Month: February 2016

It’s bound to happen. You’re out there. You’re speaking up and speaking out. You’re supporting, encouraging, pleading, helping, networking, educating, raising funds and volunteering. You’re spending time, energy, breaks, and vacation. You’re advocating. You’re making a difference. You’re saving lives.

And sometimes you find yourself being noticed for all the WRONG things.

I make it a point NOT to share my personal life on social media. Although I am very social, when I committed to being an advocate for animals in need and created just-do-something.org, I chose to stop using social media for anything but that. I wanted to be known on social media as someone with a very specific course – and that did not include talking about myself, or sharing my life’s updates.

It’s not that I wanted to give off an air of mystery. Or that I didn’t think others would not be interested in my life personally. Rather, I wanted to make a distinct mark on social media and keep the focus off me. Being an animal advocate IS a very personal thing, but, it’s not about me.

With that said, it can sometimes be difficult to be impersonal on social media, especially when others use social media platforms to make things very personal – sometimes intrusive.

Some continue to reach out to me all of our social media sites NOT for the good works I am attempting in Animal Support and Advocacy, but instead to see if they can have a “match made in heaven”, or to criticize something that we shared or posted, or, or, or.

It’s not that I’m hardened to this type of interaction – I’m not. People can be horrible, whether it’s on social media or in person. But honestly, what does it take to get through to some of these people that I’m not interested in a romantic relationship or in arguing over the everyday minutia that isn’t going to matter once the conversation on your Facebook page ends.  Or, the ones who just come right out and state that my efforts are not going to make a difference because, because, because.

I am too busy tearing my hair out over the dog in the next town over that is freezing and hungry, even though local Animal Control says their owners are within the limits of the law.

I am too busy trying to fit Animal Welfare conference calls and meetings around my full-time job schedule.

I am too busy figuring out how every day I can fit more time in the hours that I have to continue to find ways to make a difference for animals in need.

I. am. too. busy.

Do I think that I am more important than the next person trying to make a difference? No.

But I DO feel that it’s NOT okay for someone to push their way into someone else’s circles for their own agenda.

Want to learn about Animal Welfare? Want to hear what it takes to be an Animal Advocate? Want help getting started? Need a resource to help save an animal’s life?

I AM YOUR PERSON.

Want a date? Want to complain about the way your office mate chews gum too loudly? Want to put others down for making an effort?

STOP RIGHT THERE.

Look at my social medial accounts. Read my profiles. See what we are posting and sharing through just-do-something.org. THAT is what I am all about on social media. THAT is what is important, so important, to me.

Want to follow, connect or share? Then make sure, when it’s our social media platforms you are checking out, that you are following, connecting and sharing for the SAME reasons I am.

• To make a difference.
• To save or better the lives of animals in need.
• To encourage and support others to speak on and speak out on behalf of animals in need.
• To educate and inspire others to JUST DO SOMETHING.

THAT is what I am all about on and outside of social media.

There are many people out there who also experience the same kinds of social media issues. Most of them will deal with the nonsense that comes with being connected to well, everyone, and continue on with their own endeavors. But some will cave under the pressure and stress that comes with being known on social media, and change their style do avoid future problems or give up.

If you believe in what you are doing, then, no matter what the roadblock, persevere.

No matter what comes my way, I will persevere.

I am an animal advocate. I. Will. Not. Be. Stopped.

I don’t have a name. I am only one of those that no one cares about. One of those who belong to everyone and no one. One of those who never see a collar, leash or a fence, one of those who are never left home alone waiting for the owners to come from work. People say we are free, but this freedom comes with a high price. Our lives are tough and our freedom stories almost always end up tragically and too soon, either we get hit by a car or we fall asleep forever due to disease, exhaustion and hunger. I am one of those rare few that even gets this far.

