An insect’s antics make good therapy

For an ant, a twig makes a handy bridge.

My previous post on the birds' nest I spotted near the ceiling of the Budget rental car kiosk inspired Shelly Patton of Louisiana SPCA in New Orleans to write her own ode to nature. A quirky afternoon with an anthill in formation made me smile. She saw power in this little insect. He instinctively knew he needed to work hard to ensure survival. Humans need to be taught this skill, and we all know some people who never learn it.

In watching the mesmerizing display, Shelly was finally able to escape the all-consuming, mind-altering state that characterized survivors of Hurricane Katrina. When the fatal wake receded, not even grass was left growing. The toxic floodwater had eaten every scrap of vegetation away.

The ant meant life was returning to a place that had died for a time.

Shelly's just quit smoking, so she's feeling a bit challenged lately. We all know what it feels like to leave a vice behind. Painful and distressing. I have a feeling she'll be searching out another anthill sometime soon.

Ant photos taken by Ginger Schell Morvant.

Just a quiet afternoon swinging from the grass blades.

A note by Shelly Patton

Carreen, when you wrote you had watched the birds for almost an hour, I remembered one beautiful summer afternoon when I watched a large red ant dig a new tunnel. He was only a few inches into his work when I chanced upon him.

This ant was fascinating in his movements and abilities. He toiled alone, going in the tunnel with nothing more than a goal and coming out with a huge piece of dirt he threw casually onto a mound he was building to the side. I watched for a long time, lying on my stomach, at eye level with the ant. At one point, I guiltily caved in his tunnel only to have my admiration of him grow beyond that of most humans I know. This red ant quickly cleared his tunnel, the dirt flying out in little puffs of dust and debris.

The ant continued as if nothing had happened. He dug deeper and deeper. Each time he went into the tunnel, it took longer for him to return to the opening with his laborious load. I wondered if he connected with another tunnel, because I waited and he never returned.

The next morning the ant was gone, as was any evidence of his tunnel. I think the dogs may have sniffed out what interested me and disrupted his work beyond repair.

Watching this ant happened only months after Hurricane Katrina shattered my world. It was a time when slowing my mind wasn't an easy thing to do, but that ant did it.

The point is, in the past few weeks, I haven't been able to slow myself. I have been racing around running from feelings of anxiety and the frustrations gripping me. On reflection, I feel very similar to the first many months after Katrina. Your post reminded me of an avenue to relief I had forgotten. Nature.

Genesis Awards harness star power to save animals

Portia de Rossi and Ellen DeGeneres strut their stuff on the red carpet. Photo courtesy of HSUS.

When you make a career in show business, creating a fantasy becomes your reality.

But this past Saturday, it wasn't make-believe that took center stage at the 23rd annual Genesis Awards in Beverly Hills. Animal cruelty and neglect grabbed the spotlight when celebrities, directors, writers and producers were honored by the Humane Society of United States.

America's largest animal welfare organization handed out 20 awards for films, television programs and news stories that raised public awareness of animal issues. The biggest honor of the night went to Ellen DeGeneres and her partner Portia de Rossi, who accepted the Wyler Award together for spreading the word on the inhumane treatment of factory farm animals. DeGeneres spoke to viewers of her talk show about Proposition 2, which addresses the issue in California.

"This stuff haunts me now," DeGeneres said.

As the star-studded crowd began to arrive at the Beverly Hilton hotel, uninvited bystanders crowded against the velvet ropes with cameras in hand, hoping to get a glimpse of the noteworthy parading past on the red carpet. The eclectic crowd featured big-name stars mingling with hard-core animal activists.

But the most popular celebrity was one who strolled in on four legs, not two. It was Clyde, the dog who starred in the hit film Marley and Me with Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson. He stood to the side of the red carpet and enthusiastically greeted everyone who walked by, even giving my face a friendly lick when I kneeled down to pet him. It was better than an autograph.

This was my second year attending the event that's held in the same massive ballroom used to host the Golden Globes. Guests nibbled on a delectable vegan meal of artichoke salad, tasty soy protein with black rice, and a rich chocolate mousse dessert.

