SAVING EMILY

Some days ago I came across this Facebook page: SAVING EMILY

Emily is a chow mix that was horrifyingly abused and malnourished, she is now adopted and fighting to survive. 

I see a lot of this on Facebook, too many mistreated dogs craving help and love and attention, too many examples of abuse and irresponsible owners. This is the thing that makes me furious: How on earth people are able to do such things. I know, it is no surprise, given what people are able to do to each other, but still.. We have created species that love us, trust us and rely on us, and this is what we do..

Then there are the things that do make me happy: That there are so many people that work so hard to take care of animals. They fight an uphill battle: For every dog - or any other animal - they save, there are hundreds perishing. But for the one animal they are saving, it means everything. So many people putting their hearts into it, spending their savings and pocket money, so many people donating to help other people help..

And then the most important thing that makes me happy: The animals!!

This is Emily now! I bet she is not feeling very well, but she is sleeping in a warm place, on a soft bed, and I think she must know that she can sleep safely there. I've seen stories of rescues that have come this far only to die, they have been too weak after all to survive. But then at least they felt a warm bed, a soft hand and a loving voice before they left.

I've seen videos of Emily taking food - you would imagine that she is so hungry that she would attack the hand of the one giving her food, but no - she takes it carefully, gently, and with a tiny little wag. 

For me, there is a grace, a hope, a trust and a dignity in how these dogs behave that is absolutely breathtaking. You would think that they have lost all their - what we would call - humanity. But it is still there - they fight to survive, but they fight with dignity! This is what our world should be built on..

I'll keep the blog updated on Emily and her progress - for all the dogs out there and all those that fight for small dogs.

And then I'll go and do what I almost always do after I have read stories like this: I'll go and give my own snoring dogs - both of them rescues - an extra good hug :)