A Note from Janice Brown, Founder
When we put this issue together,
our minds were in a place of joyous celebration and encouragement of meaningful
“quality time” for you and your favorite animal friends. There is nothing quite
like hitting the open road with the radio blasting, the wind in your hair (or
fur), and your dog panting and howling in the back seat…his version of asking
you the dreaded question, “Are we there yet?” We quickly realized, however,
travel can represent many different things. Recently, our design and production
manager had a house guest—a homing pigeon from
Wisconsin. Beka noticed this sweet bird
sitting in the middle of the road not moving, and sensed something was wrong.
After taking him in and discovering tags on his ankles, she located his family through
some online investigating. Beka found out that he had been participating in a
200- mile race, and was injured in flight. His family was glad to hear that he
was safe and being cared for, and arranged for a friend in
Chicago to pick him up. Although his
adventure may not have been the holiday some of us dream about, at least he had
some interesting experiences (exploring our office, for one), ate a few good
meals, and met new people, which is more than some of us can say about our
vacations! Travel may also be associated with sadness. Learning that you must
evacuate your home in less than 24 hours can and did become a life-or-death
situation during Hurricane Katrina. For most people, leaving their pets home
alone to fend for themselves was simply not an option. Many victims interviewed
said the reason they didn’t evacuate was because there was nowhere to go with
their animals. Most shelters don’t allow them, and even if going to a hotel is
a possibility, it is difficult to find ones that accept pets. People had to make
decisions based on ALL of their family members, not just the human ones.
I
believe this is a serious issue in our country. Why wouldn’t the people
assisting the evacuation allow families to take their beloved pets? How could
you force people, who have just lost everything, to give up their companion
animals, who will most likely be one of the best support systems they’ll have
during the trying times ahead? I hope these events are a catalyst for animal
organizations and our government to come together and work for better resources
for families with pets.
We are lucky to have so many amazing heroes
who have stepped up to help these victims, the two-leggeds and the four-leggeds
alike. It is at times like these when we not only are reminded of the
vulnerabilities we have in this world, but we also get a glimpse of the
strength we have in numbers and the kindness that exists when it really
matters.
It
is hard not to think about all of the people and animals suffering through this
crisis. Our hearts go out to all who have a long road ahead rebuilding their
lives, and to the rescue workers who are helping to put the pieces back
together.
At
the same time, we need to continue to move forward, not letting these disasters
stop us in our tracks, and do our best to absorb the lessons that are revealed
to us. It seems to me that we always come back to this truth: We only have right
now. We are guaranteed nothing in this life. So seize the moment, live life
large, and have some fun while doing it!
Take
care and travel safely—
jb@ChicagolandTails.com
