Animal Rights

Animal Corner 

How do you think about animal rights? Should it be some sort of justice system where animals are treated fairly and painlessly like our human justice system…..let’s not go there! I have a concept that I’d like to put forth called the completeness of the universe perspective.
Creation has provided us with innumerable species of animals. I believe that anytime even one animal dies needlessly our universe is less complete than it was before.

• Who can match a raptor spotting a gopher’s head at thousands of feet in the sky?
• Who can match a black bear’s ability to smell a peanut butter and jelly sandwich a mile away?
• Who can look at you the way a dog can and tell you everything you need to know about him in the first couple of minutes?
• Who can make you feel totally insignificant the way a big cat can?

This list can go on for many pages, but you get the point. Without these animals in our lives our universe is much less complete.
So…..why are we taking wild animals’ habitat away from them? Why are we euthanizing millions of animals every year while we keep “designer mommies” in cages stacked three high without heat or fresh air? Is it about greed and lack of education….common causes for many problems on this planet?
You can get informed on the issues and take some action. It doesn’t take a lot of money. You can write letters. You can volunteer at a local shelter. You can foster animals until they find forever homes. Here are some websites that will help you support animal welfare:

• Humane Society (HSUS)
• Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA)
• Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF)

Words to Live by…

If you can start the day without caffeine,
If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,
If you can eat the same food everyday and be grateful for it,
If you can understand when your loved ones
are too busy to give you any time,
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,
If you can conquer tension without medical help,
If you can relax without alcohol,
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs….
THEN you are probably the family dog!

 

 

Greg Grebe, author of Animal Corner

a member of Peace

When first asked to write a few words about animals for our website I was very excited about the opportunity. When the first topic became animal rights I had to give it even more thought.
I’ve been an animal lover and observer for most of my life…. it comes from my dad. I used to fish and hunt quite a bit, so I know that killing an animal is not something to be taken lightly. They don’t bounce back like on some video game.
Currently I volunteer six days a month at Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) in Walnut Creek and have adopted out over 500 dogs to their forever guardians.

Read Greg’s article on…

• Animals as Leaders
• Make a Difference

Animal Blessing and Pet Festival

Join us for our annual St. Francis Blessing of the Animals Pet Festival.
Bring your well-behaved animals for individual pet blessings. Enter drawings for pet items and services. And, perhaps adopt a pet from one of our local adoption agencies present that day in support of animal welfare.
Pet Festival photos. For more information, contact our office at [email protected]