Thursday, January 27, 2011

The Animal Alliance: Eyes on the Prize

Yesterday was a test. I finally made a decision to take Paris Hilton to the avian vet. For birds, this is a huge decision. I was not only concerned with allopathic treatment, but taking a sickly parakeet to the hospital is extremely stressful. When a bird is showing signs of weakness and frailty, a simple trip to the vet can do more harm than good.

I decided to take Valentina, Paris's cagemate and best friend. For over a month, Valentina has been feeding and caring for Paris. I initially became concerned when Paris has watery droppings and began fluffing out his feathers. I studied several homeopathy sources and gave Paris veratrum 30c which immediately firmed the droppings. However, he still remained quiet and feathers ruffled. He quit flying and although not completely lethargic, certainly no longer active as he'd previously been.

I made an appointment and took Paris yesterday to the avian vet. He had to stay all day to receive fluids and have x-rays. They allowed Valentina to stay there with him. This was comforting for her and well as for Paris. I got a call to pick them up around 6 p.m. The doctor had found a small spot in the x-ray on Paris's liver. I had suspected liver and not from any great detective work on my own, but I'd asked Paris to let me know what was bothering him. When birds act this disturbed, it's often serious as in the wild, any sign of weakness or illness will signal a predator. I was scared and didn't know what to do.

In my feeble attempts to find out on my own what was going on with Paris, I kept being diverted to liver. When I would look up homeopathic remedies and note his symptoms, liver ailment and disease would keep popping up. I've learned to trust these 'coincidences' over the years. I know it's Paris' way of telling me what is wrong with him. In his way, he must be as careful with me as he is being careful disclosing his ailment to predators. Were his symptoms to be misdiagnosed, his health and wellbeing could be compromised. Caution and intuition is the key.

It also helps to remain calm and remember to let go of all the anger. This is hard when one of our rescue dogs is mistakenly at Oakland Animal Services and we cannot seem to get her out of there. Suzie is suffering from demodex which is complicated and amplified by stress. I can't think of a more stressful place than a dog pound for a dog with all that clanging and banging. After speaking with the counter person today, I'm sure Suzie is debilitating in that environment.

The counter person was rude and passive aggressive on the phone. Certainly, Oakland Animal Services can use the kennel space occupied by our dog for another needy animal. Suzie has a rescue and place to go. This is a huge waste of time and energy...the problem with most shelters we deal with. It seems people like counter person Vera think being difficult and condescending with volunteer rescue organizations is a perk of the job.

Turquoise today...eyes on the prize
Back to trying to breathe and let go of the anger for the sake of the animals. We are trying to arrange a transport for Benny today. He is due to leave Mendocino tomorrow with Patti by car. There is a long shot chance for him to ride along with a person traveling from Tuscon to San Antonio where I'll pick him up and bring him back to Austin. I'll need all my spiritual ducks in a row to help make this happen. I'll need the ducks to help me with Paris and to keep letting all these outside stresses go.

Again, I have to feel sorry for the people who obviously have no regard for animals and their welfare. I am lucky to have the gift of all these animals in my life. They truly are the prize and today, I'll try and keep my eyes on the prize.



Monday, January 24, 2011

The Animal Alliance

Today, I'm starting my journal on the Animal Alliance. My own definition of the Animal Alliance is this. I believe there is a greater good, a universal truth at work. This is not of my own creation, but of information given me by the animals. I've only been given a tiny piece of it and this is for a couple of reasons. First being, I am just too human to get it. Not a behaviorist or a scientist, I'm not using correct terminology, however, I know what I'm supposed to know and that much I know for sure.

I read recently that writing a novel is like driving in the dark with your headlights on dim. That is how I'm being guided by the animals from one point to the next. Until I was perfectly ready to proceed in that fashion, to be guided rather than take the lead and go galloping off into the wild wonder, I was not receiving signals. In other words, I was unprepared to learn. Now, I am ready to discover my path and where it will lead.

Another part of my puzzle recently came from my friend, Clare. Clare is my guru. She very gently suggests  to me how to prepare for this journey. I've been getting signals, 'coincidences', all my life, but never knew fully what they meant. The repo man in the movie explained it best when he asked his friend, 'have you ever been driving along and thought of plate of shrimp, then see a billboard with a plate of shrimp?' That's a pretty trailer park explanation, but it gets the point across.

Even though I don't eat shrimp, I get the analogy. When I'm walking or working, doing what I'm supposed to do, a tiny thing might happen. I'll look at one of the animals here and perhaps think of a song that reminds me of them. Persia likes Waylon Jennings...not! Maybe I'll look at Persia and think how wonderful he is, healthy and inquisitive. Then that song or another quirky Persia song will come on the radio.