I am 8 months old…

This is the beginning of a story I have written years back and won a first prize at a local short story competition. It is a story about my first rescue, a German Shepherd mix that way back in 2003 I brought home with me from my vacation in Sicily. I was 19 years old at the time and that was the first time I realized I could no longer just look away hoping there would be someone else to help her. There was nobody else. I was her only chance of life.

She has been with me through good and bad for the past 12 years. She has traveled half of Europe with me and while traveling through Bosnia, Serbia, Albania, Greece, Macedonia and seeing the horror there that I admit I had to look away countless times. Not for the lack of caring though but for fear of losing my own sanity. I wanted to do more than just save one life so 5 years back I rescued another German Shepherd mix from a local shelter. Still though, is this enough? Can I go to Greece on my annual vacation for the next 20, 30 years and just look away? I thought so, until about 6 months ago Beban came along and changed my life forever…

I was going through a local magazine when I stumbled upon a picture of a 4 months old puppy from Balkans. The photo was small, yet you could see something horrible has happened to him, his skin was missing on many parts of his body and his terrified eyes spoke volumes. I went on to read his story and was horrified. He was tied up by 4 drunk men, beaten by them, then they cut off all his fur and poured acid on him. His small body and all 4 paws were severely burned with acid and there was little chance for him to survive, let alone walk again.

I logged into Facebook for the first time in my life to find contacts on how to help him. After that it just went downhill for me. One link led to another and I found stories of dogs hanged by 11 year old kids, dogs dragged behind cars, dogs killed or mutilated with fire crackers, beaten to death, starved to death, dogs frozen to death. What have I been doing for the past 15 years? Where were my eyes during all those travels through western balkans? How in the world can I go on living seeing those horrible pictures, reading those horrible stories?

I fell into some sort of depression and no matter how hard I tried I didn’t see a way out. I felt disgusted with humans, with life, with myself and everyone around me. I have had my share of problems to deal with before but for the first time in my life I thought it’s all just meaningless. I really didn’t want to live anymore. Not with such pain and desperation I felt. It was the feeling of being completely powerless that was killing me. That fear of losing my own sanity proved to be right on the spot. I have lost it, it took me 3 weeks of crying, self hatred and solitude to be at a stage where I didn’t burst into tears every 2 hours. I went to seek help and understanding with rescuers who all had similar experiences and knew what I was going through. If it wouldn’t be for them I really am not sure where I would be at this time.

Since then I have read hundreds of sad and happy stories. I still cry, I still suffer. And I always will. But what doesn’t kill you truly does make you stronger. Despite occasional tears and depression and more or less constant pain and compassion I feel for all these poor abandoned dog souls…I am okay and I now know I will never turn away again for as long as I live.

I have educated myself regarding the situations in Balkans and dedicated my time to help a small but devoted group of local volunteers in Bosnia. To one of them I would trust with my life so I have no doubt my help and effort goes to the right person. This is my humble attempt to try and change something. I may not save the world but if I save a life of one dog that is the world to him.

What is our mission? Although it is proving to be difficult, we are trying to get to the bottom of the problem and focus on spay/neuter projects which in the long run is the only thing that can help resolve the terrible situation with stray dogs in Bosnia. I try to travel there English translation in Comments. We do however struggle with donations. Sometimes it’s hard to even get 25€ / month that we need to pay the rent for the land. Please do visit their Facebook page, have a look at our work and invite friends.

If someone wants to help me and them or you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact me via my Facebook page, or my Twitter Account.

I saved the best for last. Remember Beban, the puppy with acid burns? He recovered completely and is happily adopted in my hometown. It is stories like this that despite all the horror keep me going.

– Ada Valencic
  Dedicated to helping the strays of Bosnia with the help of donations and local volunteers

So many people lament over being “alone” or “without” on Valentine’s Day.  Being alone does stink sometimes, and being alone on a special day reserved specifically for love, families, and couples can make for a bad day if a person lets it get that far.

