Dear Clients, Friends and Colleagues ,
My very favorite thing about the holiday season is opening the cards sent to me by friends and clients that include their animals' photos and stories. Seeing their faces and beautiful bodies brings me such joy. One client places organic catnip from her garden every year in her card which makes my cats extremely happy (and high!). Looking at these photos and receiving these kind gifts is a reminder of how fulfilled and grateful I am to have worked with so many of you during the last year, and every year since 1991. Thank you, for your trust in me to work with you and your animal families.
Last year, in one of these cherished cards, a client enclosed something that stopped me in my tracks. It was a story she wrote entitled The Concert of Tiny Bells. It's a true story, not one of heroic rescues, dramatically saved lives, or something that will make you cry sad tears. Though those heroic and dramatic stories are very important ones, this one is about a small act of lovingkindess which brought great joy to many little ones without homes or families. I was so inspired by this woman's example that I went out and bought a few dozen toys for the animals at my local shelters. Perhaps it will inspire you, too, to send toys, food, a donation, or love and prayers to the animals in your community who are homeless. It's the season of Joy. The homeless animals of our communities need joy too.
May all the animals on the earth this holiday season be safe.
May they be well. May they know we love them.
May they be protected from harm from those whose hearts do not yet see and know the souls of animals.
May all of you who have lost an animal this year be blessed with tender love
and gentle healing for your grief.
I wish you and all of your animal and human loved ones much love and many blessings this holiday season, and many years of love, health and joy together,
Teresa (and KK and Olivia too!)
www.animalsinourhearts.com
 
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The Concert of Tiny Bells
by Christine Price
I'm a volunteer at my local SPCA in their Cat TLC Program. Every year in the spring "Kitten Season" arrives, and staff and volunteers rally forces and valiantly prepare to greet the hundreds of unwanted kittens who will arrive at the Shelter's door. It can be an achingly disheartening time. We watch the adoption rate for our adult cats take a plunge because most people want kittens. And we watch many precious kittens, just beginning their lives, get passed over, again and again, because they happen to be older, sick, shy or "homely." The hard truth is that there are simply not enough homes to go around and space at the Shelter is finite.
One day during the height of this difficult season I noticed a small, solitary kitten looking very glum inside her kennel. She needed some attention and, perhaps, a toy to play with. I went to our usually full toy basket and found it empty--or empty, at least of those wonderful little balls with bells inside, the toy loved by kittens worldwide! To remedy this I headed over to a pet supply store and purchased every single package of balls with bells that they had in stock.
Returning to the Shelter I set about distributing a brand new toy to each kennel housing a kitten, through the four rooms of our cat building. It took me about twenty minutes to complete my task, and it was only upon pausing that I heard it. Throughout the kennel, from each room and every direction, came the musical sound of a myriad of tiny bells. punctuated here and there by percussive bangs. The toys were being played with, and the cumulative effect was a concert to rival the Boston Pops! The adult cats also heard the music and perked up to listen.
I stood very still for several minutes, my eyes closed, simply enjoying the concert of bells. And I was reminded anew of how contagious joy can be and of how a small, simple act can have such impact.
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photos from Monterey County Animal Services
Please remember the homeless animals this holiday season. . .consider taking them some treats, toys, food, supplies or making a donation.
The next time you are ready to bring an animal into your family--whether a horse, a bunny, a dog, cat, rat, bird or reptile--please, consider opening your home and heart to an animal in need of rescue. You might just save a life, and will undoubtedly receive love and joy from the life you save.
May God bless all the animals in need of homes.
And all those shelter and rescue workers who take care of them~
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"While I'm Away. . ."
When You Travel & Your Animal Companions Stay Home
copyright Nedda Wittels
www.raysofhealinglight.com
Does your cat ignore you for the first 24 hours after you return from a trip?
Does your dog or bird stop eating while you are gone? Do animals who normally
get along begin to fight? Do they start to get upset when your suitcase comes
out? Do you worry about them when you have to travel?
Our animal friends don't have to use telepathy to notice that a suitcase has been pulled from the closet. They know this means something is about to happen that affects their lives, but they don't know what to expect each time.Setting expectations helps reduce stress for everyone. Here's how to make things easier for yourself and your animals. READ FULL ARTICLE. . .
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Please Don't Give Pets as GiftsBy Jean Hofve, DVMwww.thecatandkittenstore.com
Christmas Pets: Holiday Impulse Shoppers Beware!
It's the season for giving, and we all have good intentions when shopping for truly special gifts for our loved ones. Sometimes, we have visions of them opening a beautiful box with an adorable kitten inside, or of covering their eyes and leading them into a room where a puppy or a cat wearing a big bow is waiting. We aren't to blame-we have these very images of holiday serenity lingering from our own childhood. With a pet, it seems we can give the gift of unconditional love, especially to a child.
Now, here's a dose of reality: in years spent working in animal shelters, we noticed a significant spike in animal surrenders right after the holiday season. The happy surprise became just a surprise-not necessarily a pleasant one-for all concerned, and the solution to the problem for many families is to get rid of the unwanted pet. What are the factors? READ FULL ARTICLE. . .
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 Not to hurt our humble brethen
is our first duty to them,
but to stop there is not enough.
We have a higher mission--
to be of service to them
wherever they require it.
St. Francis of Assisi
1181-1226
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Resources
· An online resource for buying those little cat balls with bells and other animal toys and
treats is www.entirelypets.com.
· A PERFECT resource to find your next animal family member is your local shetler or
rescue group. You can find any companion animal species or breed you love by
searching www.petfinders.com. Please, consider adopting your next animal through
rescue. Millions of homeless animals are in need of homes. You can save a life.
· A PERFECT venue to volunteer your time and skills is your local animal shelter or rescue
group.
· A PERFECT place to make a tax deductable donation is your local animal shelter or
rescue group. If you don't already have a favorite organization, two of my favorite ones
are:
The SPCA of Monterey County: My cat KK was rescued by their workers from
the roof of a house during a flood, then loved and sheltered until I adopted him; Olivia
was rescued by one of their humane officers as a stray. I wouldn't have my beloved little
ones had the SPCA not saved their lives. I will forever be grateful. The work of the
dedicated staff there save lives and add love to the world. This SPCA is one of the
premier shelters in the US. Some of their more "visible" work in their 100 year history,
includes sending trained staff to help with Katrina and bringing back many of the
animals to the shelter, rehabilitating and placing some of the pit bulls from the
Michael Vic case, and rescuing over 100 animals in the 2008 Big Sur Wildfires.
Animal Friends Rescue Project: After the death of my dear friend Marth, two of her
cats needed temporary housing until a home could be found for them. AFRP
kindly and lovingly gave them a large, quiet space together in one of the founder's
homes, and allowed me to visit every day until their new person adopted them. I will
never forget this kindness.
AFRP has a reputation in the community for taking the "least adoptable" animals from
the shelters, giving them the time and medical attention they need, and finding
them good permanent homes. Their priority for intake is to accept animals from the
shelter that are least likely to survive the shelter situation. They also have a reputation
for working closely, collaboratively and constructively with local shelter staff. My
assistant, Carie Broecker, has served on the board of directors for AFRP for 9 years as
well as putting in several years as their unpaid Executive Director. I am very blessed to
have her working with me in my practice!
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