Inglath Cooper

When we care passionately about something and are compelled to try to make a difference, it is easy to get overwhelmed.

One of my passions is for helping companion dogs and cats who end up in shelters where their lives are in danger.  It is an effort where one person responding to a need can literally determine whether that dog or cat will live or die.

With the numbers in need being what they are, burnout is common in rescue volunteers.  The weight of responsibility and the sleepless nights that come with knowing about a pet who only has days or sometimes hours to live is an enormous one.

This cause, like so many others, needs every passionate individual it can possibly attract.  But the truth is as individuals we are limited in our ability to personally help every single animal.

We can spread the word though.  Try to bring others who care into the circle of influence.  It has never been easier than it is now to share information.  When I first became involved in dog rescue, it was incredibly difficult and expensive to let others know about dogs at our county shelter who were nearly out of time.  We tried ads in the local paper, flyers around town, anything we could think of really.  But none of it was highly effective, and the advertising was so expensive that we couldn’t do it often.

I don’t know that the creators of Facebook had any way of knowing how important their creation could be to causes like this, but it is literally helping save the lives of many animals.  With an upload of a photo and a quick description, a dog or cat can be posted and shared from person to person, so that not only local people can learn of a need, but people across the country as well.

I am now seeing dogs that might initially seem difficult to place because of things like age or breed, get homes because someone shared their information and the right person saw it.  So even when we can’t fix a situation ourselves, we can be a link.  Sometimes, that one effort is all it takes to turn a tragic situation into a joyful one.