In order to know how to old a candlelight vigil, you first have to
understand the plight of the homeless animals. You have to imagine the
fear in their eyes as they wait to die. You have to imagine how it feels
to have a huge gush of water sprayed all over your cage to clean the
feces with out much care. They are left shivering in all kinds of
weather and they are scared. Yes, they could be your dog or cat that
wondered off your lawn one day and they could be waiting to die.
On August 15th, there will be many locations, around the world hosting
the International Homeless Animal's Day Candlelight Vigil. It is truly a
day that you must see. It is a day of life and a day of hope. It is a
day you will never, ever forget. It is a candlelight service for the
homeless animals and a day of memories of animals lost. Through this
article we will show you exactly how to hold a vigil of your own. There
will be an example at the end with step by step instructions.
Through this special observance, we hope to raise awareness of the
overpopulation problems all over the world. The day's activities will
include the lighting of the candles, adoptions, remembrance of the
animals, emotional speeches from veterinarians, local officials, nurses
and people who work in the actual shelters. There will be games, music,
concerts, dog walks, open houses, ear tagging, flea market booths and
more.
They are asking people and organizations to hold these vigils in honor
of thousands of homeless animals. The site does list locations all over
the world, where you can attend a vigil or celebration. It is extremely
easy to host a similar event in your town. Just go to their site and
register.
http://www.isaronline.org/ihad .html
Locations of the sites already planned all over the world.
http://www.isaronline.org/conf irmed_vigils_2009.html
ISAR (International Society for Animal Rights), first initiated this
Vigil back in 1992, 17 years ago. There main aim was to inform people of
the conditions inside the shelters and to show how many animals are
killed there each year. Since 1992 this has become a yearly vigil that
has been so successful that it is now spread overseas. ISAR is
requesting foreign participation from many countries, to continue their
crusade.
ISAR is inviting all animal lovers around the globe to go to their site
and light a virtual candle in memory of the homeless animals everywhere.
ISAR's virtual candle lighting is a very emotional experience, as you
remember a lost pet of yours or the plight of the homeless animals.
There are participants from all other the globe from America to India
and each one is sharing a personal experience with someone who cares.
http://www.isaronline.org/ihad .html
The plight of homeless animals is a cause that very few undertake, but
it is a cause the whole world should acknowledge. Animals are treated
badly and horribly in these shelters, as they wait to be executed with
no hope in sight. Maybe a fat dog or an ugly dog will never be saved,
but we as humans can help, one step at a time and one dollar at a time.
The candlelight vigil is to raise money, to have animals spayed and
neutered and all money goes to the cause of animals and not to line the
pockets of anyone.
There are vigils all over the world, from Canada to Africa, and each one
is special and individual. It is a cause we should be going to each
month, not once a year.
If you will go to this site and light a candle and invite someone to
come to our vigil, you will never forget this time and moment.
http://www.isaronline.org/ihad .html
Photo courtesy of Photobucket/SASHABEAR
I am not even sure how Tabitha came into our lives, but she was always there. I guess she is something like me, a pest and not admired by many, but a heart of gold. She was always hungry and always screaming. I was able to get her to calm down more, but she felt like she was always at war with the cats.
I remember when she first got pregnant. All the cats were attacking her and I went outside to help her and she hissed at me and ran away. This was a cruel way for any female cat to live and I often wonder why such a system was created. Male cats are insane when a female cat is in heat and even my dear sweet Mr. Ponchie is like a cobra snake ready to attack. He would not give up.
So she got pregnant and her baby died. She sad on that poor dead kitten trying to get it to nurse, but it never did. The second litter, not sure what happen there, but never saw one either. She would go to the neighbors begging for food and sometimes she succeeded and sometimes she just was turned away. She kind of grew on me as she was always there.
My cat Baby hated her with a passion and if Baby ever went outside, she would kill her. Baby would sit at the window hissing at her constantly. I would leave any food that was extra out on the door step for Tabby and no matter what time of the day I called, Tabby would come running. She was always grateful and would snuggle up to my leg hoping that someone would love her.
So everyday she would fight for the scraps left over that I was feeding Mr. Ponchie and she just was always there. The neighbors talked of giving Tabby away, but I thought that was not necessary as she had a room to sleep outside in.
Then yesterday, July 29th, 2011 I was getting ready to go to town to take care of some errands. I was passing by a dumpster on the way to catch a bus and there lay Tabby sleeping. I took my foot to nudge Tabby to get up and go home to sleep. Tabby lay very quiet and did not move. Her eyes were glassy looking. As I leaned down to pick her up, I noticed her body was a little stiff. Tabby was not sleeping, she was dead.
There was no blood or no marks from a car, Tabby just was not moving. I could not believe she was dead. I started yelling for the neighbors to come as Tabby was dead. I cried and cried. One neighbor tells me that Tabby had been hit by a car and went flying through the air. The driver stopped and kicker her to the side of the street and left her to die. Tabby was not gasping for breath, she must of died instantly.
As I picked up her limp body, she was still warm. I am sure she must of died just a few minutes earlier. I hugged her and cried some more. Tabby was pregnant and I had thoughts of trying to free the babies, but I just could not do that. I assume they died an awful death. Tabby was a small kitty.
