A #TongueInCheek #Guide To #Animal #Rescue

Hey Everyone! :-)

I was going through some old files on my computer and I found a "manual" I wrote as a school assignment on how to do animal rescue.  It was titled An Animal Rescuer’s Guide to Staying (Relatively) Sane and I wrote it sort of tongue-in-cheek, but also sort of seriously.  Anyway, I thought some of you might find it interesting, so I decided to post bits of it in increments (it's kind of long) until all of it has been posted.  I thought these posts also might be a good opportunity to show you some pictures of some of the rescue babies who have impacted my life.  

The picture above is of Snuggly, a kitty who was found, starving, digging through a garbage can.  She was about seven years old, according to the vet, and had severe infections in her eyes and in her gums.  All of her teeth were rotten and ended up having to be removed.  As you can see from the picture, someone also removed her ears, but I don't know the circumstances surrounding how that happened.  

This picture was taken several weeks after Snuggly came to me; the infections in her eyes had cleared up and she'd had surgery on her mouth to remove the rotten teeth and she had put on some weight and was looking a little better.  Snuggly came by her name because, even though she was in a lot of pain, she was always the sweetest, most cuddly kitty you could ever meet.  Once she had fully recovered and was at a healthy weight, Snuggly went to her forever home with an older couple who had three other older cats and were looking for a "youngster" who could liven them up a bit but wasn't so young they'd wear them out.  Snuggly fit their family purrfectly. :-)

Introduction to An Animal Rescuer’s Guide to Staying (Relatively) Sane:
Animal rescue can be an extremely rewarding pursuit. Like children, animals are completely dependent upon their care-takers. Because of this, the potential for abuse and neglect is extreme.

As a rescuer you will witness appalling acts of cruelty and the hideous results of apathy and ignorance; in fact, it is at these times when your help will be needed the most. You will also experience indescribable examples of love, selflessness, and beauty. Events will occur that will both rend and warm your heart – sometimes simultaneously. Animal rescue is a calling that is fraught with emotional ups and downs. 

The very nature of animal rescue is unpredictability. Because of this, the uninitiated or inexperienced can be caught unawares and the results can be devastating. It is not possible to over-stress the importance of being prepared to deal with any possible eventuality, which sometimes means admitting that you are not able to deal with a situation by yourself.

It is for these reasons that I am writing this handbook. It is my hope that the advice contained in these pages will assist someone in their efforts to ease the suffering of animals and, perhaps, to ease their own pain as well.