~Anonymous

I wandered up and down the streets in rain, in heat and snow.
I ate whatever I could find. I was always on the go.

My skin would itch, my feet were sore, my body ached with pain.
And no one stopped to give a pat or to gently say my name.

I never saw a loving glance. I was always on the run.
For people thought that hurting me was really lots of fun.

And then one day I heard a voice so gentle, kind and sweet!
And arms so soft reached down to me and took me off my feet.

“No one again will hurt you,” was whispered in my ear.
” You’ll have a home to call your own where you will know no fear.”

“You will be dry, you will be warm, you’ll have enough to eat.”
“And rest assured that when you sleep, your dreams will all be sweet.”

I was afraid I must admit. I had lived so long in fear.
I can’t remember when I let a human come so near.

And as she tended to my wounds and bathed and brushed my fur;
She told me about the rescue group and what it meant to her.

She said, “We are a circle, a line that never ends”.
“And in the center there is you protected by new friends”.

“And all around you are the ones that check the pounds.
And those that share their home after you’ve been found”.

“And all the other folk are searching near and far.
“To find the perfect home for you where you can be a star”.

She said, “There is a family that’s waiting patiently,
and pretty soon we’ll find them, just you wait and see”.

“And then they’ll join our circle they’ll help to make it grow.
So there’ll be room for more like you who have no place to go”.

I waited very patiently. The days they came and went.

Today’s the day I thought, my family will be sent.

Then just when I began to think it wasn’t meant to be,
there were people standing there just gazing down at me.

I knew them in a heartbeat, I could tell they felt it too.
They said, “We have been waiting for a special dog like you”.

Now every night I say a prayer to all the gods that be.
“Thank you for the life I live and all you’ve given me.

But most of all protect the dogs in the pound and on the street.
And send a Rescue Person to lift them off their feet”.

Arlene Pace
September 18, 1998

Rescue me not out of pity but out of love.
I will love you back.

Rescue me not with self-righteousness but with compassion.
I will learn what you teach.

Rescue me not because of my past but because of my future.
I will relax and enjoy.

Rescue me not simply to save me but to give me a new life.
I will appreciate your gift.

Rescue me not with a firm hand but with tolerance and patience.
I will please you.

Rescue me not only because of who I am but who I’m to become.
I will grow and mature.

Rescue me not to revere yourself to others but because you want me.
I will never let you down.

Author Unknown

And I understand that my actions have a direct effect, that my actions can create change.

I pledge to never cause an animal to be in an animal shelter.

I pledge …
To understand the commitment of taking on a companion animal.
To be ready and willing to accept that commitment before I bring an animal into my home and my family.

To educate myself so that I can make a good choice of an animal.

To save a life by adopting a homeless animal from a shelter, rescue group, or from the street.

To protect my companions from becoming lost by keeping them safely confined and wearing current identification at all times.

To not contribute to overpopulation by spaying and neutering my companion animals.

To provide my companion animals with the basics of food and shelter and medical care, and to provide them with the love and companionship they need to be happy.

To include my companion animals as part of my family, to socialize them so that they are comfortable in human society, to train them so that they will be safe and be good citizens.

To work through problems with my companions, and to include them in my own life changes.

To always demonstrate respectul, loving and responsible companion animal care so that others may learn from my example and want to do the same.

I make this pledge to the animals, between them and me,
to the animals I know, and the ones I may never see,
to the animals in my home, and the ones in our shelters,
to the animals here, and the ones yet to come.

I make this pledge to honor their love and companionship, to acknowledge their intrinsic value, to respect them as living beings who carry the same precious spark of life that I myself do.

I understand that the solutions are in my hands.

I pledge to use those solutions, and in doing so, to begin to create a community and a society that shows compassion, love, and respect for those who cannot speak for themselves.

Copyright © 2003 No Voice Unheard. All rights reserved.

info@NoVoiceUnheard.org

For many hours, my only company has been “just a dog.”

Some of my saddest moments were shared by “just a dog” who comforted me.

“Just a dog” brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust and joy.”

“Just a dog” brings out the compassion and patience that make me a better person.

Because of “just a dog,” I have risen early, taken long walks, and looked to the future.

“Just a dog” brings out what’s good in me.

I pray that someday everyone will understand that this creature, this blessing, is not “just a dog” at all, but, rather, the very thing that keeps each of us from being “just a human.”

Judith Apy
Adapted from a letter by Trisha Fravel to IDA