"I called myself an animal lover, and I ate them," DeGeneres told the crowd. "It really is so much easier to say, ‘I can't think about it - I don't want to know about it - it's horrible' - and when we finally took the time to force ourselves to look at the reality of the lives of these poor animals, you can't ignore it. You can't say, ‘Yeah, but I want a cheeseburger so badly. I don't want to look at that."

The footage that rolled as the nominees were announced was gut-wrenching to watch. At every table, tears flowed down perfectly coiffed cheeks. Some guests had to step out when the images got to be too much.

The clips spared no tender hearts. A has-been racehorse was killed at a slaughterhouse. The tape cut to another that lay dying in the mud. Abused elephants were beaten and chained until they performed tricks for a circus crowd. A whale was massacred in the ocean, its blood staining the seawater bright red. Factory farmed pigs and chickens were miserably crowded into tiny cages, unable to enjoy basic behaviors like standing up or spreading their wings.

DeGeneres wasn't the only talk show queen to win a prize for speaking out against the atrocities. The Oprah Winfrey Show also garnered an award, picking up the outstanding talk show accolade for reports on factory farming, puppy mills and dog fighting. Another big win was for Walt Disney Pictures' Bolt, in the feature film category. The Academy-Award nominated movie reveals the sad truth about the fate of abandoned cats and dogs. For the fifth time, Fox picked up the Sid Caesar comedy award for The Simpsons, which recognized them for a show that painted a bleak perspective on the horrors of factory farming. ABC TV's Grey's Anatomy won best drama for an episode that discussed the ethics of using live animals in medical research.

News outlets were also honored. ABC News took home the TV newsmagazine national prize for 20/20. World News With Charles Gibson won for a national news feature. HBO's Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel received the national newsmagazine cable award.

Among the print journalism winners were USA Today for a series of newspaper articles, and the magazines Sports Illustrated and Newsweek were also recognized.

Animal activists are accustomed to being abused and misunderstood for their viewpoints. But it was evident that among this crowd, being kind to animals was ultra-cool. Celebrity chic, in fact. Ellen herself embraced the title.

"The more labels I add to myself, the more I risk alienating people, but I'm openly gay, and that's worked out okay...so now I'm openly vegan, and I will do everything I can to help."

Here's me with Clyde, the lovably rambunctious canine celebrity from Marley and Me.

Jorja Fox of CSI fame has been voted sexiest vegetarian by PETA. She plays forensic scientist Sarah Sidle on the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

Animal lover Marg Helgenberger is also of CSI fame, and plays Catherine Willows.

Just a few of Jennifer Coolidge's best-known parts include roles in Legally Blonde, American Pie, Best in Show and Waiting for Guffman. She's lent her star power to organizations such as Louisiana SPCA, PETA and Farm Sanctuary.

Oscar-winning actor James Cromwell became a vegetarian in 1974 after visiting a Texas stockyard and witnessing the "smell, terror and anxiety."

Professional football player Jarrod Cooper volunteers with abused dogs at a San Francisco animal shelter.

Michael Vartan of Never Been Kissed and One Hour Photo is also known for his role as Michael Vaughn on the American television action drama Alias. He's also an avid animal lover.

Emmy-nominated Wendie Malick of TV comedy Just Shoot Me plays Nina Van Horn. She's a vegetarian and committed to animal welfare causes.

PETA member Emily Deschanel plays Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan in the crime drama Bones. She's a vegan and an animal rights advocate.

Ellen and Portia accept the Wyler award.

Above photos courtesy of Long Photography and HSUS

More to come…

The 2009 Genesis Awards ceremony was dedicated to ending the senseless slaughter of baby harp seals in Canada. I spoke with renowned British-born fashion photographer Nigel Barker of the reality TV show America's Next Top Model about his work out on the ice documenting the bloodshed. That story’s coming up, so stay tuned.

Photography courtesy of Nigel Barker.

Genesis Awards harness star power to save animals

Portia de Rossi and Ellen DeGeneres strut their stuff on the red carpet. Photo courtesy of HSUS.

