Dogs Included

I’ve begun working with a group of about 10 students on the development of a service learning project. It appears that this semester’s  identified cause will revolve around animal protection and care. This was not my selection but I thought, “Hey, it’s not about me.”  I was hoping they would choose a project around Peace, as the previous group had done. The world needs Peace (Inner peace, Non-violence, Equality, and Freedom). My attitude was that we don’t have time to focus on animals when people are hurting, dying on the streets, being treated unfairly and bound with all sorts of addictions. Once again I had to remind myself that it wasn’t about me.

Knowing that animal protection was not my specialty, I contacted the Louisiana SPCA and one of their community outreach coordinators came out and make a presentation. By the end of the presentation, I received a better appreciation for the importance of their work and my attitude about this project began to shift. Maybe our community could benefit from a little more attention to the needs of our four-legged friends.

I’ll leave it up to the students to develop their plan to make a difference in the plight of animal endangerment but I have to share one heart-wrenching statistic. Over 400 dogs are dropped off at the shelter in Algiers EVERY MONTH. Over a fourth of them don’t make it out.  If they could speak, they would have their own stories to share. The things that they witnessed and the human interactions they encountered are varied but they all find themselves in the same predicament.

It has been said that dogs are a man’s best friend. Would they say that about man. I believe the way a society treats animals is another reflection of the condition of its humanity. Dog’s can be a blessing to man when they are properly cared for. Let us all become more aware of the state of animal care and safety in our community. Maybe in doing so, we would notice a difference in our care for one another as well.

I will keep you informed of the development of the service project. Your help might be called upon in some way. Working together we can all make a difference in the symbiotic relationship between man and the rest of God’s creation. [Dogs included]