By the next morning, Tabby had swollen up very much from the internal bleeding I guess. She had began to smell and black blood was seeping out her vagina and her nose. Her eyes were open now and it frightened me. I was so sick the night before that I did not bury her, but I had to bury her today. She was huge by now and I had to dig a huge grave.
I said a prayer for Tabby as I covered her up. I was so sad to say good-bye to my little friend. My house is empty without Tabby. Even tonight I had some left over gravy and my first thought was to take it to Tabby, but then I realized she was gone. It is so quiet here. No sound, no noise and no Tabby.
I questioned the neighbors about Tabby's death. Some were happy she was gone, but not me. Although Tabby was a pest at times, she was a member of my clan. I ask Allah to bless her and keep her safe and I ask Allah to circle my home with angels and calm my heart.
My dear sweet Tabby, I wish you love and lots of food in heaven.
5 days after Tabby's death I heard some crying in my storage room. There sat 2 twin white baby kittens crying for their mom. The storage was full of debris, cement bags and more. I called the neighbors in and it was the 1st day of Ramadan and had them clear the room.
We finally reached the babies and they were so precious and I promised Allah on that day I would take care of them the rest of my life.
I named them Miss Tammer after their mom and Fluffy. Fluffy would life one year and die of pneumonia from severe complications. It snowed and we could not get him to a vet and although I spent 700 dollars trying to I had to bury him. He was the best cat ever but like most cats he was territorial and fought with Black Face Kitty all the time and it wore him out. When he got out one cold snowy day, it did him in.
Miss Tammer is still with us. She was never the same after Fluffers died, but she is a loving pet and doctors me all the time. She is the most beautiful cat in Jordan. I tell her stories often of how her mom went to Turkey to live.
So one day she went outside and found Fluffers grave and took Baby with her. Baby ran in the house screaming and screaming. I yelled at Tammer to see what she did. Miss Tammer was so happy to have found her long lost friend.
A new study called "Zoonoses in the Bedroom," conducted by Bruno B Chomel and Ben Sun, chief veterinarians with the California Department of Health, showed that by sleeping with your pet that you may be susceptible to 100 diseases including the bubonic plague. Some of the illnesses that they list include: bubonic plague, meningitis, staphylococcus intermedius Infections, rabies, cat scratch disease, liver damage, worms and chagas.
Chagas can be life threatening as it is a parasitic infection that can affect people with weakened immune systems. This infection can affect the heart and digestive system. Besides chagas there were less common parasite infections such as pin worms and ring worms. The veterinarians looked through years of journals to find out whom if any had a major or minor disease from animals. Although they did find a very small amount of major diseases, the threat is till real.
A 9 year old boy from New Mexico caught the bubonic plague from a flea infested cat. A 44 y ear old woman and a baby both caught meningitis which only goes to prove that the animal infection problem is not limited to age or race and can be transferred if the owners are not sensible in their treatment of the animals.
Will Million of Pet Owners Listen to the New Study?
Approximately 14 % - 62% of pet owners sleep with their pets or allow them to lie on their beds. Will these new revelations sway many owners from cuddling with their loved ones? The general consensus is "No." Most pet owners who treat Fido or Muffy with loving care and tenderness will not change their habits, but may keep the bed area cleaner and safe as possible.
Will Muffy be happy with his own bed next to the owner's bed? Again most pets are habit creatures and even if offered a nice soft bed next to the owner, the pet will jump on the bed every time.
Kissing Pets on the Mouth
The other practice discussed as being hazardous was the practice of kissing pets on the mouth. This is a dangerous practice and even if the owner could not force Muffy and Fido to sleep on the floor, refraining from contacting the saliva of pets is highly recommended. It is much better to kiss the pet on top of the head.
A Healthy Pet is Less Dangerous to Humans
The report goes on to talk about keeping animals healthy. The safest pets are those kept in doors and ones that are taken to vets regularly. Simple and easy practices can and should be utilized such as de-worming the pet regularly, getting rid of all fleas and feeding a natural raw diet to the animal.
Pet foods sometimes cause more damage than good and should be used with caution. Training your pet to switch to raw meat is not an easy task, but one that is workable. Cats are carnivorous animals and love meat. Many cats will prefer chicken, liver and fish opposed to beef. With trial and error and a bit of luck any pet can be healthy and safer.
Benefits of Pet Ownership
The veterinarians did say that there are many benefits of having animals and pets also. According to Chomel and Sun, "Pets have become an integral part of the family and are often considered to be extended family. Having pets brings many benefits, such as psychological support, friendship, and even good health practices (exercising or reducing stress).
Pet ownership has long been touted as a way to help the elderly feel less lonely and a source of companionship also. Pets are protectors and pets have become part of the family and many pet owners treat their pets as a child would be treated in other families. Although there are many benefits to having a pet, it must be stated that the benefits will not out weigh the hazards if you or a loved one becomes ill. Caution should be used in all situations and new and improved hygiene practices should be implemented.
Resources
Chomel and Sun, (Feb 2, 2011) "Zoonoses in the Bedroom," CDC
Photo courtesy of Photobucket Akeeber