When you make a career in show business, creating a fantasy becomes your reality.

But this past Saturday, it wasn't make-believe that took center stage at the 23rd annual Genesis Awards in Beverly Hills. Animal cruelty and neglect grabbed the spotlight when celebrities, directors, writers and producers were honored by the Humane Society of United States.

America's largest animal welfare organization handed out 20 awards for films, television programs and news stories that raised public awareness of animal issues. The biggest honor of the night went to Ellen DeGeneres and her partner Portia de Rossi, who accepted the Wyler Award together for spreading the word on the inhumane treatment of factory farm animals. DeGeneres spoke to viewers of her talk show about Proposition 2, which addresses the issue in California.

"This stuff haunts me now," DeGeneres said.

As the star-studded crowd began to arrive at the Beverly Hilton hotel, uninvited bystanders crowded against the velvet ropes with cameras in hand, hoping to get a glimpse of the noteworthy parading past on the red carpet. The eclectic crowd featured big-name stars mingling with hard-core animal activists.

But the most popular celebrity was one who strolled in on four legs, not two. It was Clyde, the dog who starred in the hit film Marley and Me with Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson. He stood to the side of the red carpet and enthusiastically greeted everyone who walked by, even giving my face a friendly lick when I kneeled down to pet him. It was better than an autograph.

This was my second year attending the event that's held in the same massive ballroom used to host the Golden Globes. Guests nibbled on a delectable vegan meal of artichoke salad, tasty soy protein with black rice, and a rich chocolate mousse dessert.

"I called myself an animal lover, and I ate them," DeGeneres told the crowd. "It really is so much easier to say, ‘I can't think about it - I don't want to know about it - it's horrible' - and when we finally took the time to force ourselves to look at the reality of the lives of these poor animals, you can't ignore it. You can't say, ‘Yeah, but I want a cheeseburger so badly. I don't want to look at that."

The footage that rolled as the nominees were announced was gut-wrenching to watch. At every table, tears flowed down perfectly coiffed cheeks. Some guests had to step out when the images got to be too much.

The clips spared no tender hearts. A has-been racehorse was killed at a slaughterhouse. The tape cut to another that lay dying in the mud. Abused elephants were beaten and chained until they performed tricks for a circus crowd. A whale was massacred in the ocean, its blood staining the seawater bright red. Factory farmed pigs and chickens were miserably crowded into tiny cages, unable to enjoy basic behaviors like standing up or spreading their wings.

DeGeneres wasn't the only talk show queen to win a prize for speaking out against the atrocities. The Oprah Winfrey Show also garnered an award, picking up the outstanding talk show accolade for reports on factory farming, puppy mills and dog fighting. Another big win was for Walt Disney Pictures' Bolt, in the feature film category. The Academy-Award nominated movie reveals the sad truth about the fate of abandoned cats and dogs. For the fifth time, Fox picked up the Sid Caesar comedy award for The Simpsons, which recognized them for a show that painted a bleak perspective on the horrors of factory farming. ABC TV's Grey's Anatomy won best drama for an episode that discussed the ethics of using live animals in medical research.

News outlets were also honored. ABC News took home the TV newsmagazine national prize for 20/20. World News With Charles Gibson won for a national news feature. HBO's Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel received the national newsmagazine cable award.

Among the print journalism winners were USA Today for a series of newspaper articles, and the magazines Sports Illustrated and Newsweek were also recognized.

Animal activists are accustomed to being abused and misunderstood for their viewpoints. But it was evident that among this crowd, being kind to animals was ultra-cool. Celebrity chic, in fact. Ellen herself embraced the title.

"The more labels I add to myself, the more I risk alienating people, but I'm openly gay, and that's worked out okay...so now I'm openly vegan, and I will do everything I can to help."

Here's me with Clyde, the lovably rambunctious canine celebrity from Marley and Me.

Jorja Fox of CSI fame has been voted sexiest vegetarian by PETA. She plays forensic scientist Sarah Sidle on the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

Animal lover Marg Helgenberger is also of CSI fame, and plays Catherine Willows.

