Kindness to Animals
Do get involved with wildlife shelters, even if it is only for a couple of hours a week. Most of these places are horribly understaffed and underfunded, and somehow there’s nothing as moving as a terrified little creature that cannot communicate with you but needs a great deal of help.
If you are troubled by cats stalking your favourite backyard birdhouses, make a special corner just for them with dishes of catfood and hanging toys to take their minds off your dear little feathered friends.
If you love birds, get one of those netted bags used for produce and fill it full of string, hair, cotton balls or fluff. Hang it somewhere they’ll find it around about nesting time. Maybe you’ll even be fortunate enough to have them nest near you!
If you love dogs, take a can full of tennis balls (newness not required!) to the park and leave a ball here and there for those ‘catch-happy’ hounds to find.
If you have one of those slathering attack dogs launching itself at you every day on your way to work, consider throwing it a chew toy once in a while. Even if it doesn’t improve the dog’s attitude towards you, it might give you a few moments of quiet!
If you are visiting the zoo and notice that one of the animals is wounded or acting strangely (as if they are ill) mention it immediately to the attendant zookeepers or their volunteer staff. Sometimes things get so busy that they don’t have time to check in on some of the animals more than once a day… which would be too late for an animal requiring help.
