March 2, 2010 @ 8:32 pm
Beautiful Awakening
Northwest Arkansas Animal Rescue, Lowell, AR (12)
Interestingly enough, today I was the “Recovery Girl” for a spay and neuter clinic. What exactly does this mean? Well, after one person sedates the animal, another shaves any necessary body parts, and Dr. Harper, the
on-sight volunteer Vet, cuts the lower regions of the cat or dog to either spay or neuter him or her, the Recovery Girl, a.k.a me, is in charge of looking after them during their recovery. This was yet another occasion where I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect, and I had no idea just how much fun I was about to have.
So I’m definitely not the kind of girl into blood, gore, or dead bodies-human or animal. I mean I really like watching it at the movies and all, but nothing real. When I was in the seventh grade, I remember Mrs. Bellis-Jones taking me outside of the classroom to make sure I’d be okay handling a dead fish during a science project. Somehow I managed that day, but you can imagine the look on my face when I arrived at this facility to find a cat, clearly knocked out, but with a small slit in her lower abdomen, with what appeared to be strings seeping out of her stomach. Obviously I’m not a Veterinarian and I don’t know the technical terms here, so bare with me. As I tried to overt my eyes, Dr. Harper talked to me about working in Denver, his time at LSU and the importance of what we were doing. Each minute or so I would glance at the table below, and at first, the red ooze really bothered me. Soon after however, I was walking around as if I was Doogie Howser himself (but female).
As the day moved along, and Tom Petty declared that indeed, “She’s a good girl, loves her mama, loves Jesus and America too,” I placed cats and dogs beside one another and made sure they stayed warm. I touched my hand to each head, and watched chests move up and down to ensure all were still with us. I stroked their soft coats, and as eyes fluttered, I wondered when they would wake. Minutes passed for some, for others, it seemed like hours, and then slowly but surely, paws started to move, heads began to raise, and they woke with a look of utter confusion. With a soft voice, I assured them that the pain they were feeling would soon end, and it would save them from much hurt and heartache in the future (Yes, this is absolutely how I speak to the four-legged ones). They seemed to understand quite well, and I continued to try and comfort them. Some shivered so I held them tightly. Some acted as if they were about to get sick, so I held their heads as my mom held me.
Obviously these cats and dogs won’t control themselves from mating with numerous partners. I advocate spaying and neutering strictly to end the suffering these animals will inevitably experience. With overpopulation, they’re either forced into shelters, abused, or live on the streets with no certainty of where they’ll find their next meal. However, for those skeptical of the importance of this cause, imagine the benefits communities would receive by decreasing the number of homeless animals-less diseases spread, fewer shelters increasing monies and efforts elsewhere, and then there’s always the overall safer feel of an area with less questionable creatures roaming around.
Though working with the animals at MaxFund was an incredibly rewarding experience, I was happy to be a part of the solution here in Arkansas. You see, after some quick addition, the people with whom I worked today were able to determine that a cat, with its mate, is able to produce (through children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc.), roughly 3,000 other beings. Each operation today, prevented the problems before they ever began. Isn’t it amazing? Can you imagine what problems could be solved, if we truly focused on preventing them versus just dealing?
I love being with animals. It’s simple with them. No grey, just black and white. If they’re happy, they lick, wag and jump. If they aren’t, they hiss or bite. Inevitably however, they always come back to that happiness. Often they teach us, more than we teach one another, that being loved and showing love is what’s most important in this lifetime. I feel so blessed to be one who truly recognizes this, and sees the incredible value of these beautiful creatures. I yearn to be as understanding and forgiving as these gentle beings. I haven’t learned fully just yet, but I keep trying, and I think I get a bit better everyday.