Just a few of Jennifer Coolidge's best-known parts include roles in Legally Blonde, American Pie, Best in Show and Waiting for Guffman. She's lent her star power to organizations such as Louisiana SPCA, PETA and Farm Sanctuary.

Oscar-winning actor James Cromwell became a vegetarian in 1974 after visiting a Texas stockyard and witnessing the "smell, terror and anxiety."

Professional football player Jarrod Cooper volunteers with abused dogs at a San Francisco animal shelter.

Michael Vartan of Never Been Kissed and One Hour Photo is also known for his role as Michael Vaughn on the American television action drama Alias. He's also an avid animal lover.

Emmy-nominated Wendie Malick of TV comedy Just Shoot Me plays Nina Van Horn. She's a vegetarian and committed to animal welfare causes.

PETA member Emily Deschanel plays Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan in the crime drama Bones. She's a vegan and an animal rights advocate.

Ellen and Portia accept the Wyler award.

Above photos courtesy of Long Photography and HSUS

More to come…

The 2009 Genesis Awards ceremony was dedicated to ending the senseless slaughter of baby harp seals in Canada. I spoke with renowned British-born fashion photographer Nigel Barker of the reality TV show America's Next Top Model about his work out on the ice documenting the bloodshed. That story’s coming up, so stay tuned.

Photography courtesy of Nigel Barker.

A bird's eye view

The second little bird flew off when I pulled out my camera and started snapping photos. But she hovered nearby protecting the nest.

I was picking up my rental car at the Budget Fastbreak drop-off station near Los Angeles International Airport when I spotted two little birds tending to their nest in the rafters. I stopped and watched their activities for almost an hour. I wondered: what motivated them to pick such a high-traffic location to raise their precious babies?

I'm tempted to make a Budget -- or is it Budgie? -- joke. But I'll restrain myself.

Louisiana's lead ACO weighs in on Hollywood

LA SPCA's Kathryn Destreza gives this shelter dog a big smooch.

It seems not all animal control officers are as angry as I am about the way Hollywood portrays them.

Earlier I posted an entry about the subject (Hollywood depicts ACOs as the bad guys again, March 18, 2009).

So I was surprised when I received the following note from Kathryn Destreza, director of humane law enforcement for the Louisiana SPCA. Rather than pointing fingers at the entertainment industry, she's turned the blame back on those ACOs who fuel the negative images. That's what I call big-picture thinking. No wonder she's garnered so much respect in the field.

A COOL KAT SPEAKS OUT

"Although I have not seen Hotel For Dogs, I have seen Turner and Hooch, Man's Best Friend, and other movies where animal control officers are depicted as over-confident, or bumbling idiots who don't seem to know one end of a snare pole from the other.

As a professional in the field for more than 17 years, I am asked if I get angry when I see that. Honestly, not really. Because I know the people I have the honor to work with in this field, and I take comfort in knowing how professional we have become. This field is light years from where it was when I started, and we are striving to become even better. Our communities see this too.

On the other hand, there are people in the animal control field that could be better ambassadors for us. That's the reality of any profession. And those people make me angry because they are real, and they have affected the lives of some family or some animal in a negative way. Instead of changing Hollywood's portrayal of us, let's change the percentage of us that still put that image out there."

- Kathryn Destreza, director of humane law enforcement and chief humane officer for the Louisiana SPCA

Puppy love

Does anyone know a human being who could offer this kind of warm and fuzzy comfort?

Birds fly circles around human pilots

Yesterday I was driving along the freeway when a flock of about 30 birds appeared to follow my trail. I watched them playfully dip and swoop across the sky in perfect formation, like an expertly trained pack of Canadian Forces Snowbird Tudor jets.

The birds' instinctive, playful display takes years for the most talented human pilots to perform. And the results are still less than perfect if you consider the proliferation of air-show accidents.

We pay money to gaze in awe at the stunts performed by our best pilots. But hunters don't think twice about picking up rifles to shoot birds out of the sky. Instead of cutting down these majestic creatures in flight, shouldn't we just stand back and watch the free show?

