VOICE OF THE VOICELESS
Current mood: awake
Category: Pets and Animals

Today....and every Sunday.....I educate people on the suffering of Farm Animals at an amazing sanctuary called Animal Acres but today stood out beyond the rest because a visitor cried with me today. A woman who came to ONLY meet Farm Animals because she likes animals listened to me explaining why the Factory Farms and Slaughterhouses are an every day nightmare for these beautiful beings that suffer beyond what most people can imagine or comprehend. She listened as I talked and slowly I saw a tear slip down her cheek....she made me cry too!! I cried because her heart felt the animals' pain and I cried because I felt hers. This was a good day because my cold heart felt for another human being again with a freshness that I needed. I actually needed to cry with this stranger because my disconnect to people can take me to a very lonely place but every now and then...some beautiful soul makes me see the beauty in people again!!

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VOICE OF THE VOICELESS

So many gods, so many creeds,
So Many paths that wind and wind,
While just the art of being kind
Is all the sad world needs.

I am the voice of the voiceless:
Through me, the dumb shall speak;
Till the Deaf world's ear be made to hear
The cry of the wordless weak.

From street, from cage and from kennel,
From jungle and stall, the wail
Of my tortured kin proclaims the sin
Of the mighty against the frail

For love is the true religion,
And love is the law sublime;
And all is wrought, where love is not 
Will die at the touch of time.

Oh shame on the mothers of mortals
Who have not stopped to teach
Of the sorrow that lies in dear, dumb eyes,
The sorrow that has no speech.

The same Power formed the sparrow
That fashioned man-the King;
The God of the whole gave a living soul
To furred and to feathered thing.

And I am my brother's keeper,
And I will fight his fight;
And speak the word for beast and bird
Till the world shall set things right.

1:25 AM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

POSITIVE PITBULL QUOTES FROM CELEBRETIES!!
Current mood: accomplished

THE QUOTABLE PIT BULL (all quotes from articles on this site)
"SHE'S so loyal, affectionate and sensitive. If I ever get another dog, it'd have to be a pit, because I love their personalities." -- Bernadette Peters, singer/actress, speaking about her pit bull, Stella, from "It's Jaws Not True!" "IN my opinion, pit bulls are the least likely to be human aggressive. On the whole, you have to do a lot of work to make them aggressive to people." -- Sue Frisch, Dessin Animal Shelter manager "WE have not had a single serious problem with any of the pit bull adoptions. In fact, people tell us their pit bull is the best dog they've ever had. Some come back for a second one." -- Marsha Biggar, "Adopt-A-Pet," Stamford, CT, from "Man's Best Friend" "THIS dog is smart, playful, affectionate and loves to sit and watch TV. I've had many other kinds of dogs, but this one is calmer than a Lab or a golden retreiver and easier to train. " -- Susan O'Rourke, pit bull owner, from "Man's Best Friend" "HE'S kind, generous, never showed one moment of aggression, even after all he has been through.'' --Virginia Nicholson, who adopted an abused pit bull, from "Remember Petey and Nipper?" "She seems like a very happy and well-adjusted dog - amazing given her early experiences! Although she had no idea who I was, she was gentle and affectionate with me from the minute I first held her. What a wonderful heart." --Liesl, who adopted Blossom, an abused pit bull, from "Blossom" "He is a favorite of everyone in my building, including the kids, one of whom once hit him on the head with a stick for fun. What was his reaction? He shook his head, grinned, and went back to happily licking his attacker." -- Amber Niewold, pit bull owner/rescuer, from "Rupert and Me" "She's the one dog I always trust to tolerate human babies and small children." -- Donna Lindsay, owner of RCA, from "Alaska's First Certified Hearing Dog" "I FIND them to be the easiest dog to train of any breed that I've ever worked with, both in terms of intelligence and devotion." -- dog trainer/pit bull owner Bill Berloni, who has trained six pit bulls for Broadway shows, from "It's Jaws Not True!" "Pit bulls are famous, in circles of knowledgeable dog people, for the love and loyalty they bestow on anyone who shows them a smidgen of kindness." -- Linda Wilson-Fuoco, journalist "I grew up having all kinds of dogs, but I've found that pit bulls are the most affectionate and by far the smartest." -- Tom Maxson, from "Man's Best Friend" "SOMEHOW he had managed to come through unimaginable hardship, not only clinging to life, but maintaining a positive attitude, which was, to me, an inspiration." -- Dr. Max Rust, DVM, owner of a pit bull rescued in a cruelty case, from "Pete the Healer" "People don't realize what an amazing dog a pit bull is. In World War One it was one of America's most decorated and beloved dogs. They're very loyal and affectionate. Stella is the gentlest dog, all she wants to do is cuddle." --Bernadette Peters, singer/actress/pit bull owner "I'd always had dogs -- German shepherds, Labs, Newfoundlands -- but this dog has given me more affection and loyalty than any other animal. I have cats, nephews, and I've never had a problem. Banjo sleeps with me, cuddles me. I trust him completely." -- Linda Morrisey, pit bull owner, from "Man's Best Friend" "Pit bulls are especially good at pleasing people since they are strong and smart, they learn quickly and they are very adaptable." -- Rob Mullin, dog trainer, owner, "Man's Best Friend" American Temperament Test Society Results, December 2002 (Pit Bulls and AmStaffs scored higher than many breeds. Here are just a few. Good for showing to nervous neighbors.) American Pit Bull Terrier: 83.2% American Staffordshire Terrier: 82.6% Bearded Collie: 53.5% Border Collie: 78.8% Beagle: 77.8% Cocker Spaniel: 81.5% Great Dane: 76.9% Golden Retriever: 82.5% Old English Sheepdog: 77.8% Rhodesian Ridgeback: 73.8% Samoyed: 77.8%

5:36 PM - 4 Comments - 7 Kudos - Add Comment

PREJUDICE OUTLOOK on PITBULLS NEEDS TO IMPROVE.
Current mood: aggravated
Category: Pets and Animals

July 7, 2002 -- File this one under "h" for hard to believe: A hundred years ago, this country's most popular family pet was the American Pit Bull Terrier.

