COMMENTARY: Rescuing animals is ‘God-given task’

Amy Forbus, May 5, 2010

PHOTO BY KARLA KIRBY Crystal is being cared for by Amy Forbus while she awaits an adoptive home.

By Amy Forbus
Staff Writer

I knew it had gotten serious when I received this message from a friend: “You’re my doggy connection. Friend from high school is moving back to Texas in the spring and wants a big dog. I told her I know the Harriet Tubman of big dogs.”

At that point, I had helped place a couple of dogs with people who were willing to love and care for them, and had just begun taking foster dogs into my own home. My exposure to what we had jokingly called “The Underpup Railroad” was growing.

Since December, I have pulled 11 dogs from the euthanasia lists of two shelters under the auspices of three different rescue organizations. Some dogs I’ve packed into the car and driven out of state, where another driver waited to take them on the next leg of the journey to foster homes. Others have stayed with me before moving to long-term foster or adoptive homes.

Since March, we have had Crystal, a pit bull terrier, and Pooh Bear, a border collie mix puppy, as our long-term foster dogs. (Why yes, my husband is a saint. How did you guess?)

After I’d learned the two were about to be euthanized, I spent the evening in an e-mail frenzy submitting all of the proper rescue paperwork. Early the next morning, I drove to my local city animal shelter and picked up Crystal and Pooh Bear on what would have been the last day of their lives. They had been kenneled together at the shelter and were already fast friends.

Challenges

The following days were not easy. We treated Pooh Bear for a bacterial infection, and when she got past that, we had her spayed. Crystal had already been spayed, but we are working on helping her overcome her shyness around new people and places.

The bills for vaccinations, surgeries, medications and kibble start to add up. Not to mention the cost of patching a hole in the carpet after we’d made the wrong call on whether a dog was ready to be left alone in a room.

But to us, it’s worth it because of the difference it makes.

Our own dogs, an Australian Cattle Dog and a shepherd/collie mix, aren’t exactly thrilled with these strange critters coming through their house. But they’ve learned to cope, and sometimes it even seems as though they understand what we’re doing.

Caring for creation

And as I see it, what we’re doing is a ministry. It’s an act of caring for God’s creation, just like the recycling we place by the curb and the composting and organic gardening we do in the backyard.

Countless generations ago, humans used the dominion God gave us to domesticate a species. That process left the species dependent upon us for their well-being. I choose to be one of the humans who accepts a caretaking role, believing that it’s a God-given assignment.

Last weekend, as a friend and I drove away from a shelter with five dogs in the back of the car, she expressed her sadness that we couldn’t save every animal there—especially Tildie, a black-and-tan shepherd mutt who had gotten our attention.

I told her that when I fret over not being able to save them all, I rely on a story that’s easily found on the Internet called “Parable of the Starfish.” The upshot: If you can make even a small difference, then make one.

Euthanization day at that shelter was the following Monday, and that sweet black-and-tan girl was on the list. But on Monday, my friend called the shelter. She made the difference for one more.

Welcome home, Tildie.