoption.. that I have no room for and have no ability to save.

There's a dog at the shelter that's about to be euthanized that I can't keep because my mom won't get another dog, and I live in an apartment with birds. There's baby kitties who look so much like they just need a cuddle and a kind word...

My weakness isn't birds.. it's animals. They're innocent of crimes and are shoved or born into a world they cannot understand and look to us for companionship, love, and care. If every person in the world had 2 dogs 2 cats and a flock of birds.. our shelters would still be full..

Isn't it sad how humans have ruined things? How we run over an animal and leave it in the road for other people to run over! Or how we care so little about fencing our yard so our dogs won't get harmed yet we cry "my pet is dead!" when someone runs over an unsuspecting creature because it's dark and they can't see...

I know it's not everyone.. I know we all love our pets VERY much.. but why can't everyone be as responsible as we are?

[FoxersArtist]

I take the "Go back and check to see if it's dead" approach when I run over something by accident...and let me just say, more than once I have found that it is NOT dead and have rushed it to a vet to try to save it.

The worst was when I once hit a cat and rushed it to my friend (who is a vet) at 10:00 at night. He had 7 broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and he was still trying to hold on to life. I was totally heartbroken by what I had done! I had him put down to spare him any further agony. I can't even imagine what would have happened if I had just left him there on the road.
-Anna

[Patty, Linus and Co.]

I was always bringing home animals when I was young and continued to do that throughout my life. As an adult I didn't have to say "can I keep him?", and consequently wound up with too many pets.
At my apartment complex they jokingly refer to me as 'the patron saint of lost and woulnded animals' and the pigeon that fell in the pool or the puppy running traffic. They know I won't say no and it becomes my job to get help for it. I've totally had worse jobs.

Patty

[Evelyn]

Michelle -

I feel exactly the way you do. My husand keeps saying, "You can't save them all," and I tell him that I can save that one and it makes all the difference to that one.

Evelyn

[TikiTalks]

Michelle -

I feel exactly the way you do. My husand keeps saying, "You can't save them all," and I tell him that I can save that one and it makes all the difference to that one.

Evelyn
I totally agree, and here's one of my FAVORITE stories that tells exactly how I feel. :)

The Starfish Story

Adapted from The Star Thrower by Loren Eiseley

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to
the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the
beach before he began his work.

One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down
the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He
smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance
to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young
man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The
young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small
objects, and throwing them into the ocean.

He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask
what it is that you are doing?"

The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing
starfish into the ocean."

"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the
ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.

To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is
going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young
man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach
and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly
make a difference!"

At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another
starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he
said, "It made a difference for that one."

[TikiTalks]

Michelle -

I feel exactly the way you do. My husand keeps saying, "You can't save them all," and I tell him that I can save that one and it makes all the difference to that one.

Evelyn

Thought I'd share a story I'm sure you all have heard or read before :o
The Starfish Story

Adapted from The Star Thrower by Loren Eiseley

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to
the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the
beach before he began his work.

One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down
the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He
smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance
to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young
man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The
young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small
objects, and throwing them into the ocean.

He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask
what it is that you are doing?"

The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing
starfish into the ocean."

"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the
ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.

To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is
going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young
man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach
and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly
make a difference!"

At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another
starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he
said, "It made a difference for that one."