My best moments happen with songs and that's why Pit Bull Nation is full of song references. Albert Schweitzer wisely said, 'man can cure all ills with music and cats.' So true. When I'm soothed with music and song, I'm able to receive the messages I need to receive.

I see a million sad faces across my computer screen each day. We are living in a bloodbath as Kathleen H. says. I will see that one I think I might be able to reach out to. Two weeks ago it was Benny. I got something so strong from Benny.

In truth, Benny was literally at death's door. He had given up on life. He had no hope. I asked Clare to help. I asked if Benny could be sent a message to hang on one more day. I was asking a dog who had never known hope to try and believe. This dog had never known one day of kindness in his life. He was beaten and burned with cigarettes. He was living by eating what garbage he could find.

Two weeks later, Benny is something of a messiah. He has a blog and is living in a wonderful foster home with Patti and Raven. He is being treated homeopathically and with good healthy raw diet. Benny is a seer. He gets letters from all over the world. People walk down the road where Patti lives and call out to Benny. Imagine a being like Benny in the horror where he was? Imagine the types of individuals who are incapable of understanding an incredible creature like Benny.

Benny came into my life at a time when I was able to understand. Benny has given me the connection from rescuing animals to a greater, more universal phenomenon. To prepare, I've been advised to give up all hate, all anger. I couldn't see this at all. How can one not be angry at all of the wrong going on? I would agree, but secretly harbor that self-righteous fury I held against all of the wrongdoers who hurt animals. Until Benny, I couldn't see that I was part of the problem. Even knowing I was part of the problem was not enough.

What I needed to discover and what Benny is teaching me is a simple reality almost scientific in nature. If I am full of wrath, whether I'm right or wrong irrelevant, I cannot receive guidance to continue and be a part of this great truth. We are being advised from sage sources our planet and very existence is in danger. Without getting into world ecology and debate, I will simply note the certainty of that prediction. My own personal reality is my work cannot progress if I do not release this anger. To Benny, to myself and to all of the animals before and ahead, I would like to go on record today saying I release this anger. I am now ready to serve.



Sunday, January 23, 2011

John Wayne wannabe out to kill pit bulls


Ex-judge Cynthia Kent has decided to grab her black robe and step back into the ring. This time, she’s going after pit bulls. Kent’s decision making involves the guidance of her hero, John Wayne, whose portrait hung in her courtroom.

By-products of breed specific legislation
Kent retired from the bench in 2008 to join her husband’s law firm. The quiet life has proved too uneventful for her and unlike the dogs she hates who’ve retired from fighting, this gal seems to miss the frenzy.

A horrible mauling occurred involving Justin Clinton in June 2009. Rather than look for real solutions to prevent dog attacks, Kent saw this death as an opportunity to put herself in the limelight. She is working with the Clinton family to draft legislation which would make pit bull ownership in the state of Texas a federal crime. Owning the first American native dog breed would land a normally lawful citizen in jail.

Pit bulls have always attracted a negative element and their most recent opponent, Kent, is as formidable as Michal Vicks on a Saturday night at the dogfights. People like Kent who spew opinions disquised as fact are even more deadly and especially formidable when carrying a law degree even if that sheepskin came from South Texas College of Law.

The question is where Kent gets her statistics and her dog behavior experience? This woman might know law, but fact remains, she does not know dogs. Anyone who pushes such extreme hate-filled legislation like making pit bull ownership a felony is ignorant of both scientia caninus and breed specific legislation that has never worked and never will.

The real danger facing the country is not pit bulls, but legislators who are looking for fame in all the wrong places. This means you, Cynthia Kent. The criminal horror of dog mauling is unforgivable to which all pit bull lovers will agree, but the solution is not banning an entire breed. The answer will only be found in education and training.

If Cynthia Kent has her way, all of her state and our state’s beloved pets will be confiscated and destroyed. She’ll have her career and her old John Wayne movies, but thousands and thousands of innocent dogs will be slaughtered. How can fear based mass destruction be considered a sane fix?

When considering the amount of research and thought behind Kent's drastic measure, the pit bulls and their owners might stand a better chance in John Wayne's wild west when law came from the barrel of a gun.

An open Facebook group, Stop Justin's Law, has been formed by dog lovers who seek a rational solution to insane legislation.

Please send all pit bull stories and tips to doggirl1@earthlink.net



Continue reading on Examiner.com: Lady John Wayne comes out of retirement to kill pit bulls - Dallas Pitbull | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/pitbull-in-dallas/lady-john-wayne-comes-out-of-retirement-to-kill-pit-bulls-1#ixzz1BtmjD0MV