If a person is finds him/herself alone on Valentine’s Day; it’s a temporary solo. Maybe your friends or family ARE busy on Valentine’s Day, but the next day, it will be business as usual – you will go back to your normal routine, with the free will to do as you please within your limits and that devastating feeling you had on Valentine’s Day because you were by yourself seems a little less devastating.

And maybe, being alone this Valentine’s Day will motivate you to make some life changes so that perhaps next Valentine’s Day you won’t feel or be so alone.

Take a moment to think about what might at the source of someone feeling so down over being alone on Valentine’s Day. And then take those thoughts a little farther, and think about what it means for a homeless animal or an animal in need to be alone, in general.

For these animals, THEY are alone. They are homeless, they are neglected, they are cold, they are hungry, they are scared, they are anxious, they are – without. COMPLETELY alone and COMPLETELY without.

And those animals in shelters? The majority of them sadly, have a shelf-life. And, being fed and sleeping in a cage is no replacement for a permanent home with a loving family. They are alone.

So, why should you think about them on Valentine’s Day? Because you can JUST DO SOMETHING, that’s why.

Here are some quick things YOU can do to be a Valentine to an animal in need:

• Volunteer your time at a local shelter; even if you are not able to physically walk a shelter dog, you can sit with them, talk to them, touch them, read to them, and/or play with them.
• Many animal interest sites offer options to Be A Valentine on-line for animals. This can mean anything from sponsoring an animal in need, purchasing on-line where proceeds go to animals in need, and/or sending someone an on-line Valentine’s Day Card that heightens awareness of an animal in need or an organization that helps animals.
• Offer to pet sit with someone who is unable to get out often, but has the opportunity to do so on Valentine’s Day.
• Walk over to that neighbor’s 24/7 chained dog and pay attention to him/her.
• Go on-line and help make a difference – all day on Valentine’s Day – by crosspointing, networking and sharing for animals in need.

Animals obviously do not feel MORE alone on holidays. But they DO feel.  Like you, they are very aware of their surroundings, their discomfort, their isolation, and their loneliness.

Yep, being alone for whatever reason, sucks. Whether you are two-legged or four-legged, no-one wants to be or feel alone.

Will doing something to help make a difference to a four-legged lonely soul make YOU feel less alone on Valentine’s Day?  Maybe.  It’s beats sitting around and feeling bad. And in the process, YOU are helping to make a difference in an animal’s life.

Sharing and giving of yourself, no matter what the reason, is the BEST reason to JUST DO SOMETHING (whether it’s just on Valentine’s Day or any other day).

No matter what you are doing this Valentine’s Day, make it a great day in general for an animal in need. You can. We all can.

Last February, 114.4 million people in the United States watched the Super Bowl, making it, as usual, the top-rated television broadcast of the year.

Animal Advocates agree that with the addition of the Kitten Bowl and Puppy Bowl, the Super Bowl is making things a little more SUPER for animals in need because ALL of these animals are shelter animals.

Kitten Bowl III

Last year, more than 100 kittens from California shelters took part in the Kitten Bowl, and EVERY kitten was adopted.

In addition, 35 shelters across the COUNTRY threw Kitten Bowl adoption parties Saturday and Sunday. In the last two years, the parties led to 1,000 dogs and cats finding homes. Hallmark’s Pet Project is an ongoing pet adoption initiative.

This year, there are 44 animal shelters and rescue organizations from across the country participating! The network also partnered with the Pro Football Hall of Fame to honor legendary puppy players and bolster interest in adoption of older animals.

Rescue groups for this year’s participants span 25 states, including, Nevada, Arizona, New York, Virginia, Florida, Illinois, Texas, Tennessee and others – THANK YOU! Animal Planet’s year-wide effort to promote pet adoption has led to more than 3,000 animals finding new homes. Yeah!

Many of those infamous and cute Super Bowl Commercials involving animals also help to spread and heighten Animal Awareness. And, many of the proceeds from them goes directly back into participating local animal organizations.