The Littlest Hobo hits the road again

Hobo director Allan Eastman is even more dedicated to travelling than the famous TV dog. Submitted photo.

Maybe tomorrow, he'll want to settle down
Until tomorrow, he'll just keep moving on...
-- lyrics from The Littlest Hobo theme song

Ask any Canadian older than 30 about The Littlest Hobo television series and you will get an instant reaction. Memories will flow for the wonder dog who played the starring role. His intelligence and bravery will be recalled with wonder and affection.

The wildly popular family show -- one of the first to cast an animal in its lead part -- featured a German shepherd character who travelled from place to place helping people in trouble. He was the orphan version of Lassie.
For more than a decade, I've had the lyrics from the theme song Maybe Tomorrow pinned to my corkboard. Littlest Hobo validates the animal heroics I've witnessed. You need only mention that title to a group of animal rescuers and you'll get an impromptu, rousing rendition of the song made famous by the show.
So you can imagine my thrill at meeting the man who directed Hobo's action on set. From 1979 to 1983, Allan Eastman directed 44 episodes in the series. The former Winnipegger's laudable directing career includes gigs on shows like Star Trek: Voyager, Deep Space 9, and Outer Limits. He's worked with iconic talents such as Christopher Plummer, Hugh Grant and Kiefer Sutherland.

Over dinner in Vancouver last week, he told me the behind-the-scenes story of The Littlest Hobo's antics. It turns out that the carousing production crew wasn't what you would expect for a show aimed at families with small children.

"We were young up-and-comers. Never has wholesome family entertainment been done by such a group of degenerates," Eastman joked. "It was sex, dogs and rock and roll."

But that wasn't the only reason I was fascinated.

For the director, life has imitated art. Eastman has turned into something of a Littlest Hobo himself. The 60-year-old recently realized his lifelong dream to travel full time. He's left the comfort of his villa in Croatia and his home in Toronto to visit 110 countries, looping around the world three times. His odyssey spawned a book called Tickets, Money, Passport...Around the World and Then Some. It documents what happens when someone decides to trade the structure of home for a life on the road, devoting years towards adventure and meeting new people.

Just like Hobo did.

Hobo was always a lone wolf. At the end of each episode, the people he'd helped tried to adopt him, but Hobo had his own plans. He'd take to the open road, nosing out his next adventure.

In reality, there were several Hobos who played the part billed as "London" in the star credits. Dogs came and went on the set according to age and ability. A pack of five dogs nearly identical in appearance shared the spotlight. But like a mother and her twins, the cast and crew could easily discern which dog was who, Eastman said.
There was one London, but there was also Toro and Lance, and more than one Bo and Hobo. They had their own trailer, and were kept by Chuck Eisenmann, who was their breeder, guardian and trainer.

"There would always be a star dog who would get most of the scenes," Eastman said. "He would be experienced, about eight years old. There was an older patriarch who kept the others in line. And the other three young dogs would do all the running and jumping, all the fast-action shots."

Eisenmann taught the dogs to understand English at the level of an eight-year-old child. "It was amazing to watch. You kind of wish you could give commands to [human] actors the same way we did with the dogs."
Hobo was a magical creature to viewers who tuned in regularly to see what destination and dilemma awaited the dog next -- the circus, the docks, the air force. Parents enjoyed the storylines. And kids had mad love for the dogs.

"We'd have a gallery of the public watching us shoot, and the kids just went bananas. You didn't even really have to do anything for the kids, because they just went nuts for the dogs."

Tapings were mostly done in rural areas surrounding Toronto, but the sheer variety of the storylines fostered a diverse learning ground that created career magic, too. "Every week, we went into a whole new situation. I learned such a huge bag of tricks on that show.
"It was one of the great learning experiences of my career."
For the moment, Eastman has traded his director's bag of tricks for his travel bags.

Maybe tomorrow, he'll want to settle down.

Until tomorrow, he'll just keep moving on.

