Reverencing Life

Hi all,

Well a lot happens in a small space of time and looking after animals seems to bring me into contact with all sorts of people, some whom I would rather not wish to meet.

Recently I found a stray dog who I reported to a leading animal charity in the UK. Their attitude from the outset was rude, hostile and rather nasty. All the onus for getting the dog to the appropriate shelter was put on me even though I explained I had found the dog and it was not really my responsibility.

I was treated with suspicion until I gave them my name and told them that I was a contributor to the charity. However I was shocked at how I was treated initially and wondered what impression they made on other people. They certainly came across very differently to how their publicity campaigns portray them.

I decided to do a bit of checking on the Internet and found that there were horror stories all over the Internet about how this particular association has seized animals from innocent owners and even acted illegally in doing so. I can tell you it opened my eyes. I would never support this charity again.

Their attitude was like that of some Police Officers who have been in the job too long, or predatory Social Workers who are over zealous. I think you are getting the picture. They saw abuse and criminality everywhere and their attitude to people was deplorable. (This was institutional and ran through the culture of the organisation. It was not just one or two individuals having off days).

Their attitude reminded me that it is not good enough just to want to save a particular section of life from abuse or cruelty such as animals or children. The point is to recognise that all life is interconnected and at the end of the day is Life Itself. And that Life is all its forms should be reverenced. Not just certain sections of it.

It is indiffencible to be wanting to save animals from abuse, (and in truth the orgainsation I am talking about doesn't even do that very well), and to be abusive to innocent people in the process. What good you do with one hand you cancel with another by this approach. Reverence and compassion should be for all and this can never come about by having a cynical and dictatorial attitude to to any form of Life even if you believe it to be degraded.(And if you see any form of life untimatately as degraded perhaps it is time to re-examine how you actually see Life Itself).

Until next time,

As always,

Blessed be,

KK