Last night, I received an E-mail from my dear friend, Carole, regarding a
cat named Roni who was on "death row" at an animal shelter in Los Angeles. Roni
was scheduled to be euthanized today (10/16) and when I saw the E-mail, I swung
into action.
First, I called the shelter in LA to make certain Roni was still there and
still alive. The answer was "yes" to both of my questions. I told the lady
that I spoke with not to euth the cat, that I was going to do everything in my
power to get him saved. She informed me that his time was up at 5 PM Pacific
Time on Friday, 10/16.
I immediately began posting Roni's sad story and urgent pleas for help on
social networking sites, like MySpace, Facebook and Twitter. So many people
responded by reposting my posts and trying to help. My heart always feels good
when I witness the compassion, generosity and humanity that dwells inside many
people.
Long story short, Roni was rescued within about an hour. I relayed the
joyful news all across the networking sites and, together, we celebrated Roni's
rescue. Perhaps it's a small victory, considering that millions of animals die
in shelters every year, but I focused on the fact that RONI IS ALIVE AND GETTING
A NEW, FOREVER HOME!
This morning, I noticed a comment left for me on one of the networking
sites. It read:
So, the person that adopted the cat, did so because of your message Chip?
Just curious.
I was a bit troubled by that comment. Did the person who left it think
that I was trying to take all the credit for Roni's rescue? Patting myself on
the back and playing the hero? Or was he/she truly "just curious" and happy
that Roni's life was saved?
I have a deep and abiding love for animals. I assist with animal rescue
and advocacy as often as my schedule will allow. I particularly focus on "at
risk" animals ... those who are in crisis or are slated to be put to death in
the near-future.
But I am just one person. Sometimes, it takes many people to bring about a
happy ending. And the "ending" for Roni was happy. In reality, the cat got a
reprieve and a new beginning. Praise God!
I didn't save Roni. WE ALL DID! Our collective love of animals and our
respect for life did it. Did my messages on social networking sites help to
make this possible? I pray to God that they did, but do I know for sure that it
happened because of those posts? No, I do not.
What I do know is this: I didn't sit idly by and let Roni be euthanized.
And neither did many of you. We did what we could in a communal effort to spare
his life. And WE succeeded! WE ALL SUCCEEDED BECAUSE RONI IS ALIVE TODAY AND
HE WILL BE ALIVE THROUGHOUT MANY TOMORROWS!
In the future, you will undoubtedly see many more cries for help
coming from me. I'll be asking for prayers for those in need. I'll be begging
you to help animals or children or senior citizens who need our help. And I'll
do so because I care and I try to do whatever I can, even in small ways, to make
this old world a better place.
To say that I love everyone whose heart was touched by Roni's story would
be a vast understatement. Thank you for helping to save his life. If you have
the resources and the love available to adopt an animal whose life is in
jeopardy at an animal shelter, please do so. TODAY! Before time runs
out...
May God continue to bless us all. ^i^