Invisible Victims of BP

I don’t usually watch a lot of late night news…so the whole “Anderson ‘Sexy’ Cooper” thing is a bit lost on me. After going to a friend’s concert last night though, I was flipping through channels, not expecting to be moved in the way that I was. After a night of “not thinking” of all the crap going on around me, I was quickly brought back to remembering how much help this world needs right now. And Anderson Cooper, holding a tiny, scared little puppy in Louisiana, reminded me.
Since the BP Oil Disaster, I have donated the little money that I could to the Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research Foundation. Seeing the images of these poor, innocent and terrified birds, turtles, and other wildlife has honestly haunted me the past couple of months. However, I hadn’t even thought about the domestic pets that are being affected too, and as Mr. Cooper said, they haven’t even seen a drop of oil.

What I’m talking about is the families who have been financially burdened in the Gulf by America’s selfishness and dependence on oil. So many people right now have had their livelihood taken away from them. People can’t pay their mortgages, their utility bills; put food on their table, all because of oil. And in times like this, people have to start looking at what they can and cannot afford, and make adjustments accordingly. Sadly, the family pet, like it or not, has to become expendable. Families in tears and ashamed that they can no longer pay to put food in the mouths of their four-legged family members are having to take on their last resort by surrendering their beloveds to shelters, which are quickly becoming over-populated. These are not stray animals, or violent dogs, but loving, nurturing members of a family who are scared, confused, sad, and hurt; who do not understand why they’ve been abandoned. They are surviving for now in shelters that kill, so their time here is being cut short, for no reason other than BP not getting their act together. These families have had to put even more stress in their lives by being forced to make a decision that nobody should have to make. It’s truly a terrible situation, not only for the families, but for the animals, too. The fear and terror in these poor dogs and cat’s eyes was enough to not only make me cry myself to sleep, but to see their faces in my dreams all night.



Now, you’re probably wondering why I’m talking about this situation that seems all but helpless. I’m not trying to depress or upset anybody, because I want you to know that there are ways that we can help. Since the need is so strong, the Louisiana ASPCA is looking for foster homes outside of Louisiana, as well as in-state, so please contact them if you are interested. You can also send supplies, like dog or cat food, kitty litter, etc. directly to them, or make a monetary donation. I’m currently looking into the possibility of adopting, although I have not gotten a response at the moment and don’t know if they will adopt to someone thousands of miles away, but the thought of at least saving one animal’s life is worth the effort of finding out, in my opinion. So please, if you are able, see how you can help in this dire situation.




To see the CNN Story (please do), click this link

To Donate to the Tri-State Bird Rescue, click this link

To Donate to the Louisiana SCPA, or see how you can help, click this link