One of my favorite parts of animal rescue (other than the animals) is being part of a community.  I feel like I am part of something that is bigger than myself.  I am a member of a group working to conquer a problem that is bigger than I am alone.  We all share a common dream, goal, task. 

The people there know who I am and what I stand for.  When I am with fellow “animal rescuers”, I never have to worry that I am talking about dogs too much.  I don’t have to explain why I have been through three couches in the last four years and now furnish my living room with lawn furniture.  Everyone has fur in their cars and carries plastic baggies in their pockets, just like me.  They understand why I am willing to use my vacation days to clean out a shed or drive four hours to get a dog back.  

Unfortunately, this does not mean that we always get along.  Just the opposite, in fact.  I have worked with several animal groups through the years and there is one common thread that they all share:  drama.  Despite the fact that we are all there for the same reasons… no one can seem to agree on how to get there.  In my opinion there is more unrest among animal lovers than in any other non-profit organization.  Sometimes, I picture us as a giant, bickering family.

I believe this stems from a lot of reasons.  First off, we are all crazy.  We choose to live our lives this way.  We didn’t birth children with a condition that we are trying to beat.  We didn’t suffer a horrible fate in our lives that forced us into fighting back.  We love animals and consciously decide to make this our life… giving up modern conveniences like clean floors.  I think we all have to be a little crazy to do this to ourselves. 

Secondly, there is virtually no hope of ever finding a solution for the problem we face.  Billions of dollars is NOT being on researching a cure for our condition.  In fact, only a small part of our efforts even go towards fixing the problem.  Our work is concentrated helping the “effect”… most of the cause is out of our reach.  Animals reproduce at a rate far faster than any rescue group can control.

Thirdly, passion.  We share a passion that is so strong it can change who we are as people.  That passion is challenged every day with constant arguments that it is “just a cat” or “just a dog”.  We give away a little piece of ourselves with every adoption, trusting in a near stranger to care for and love that piece of ourselves the way we have.  Constantly, that trust is broken and a little part of us is hollowed away with it.  Instead of being restored by the kindness of people, we are continually disappointed and crushed by their actions. 

Then, there are the things we see.  The things people are capable of, the ignorance they pacify themselves with, the uphill battle of challenging selfish beliefs… they all lead us to develop force-fields of self-protection.  Mechanisms that keep us from getting hurt again and make us leery of even the ones we love most. 

There is also an element of “control” that animal rescue gives people.  Sometimes, I think people seek out rescue because it is the only place they have a voice.  Being a foster or an adoption counselor gives puts that person entirely in charge of a being’s life.  They decide if another human being is worthy of becoming that pet’s owner or not.  This is a deep thought that I could go on about for much longer… and I will save all of that for another day.  My point is, there can be too many cooks in the kitchen. 

Finally, there is the constant problem of questions with no answers.  When are too many resources being put into one animal?  What makes an animal too aggressive to adopt?  Will this adopter keep up the veterinary care this animal needs?  Is love enough?  What is the best use of funds?  Am I spending too much time away from home?  Is it okay to declaw an animal if that is what is needed to find a good home?  The questions go on forever and there is no right answer to any of them. 

I tend to be the person that “just wants everyone to get along”.  Sure, people irritate me and I clearly do not agree with others’ decisions all of the time.  I struggle to hold onto my conviction, to keep an open mind in the effort of peace.  It destroys me inside to see people I respect tear each other down.  I often dream of what we could accomplish if every animal rescue organization in the city/county/country could unite and pull together!  Instead, more organizations are created every day because the people in them cannot get along.  There are so many philosophies on what is right and how to do it correctly, that unfortunately, that will always only be a dream. 

The people that comprise rescue groups come from every walk of life, every economic level, religious belief, age, gender, sexual orientation and ethnic group.  But, they all share a common understanding of what it is to care about another being more then oneself, sometimes before even meeting that being.  They have empathy strong enough to sacrifice everything to save a life and passion so great it compels you to do things you never thought you were brave enough to face.  Even though they do not always get along… they do get each other.