That's right - the pit bull.

What a difference a century makes. Today, the pit bull is America's most controversial dog breed, widely regarded as a snarling monster.

People have no qualms about demonizing pit bulls. The dog is so widely feared that in most animal shelters across the country, pits are not even put up for adoption; they're euthanized immediately.

So why do so many celebrities have them as pets?

"There's a misconception about pit bulls - that they're very evil dogs," said Mets slugger Mo Vaughn, the owner of two English bulldogs who is looking to bring home a new pit bull after his beloved pit Black died last year. "But a natural, full-blooded pit bull is the nicest animal in the world."

Actress Bernadette Peters says she adores Stella, the pit she adopted from the Center for Animal Care & Control (CACC) in Manhattan.

"There's something about pits," she said. "They're the most affectionate, amazing dogs. More than any other breed, they just want to cuddle and be next to you, skin on skin. I'll always have a pit!"

Vaughn and Peters are not alone.

Among the breed's many high-profile fans are author James Ellroy, TV personality Jon Stewart, Mel ("The Producers") Brooks and Anne Bancroft, rocker Stephan Jenkins of Third Eye Blind and painter Julian Schnabel, whose handsome white pit, Zeus, made the cover of Town & Country magazine last year.

"Pit bulls are the most fiercely loyal dogs," pointed out Bill Berloni of the Humane Society of New York, which has several adorable pits up for adoption. "And they deserve extremely loving owners who can match that loyalty."

It's the dogs' sense of loyalty that has, ironically, helped to undermine the breed. When abused and trained by criminals as attack dogs, pit bulls can, in fact, become dangerous - just like any other large, dominant dog. Their size and strength can make them a threat.

But the vast majority of them are pussycats.

In the early 20th century, the breed's image was very different. Back then, the pit was widely admired as a great companion, especially to children. (Petey of "The Little Rascals" was a pit).

Featured in a famous World War I propaganda poster, the pit was also a symbol of bravery and all-American virtue.

Surrounded by other dogs wearing the military helmets of their respective countries - the Dachshund stood for Germany and the French bulldog for France - our guy appears with Old Glory draped across his shoulders, above the legend: "I'm neutral, but not afraid of any of them!"

Today, because of contemporary culture's anti-pit prejudice, having one of these dogs can put an owner's loyalty to the test.

I have personally taken in five rescued pits, and most pedestrians give me a wide berth when I walk down the street with just one dog. One passer-by even commented: "Don't come near me with that ugly dog!"

Sadly, the CACC takes in thousands more pits than there are responsible homes to which they can be adopted. Every year, some 10,000 pits are euthanized in New York City alone.

The good news is that this Saturday, Peters will co-host, along with Mary Tyler Moore, the Broadway Barks dog and cat adopt-a-thon in Shubert Alley.

One of the 21 animal-rescue groups featured will be Stray From the Heart, whose founder, Beth Silberg, said about 60 percent of the dogs she has up for adoption are pit bulls and pit mixes.

Stray from the Heart's latest intake is Stevie Wonder, a 7-year-old blind pit picked up in Brooklyn.

Like the majority of abused urban pits, Stevie had been living in a junkyard, where he fell victim to dog fighters who allowed another dog to maul him almost to death.

But, true to his breed, "Stevie's a love bunny, and he adores children," said Silberg. Now he needs a caring home.

"Pits have so much personality," Silberg concluded. "They do everything in an intense way: they play hard and love hard. So many of them are terribly mistreated, but they heal quickly, because all they want is to love and be loved."

3:38 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

TO FIND SOMEONE ON THIS LEVEL IS PROBABLY IMPOSSIBLE
Current mood: disappointed
Category: Dreams and the Supernatural

The Invitation

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon...
I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life's betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
"Yes."

It doesn't interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.

© Mountaindreaming, from the book The Invitation published by HarperSanFrancisco, 1999 All rights reserved

8:39 PM - 6 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

DEFINING WHO I AM
Current mood: apathetic
Category: Writing and Poetry

I am an Animal Rescuer

My job is to assist God's creatures.

I was born with the drive to fulfill their needs. I take in helpless, unwanted, homeless creatures without planning or selection. I have bought dog food with my last dime. I have patted a mangy head with a bare hand. I have hugged someone vicious and afraid. I have fallen in love a thousand times. And I have cried into the fur of a lifeless body too many times to count. I have Animal Friends and friends who have animal friends. I don't often use the word "pet"

I notice those lost at the road side

And my heart aches!!

I know of no creature unworthy of my time. I want to live forever if there aren't animals in Heaven. But I believe there are. Why would God make something so perfect and leave it behind. Some may think we are master of the animals, But the animals have mastered themselves, Something people still haven't learned. War and Abuse make me hurt for the world, But a rescue that makes the news gives me hope for mankind. We are a quiet but determined army, And we are making a difference every day. There is nothing more necessary than warming an orphan, nothing more rewarding than saving a life. No higher recognition than watching them thrive. There is no greater joy than seeing a baby play who only days ago, was too weak to eat. By the love of those who I've been privileged to rescue I have been rescued. I know what true unconditional love really is for I've seen it shining in the eyes of so many Grateful for so little. I am an Animal Rescuer! My work is never done, My home is never quiet, My wallet is always empty,But my heart is always full!!

6:43 PM - 4 Comments - 8 Kudos - Add Comment