Passion

The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines passion as the emotions as distinguished from reason, intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction ; an outbreak of anger; ardent affection : a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept; an object of desire or deep interest.

Looking back on my life so far, there are certain things that I have attached myself to. Things that have gotten my attention and had me fixated. I find myself doing things to the fullest when my mind is made up. Whether it is loosing weight, running, being more green or being the best June Clever...I don't half ass it. So my latest, probably most deepest passion (as if you didn't see this coming) is volunteering with the local animal rescue group. My heart has always been softened to furry friends and I have a deep devotion to teaching my children of the love and care we should always show these friends. A great quote that I saw recently says " I don`t hold animals superior or even equal to humans. The whole case for behaving decently to animals rests on the fact that we are the superior species. We are the species uniquely capable of imagination, rationality, and moral choice - and that is precisely why we are under an obligation to recognize and respect the rights of animals. ~Brigid Brophy~

To continue with my story, I have been volunteering for Take My Paw rescue (http://www.takemypaw.org/) and have been helping with fostering animals before they are adopted to loving homes. Most of you know this story, but for those that don't, a few weeks ago our rescue picked up a stray that was feeding on a dead carcase in a ditch. We were called and picked the dog up to foster him until his owners were found or until he was placed. When we saw the dog it was love at first sight. We were staring into the big brown love able eyes of a male German shepherd. He had been obviously wandering for a while as he was wormy, full of fleas, skin and bones but that didn't stop him from falling right into the flow of our family. I made the necessary phone calls to Animal Control and the humane society to report a found dog and within 30 minutes I received the first phone call of a supposed owner. The man could not identify the animal but assured me it was his dog. I told him that if he could send me pictures we could discuss further. He called back and then said the dog was his sisters dog and got out Saturday (the day he was found) and that angered me. I told him again that he needed to send me photos. Then a woman called, demanding her dog back. To skip about two hours of nonstop phone calls from these lunatics, I finally called Animal control to find out what I could do since I was not returning this dog back to "supposed" owners that have neglected him to the point of worms and skin and bones. Animal Control told me to bring the dog in and they assured me they would do a health eval and if there would be steep fines to pay to release the dog, if in fact the people claiming him were the owners. To avoid further harassment, I decided this would be the best thing and told AC that I would bring the dog to them. A few hours later I received a phone call from the director of AC (who had an attitude with me from saying hello-which is not a good thing) who stated that I was holding another persons dog and he needed to be released to them. Again, to shorten this story, I explained my earlier conversation with her office and the situation and she said that she would send someone out right away to pick the dog up. After tears were shed, AC drove a way with the dog. That was on a Monday. I then filed a neglect complaint on line and called and email everyday with no correspondence back from AC. I finally decided to just go to animal control and find out myself what was going on. I walked in and stated my name and was beginning to state my reason for being there and the receptionist said "Oh yes.....Tirzah Sirken". The director came forward then and with her mean lady attitude began to tell me that the owners were there to pick the dog up before the truck even got back with him. I asked about the health eval and what identifying papers they brought and she looked me in the eye and told me the dog was fine. I was appalled. Anger set in and I stated that I could go home and scoop up dry poop that was full of dead worms and that I had taken pictures. It didn't seem to matter. She just said over and over again that the dog was fine and he was released to the owners. I left with only one last remark that I was glad that she was in charge of the lost and strayed animals of our county. So- if passion is a fire, what fuels passion?

A deep sense of caring and anger fuels that fire within me. I am still so pissed! I have seen the sheriffs department, the police department, all of who have no idea who is over animal control. I am in the works of contacting the county commissioners office and am drafting an editorial for the local newspaper. My passion is now a bon-fire.

I hope that in reading this you to will have a passion for this and help our rescue or a rescue in your area. You can locate local rescues by going to http://www.petfinder.com/ and searching in your area. If you are from my neck of the woods, you can go to my rescue website: http://www.takemypaw.org/ or contact me personally at tearzsirken@yahoo.com.