Hollywood depicts ACOs as the bad guys again

Whatcom Humane Society ACO Paul Evans enjoys a breath of fresh air with a shelter dog he adores.

A fast-moving film plot needs a villain. And when the story revolves around animals, there's an easy target.

Animal control officers are consistently cast to play that part.

ACOs are convenient scapegoats. It's true that every profession faces the critical eye of art sometimes. But has there ever been a positive portrayal of the work done by ACOs, who are on the front lines saving animals from heartbreaking circumstances?

Lady and the Tramp. Shaggy D.A. And now the latest film sensation, Hotel for Dogs. In each, ACOs are portrayed as "blundering villains who are awkwardly incompetent and enthusiastically sadistic in their treatment of canines," says Mark Kumpf, president of the National Animal Control Officers Association based in Kansas.

I've ridden along with ACOs many times in a multitude of communities. Watching them at work, I saw that they aren't just "dog catchers" -- they are first responders just like police, fire and ambulance workers. In California, for example, ACOs are required by law to report cases of child abuse when they encounter them. Abused animals often indicate that children in the home might be in trouble, too.

Penny Cistaro is now the executive director of Whatcom Humane Society in northern Washington State. But when she started out in animal sheltering 30 years ago, her career began as an ACO.

What she saw out there still haunts her.

And while all animal rescuers are exposed to stomach-turning images of cruelty and neglect, ACOs see much more than most because they arrive on the scene first.

This past summer, I interviewed an ACO who had just attended the scene of a head-on collision. One of the drivers, a woman on her way out to celebrate her 30th birthday, had her two dogs in the car with her. An ambulance took the woman to hospital. And ACOs were tasked with saving her dogs. One of the dogs died in his rescuer's arms on the way to the shelter.

As a society, we are all responsible for the epic pet overpopulation crisis. Villianizing the people who have dedicated their careers to being part of the solution doesn't make sense.

Yes, it's just a movie. But it's no fun being constantly belittled on the big screen for doing difficult and heroic work that you pour your heart and soul into. No wonder the burnout rate is outrageously high. Leaving the job before the first year is up isn't uncommon.

Isn't it time we give ACOs the respect they deserve?

Now that would be a happy Hollywood ending.

Kathryn Destreza, Louisiana SPCA's director of humane law enforcement, romps in the shelter yard with a rambunctious pit bull.

Animal control officers fight back in this editorial

By Mark Kumpf

The quintessential negative depiction of the "dog catcher" in American movies and television has once again been cast in the film Hotel for Dogs. Following the cinematic tradition of Shaggy D.A. and Lady and the Tramp, animal control officers are portrayed as film antagonists: blundering villains who are awkwardly incompetent and enthusiastically sadistic in their treatment of canines.

While those associated with the film should be lauded for their off-screen efforts to promote proper dog care, nutrition, exercise and the adoption of homeless animals, the unfortunate typecasting of animal control officers in film continues to be an affront to the thousands of professionals across the country dedicated to promoting ethical and responsible animal care and ownership.

The National Animal Control Association (NACA) was established in 1978 as an independent, nonprofit organization fostering the highest standards of professionalism in the practice of animal control. As the primary professional association for animal control practitioners, NACA members participate in extensive instructional programs with the goal of improving their knowledge and skills in order to protect the animals and the communities
they serve.

Each day, our membership of 3,400 animal control officers, agencies and affiliated state members are at work in urban and rural communities across the country. These hardworking professionals are responsible for transporting a significant percentage of the estimated six to eight million cats and dogs entering shelters every year. Often they also care for and treat them.

Between 600,000 and 750,000 of these animals (nearly 30% of dogs) are reunited with their families annually, and approximately half are adopted from the more than 5,000 shelters operating across the country. And that is thanks partly to animal control officers. They are also called upon to safely and compassionately euthanize tens of thousands of dogs, cats and other animals too injured, sick or aggressive to be adopted. Or in the most unfortunate circumstances, such as space and budgetary constraints.

