Life

I received an e-mail today asking for donations to the Atlanta Humane Society. The story, found here, is about a dog that someone set on fire and the Atlanta Human Society has helped to rescue it. They are asking for donations to help cover the more than $6,500 in expenses to save this dog.

I am torn by this request. No doubt, we have a responsibility to protect and nurture all life - no matter the species, ethnicity or the stage. But it is extremely sad to me that people will donate $6,500 to help a dog and not donate that same money to help one another. At what point did we start cherishing a dog's life more than our own?

Maybe we've become callous. After all, there are many human rights atrocities happening around the world, from Darfur to China to the homeless on our own neighborhood streets. We see it all the time and have become desensitized...but we are still compassionate people and so our hearts - and wallets - turn to animals who are abused and neglected.

Or maybe we don't see humans as "innocent" and feel that the less fortunate may have caused their situations through their own actions. Or that they will use our money for something other than good. Or that they are just not good people.

Or maybe it's too uncomfortable to help those who are less fortunate. We feel somewhat ashamed of our own fortune and lifestyle and can't quite look those others in the eye. It's easier to help someone who won't judge us or cause us to feel guilty of our lifestyle.

But regardless of what we feel or what we think, we need to care as a society. We hve a responsibility to protect all life, yes. But that does not mean we get to choose which kind of life we protect. Perhaps if we had a respect for human life, that would trickle down to having a respect for animals and for the earth. We are all interconnected and so if we are going to give money to save a dog, then we should also do what we can to save a human, to save a tree.

Spending $6,500 on a dog is a sin when there is someone in our own community who could use that money to feed their family, pay their heating bills, to get back on their feet.

...and an arrival of our own

Scott and I adopted our first dog, Deacon! We rescued him from a wonderful shelter, Saving Grace, and it was one of those things where I never expected to come home with him. He's part poodle and part bichon frise (I know what you're thinking), but he is super sweet and very spunky.

These past few weeks, he's been sick, so it's been a bit eye-opening to understand the money and care needed to go into a pet, but we think he's finally on the mend and his old personality is shining through!

We're excited to add little Deacon to our family! And yes, he's named Deacon because of the Demon Deacons. He may not be winning any NCAA championship titles, but he is one of the smartest breeds out there, so we think the name is entirely appropriate!

Four dog night

Perhaps as a reaction to all the baby-fever going on, Scott and I have decided to adopt a dog. We've opted not for a pedigree, but for a rescued dog. So we've been visiting a few pounds and shelters and seeing what might be the best fit for us.

We came upon an organization in Wake Forest, NC that houses several strays and abandoned dogs and found four dogs on their website that we'd like to meet. So we filled out an application and e-mailed it in. That was four days ago. No word yet.

According to the website, they will review your application and then get back to you within a week to schedule an appointment to come see the dogs. If you don't hear from them in a week, then you can assume that your appliation has been denied. Since it's now been four days without a peep, I'm thinking that we may have been denied.

What's crazy about this is that we're not asking to adopt a child, for which an application and background check would be entirely appropriate. We are asking to adopt a dog. Who used to live on a street. Who has no home. And is a dog. Come on, people.

Where I work, there are several homeless people who stand on the corner, asking for money. Last summer, one of the homeless men found a stray dog and took it in as his own. When you passed by this man, you could tell that he truly cared for this dog and treated him like a companion. He would give it water and he propped up an umbrella to keep the dog shaded. You would see him petting the dog and showing it affection.

A few days later, we heard on the news that a couple came by and took his dog from him because they felt sorry for the dog. They didn't think that it was right that a dog should live under those conditions. I would see this man for days afterwards, with a sign asking for his dog back. There are two things that irked me - and still do - about this story.

First, someone stole something from this man. I don't care who this couple was, or that the dog's owner was homeless - no one has the right to steal anything from anyone. The dog wasn't abused or in danger. He had become someone's pet. The man is homeless - at least let him have his dignity and companionship.

Second, the couple saved a dog, but didn't do anything to help this homeless man. The couple felt sorry enough for a dog to "rescue" it, but didn't feel sorry enough for a human being to rescue him. Did they give this man money or food or bring him to a shelter? No. But they did for the dog.

What kind of society have we become, when we value the life of a dog over that of our own species?

It's a doggy-dog world

My local Starbucks is running two donation drives.

Donation #1: For our troops - donate a pound of your favorite Starbucks coffee (or donate a box of tea) to help caffeinate the troops. As a special treat, you can write a message to the troops on the bag. This donation has been running for about three months now, and there are 6 bags of coffee and one box of tea in the donation basket.

Donation #2: For the Orange County Animal Shelter - donate any items (food, toys, grooming products, etc) for the animal shelter. As a special treat, when you make a donation, you're entered into a raffle to win a (1) free Starbucks drink. This donation has been running for about two weeks and there are three baskets overflowing with doggy items.

It seems a little sad that the dogs get all the love and our troops get a few measly pounds of coffee. I was talking to the barista about this and she thought it had something to do with the fact that the pound of coffee costs about $10 and a dog toy could be purchased for about $1.

I hope that's the case...I'd hate to think that we value our dogs more than we do each other.