Animal control officers investigate thousands of animal cruelty cases and are often called upon to testify in court. They perform their duties and protect the public. Sometimes that comes at great personal risk, whether attempting to free a terrified trapped pet, facing a wild, diseased animal or rescuing animals from abusive and neglectful environments. Officers have been threatened, injured and even killed in the line of duty, shuttering puppy mills, investigating cases of animal cruelty, and prosecuting organizers of dog fighting and blood sports.

The cinematic adaptation of Lois Duncan's 1971 book Hotel for Dogs is certainly entertaining to young audiences. What dog lover wouldn't love to imagine himself as the keeper of an inn for canines, a "Dalmatian plantation", or a similar facility based on breed of preference? However, NACA encourages adults to explain to young moviegoers that the film's "dog catchers" are a slanderous portrayal of the highly trained, compassionate and professional animal control officers patrolling our streets to rescue animals in need.


Mark Kumpf
President
National Animal Control Officers Association
http://www.nacanet.org

Mark Kumpf is also the Director of Montgomery County, Ohio's Animal Resource Center.

Happy birthday to a little Bunny who is being nursed back to health

In January, I told you the story of Bunny, a New Orleans animal rescuer who was shot in the face by her landlord in a parking lot. The crime was sinister and puzzling.
Here are the links to the original stories:
Update on rescuer shot recently -- she's home! January 18, 2009
Animal rescuer shot in the face, January 13, 2009

Many of you have asked about Bunny, wondering how her recovery has been going.

Her sister-in-law Shelly Patton has an update:

I spoke with Bunny. It’s her birthday today. She’s 61. A young 61. I learned she has three cats. I don’t know why I hadn’t remembered that. She had five cats when Hurricane Katrina hit. Bunny spoke fondly of her old girl, whom she lost a year ago January. She was 26 years old, an amazing life span for a cat.

Physically Bunny couldn’t be doing better. She is healing rapidly. Several bullet fragments that had lodged in her cheek had to be removed because of infection. She has several more surgeries in her future, but she is handling it all Bunny Style, with courage and optimism.

Now that her jaw is unwired, she can eat soft food. She can’t chew, but that is preferable to a liquid diet. As I was on the phone with her, she was eating the contents of a can of tuna. Every few minutes she was shooing one of her three cats away. It was comical listening to her plead with them to leave her alone. Being surrounded by love brings little irritations as well as wonderful blessings. Bunny loves her ferrets and her cats, gladly paying any price necessary to have them close. I never asked if she shared her tuna with them, but I’m sure she did.

Although she’s doing remarkably well physically, Bunny still struggles emotionally. The emotional toll is the hardest part of this whole ordeal. She stays busy from early morning until late at night, not giving herself time to think about what happened. But images and sounds flash through her mind in unexpected places, at unexpected times, causing panic and anxiety to grip her heart.

Last week, an errand took her to the street were she was shot. She hadn’t been thinking about the shooting until the memories flooded her in that instant. Before she could go into the building, she had to calm her pounding heart and slow her breathing. A cold sweat formed on her forehead. But Bunny wasn’t about to let anxiety rule her. It was important to continue with some semblance of normality, and she did. That’s what she does. She continues to move forward regardless of the obstacles, no matter the fear.

Bunny told me it is easier to cope because the man who shot her is still in jail. With any luck, he will never get out. Without luck, he should be behind bars for a good ten years.

Animals are always there when you need them...can you say the same for humans?

Thanks to these precious models from Old Dog Haven for participating in this visual commentary. Their grassy stylings prove that the wisdom of age trumps the beauty of youth.

Quote of the day

What makes human beings want to exploit, dominate and consume the animal kingdom instead of co-existing peacefully with our furred and feathered friends who share our planet?

In his enlightened book An Unnatural Order, author Jim Mason explores this issue with persuasive, intelligent prose. This quote was so poignant and on point that I felt compelled to share it with you.

"Animals have been regarded as property for way too long. It's high time we took on a more loving and responsible relationship with our kindred beings in the web of life on this beautiful planet. I always think and act as a guardian towards my kindred beings, never as their owner."