Win, and win.

So, whether you’re a fan of Super Bowl or not, EVERYONE can appreciate the good it’s doing to promote adoption and awareness for animals in need.

Okay, time to get ready for our Super Bowl party! If YOU are hosting a party tonight, don’t forget to pay attention to YOUR four-legged family members. Keep them safe, de-stressed and make sure their needs are met no matter where YOU are in the game.

What is Geomancy?

When I was introduced to Nicky Crocker it rang a bell but sounded a bit airy-fairy for my liking. But being the inquisitive person that I am (aka nosy) I decided to find out more about it.

I did some research and became fascinated by Ley Lines, Dragon Paths, Fairy Roads and Geopathic Stress Lines.

Remember in the Da Vinci Code how everything ran in lines, all the churches and significant buildings; how it all had meaning. That is the theory behind geomancy. The earth is criss-crossed with magnetic fields that surround it like a cobweb. These fields can be read by a geomancer.

Birds, animals and insects, are believed to use Ley Lines as a guide in their migrations across great distances, as presumably did early humans.

The earth has a natural electromagnetic field (Schuman Resonance), which is the same as our brain waves, of 7.83hz. As the fields pass around the earth they get distorted by underground streams and mineral deposits. Some of the Geopathic Stress Lines can measure up to 250hz which is the worst-case scenario and very harmful to humans and animals. Imagine the heat created by the movement of atoms; bacteria and parasites thrive in these hotter temperatures (150 – 180hz).

How does this affect our animals?

An Example: PET First Aid & Training moved into new premises in September 2014, one of our regular office members is Keira (Laura’s dog). We never thought much of it but Keira would not settle under Laura’s desk. She just could not sit still. Interestingly Laura has had repeated health problems, headaches, colds and now a shoulder injury.

I invited Nicky to our office to have a chat. While she was here she dowsed our office and found two Geopathic Stress Lines, one that ran straight through Laura’s desk and chair.

To locate these lines Nicky used dowsing rods. These are short, straight rods mounted on handles in such a way that the handle is stable but the rod may swing freely: they are held one in each hand, pointing forward to start.

All this was very interesting, but I still had doubts.

Nicky then bought out a Gaussmeter (a meter for measuring magnetic fields). This appealed to my cynical nature as we now had some science to test the theory with.

Before you go any further click on the link to have a look at this quick related video, it took my breath away and opened a whole series of questions.

The Gaussmeter shows the huge difference in the magnetic fields by Laura’s desk compared to mine. If you think about the difference in the speed that atoms move when they are in a high electrical field you start to understand why Keira would be uncomfortable under Laura’s desk.

A lot of animals will naturally avoid areas with Geopathic Stress Lines but if they are confined they do not have the option of moving away. Other animals are attracted to Geopathic Stress Lines and thrive on them because of the heat that is created by the rapid movement of atoms.

React positively: Cats, owls, snakes, bees, snails; even moss, bacteria and fungus. If you want a better honey production move your hive over a Geopathic Stress Line.

Take some time to watch your cat; where are they sleeping? We all know that cats like sunny warm spots like the window ledge. But what if they are sleeping in an area that you know that does not get any sun? I have concrete floors and one of my cats sleeps by the bookcase. No sun, concrete floor??? Not where I would want to sleep if I was a heat-seeking cat. Maybe there is a Geopathic Stress Line running through that part of my house?

React negatively: Humans, dogs, cattle, pigs, hens and sheep. So if your dogs don’t settle in an area, don’t put their bed there.

The example of Keira is very common and throughout history humans have used animals as a barometer for building. In Roman times they would corral sheep in an area that they were going to build; if the sheep did not settle or got ill they would not build there. But if the sheep settled, rested and stayed in good health they would build on that site.

The doors have been opened to so many questions!

Imagine being uncomfortable and potentially sleep deprived because your cage or enclosure is on a Geopathic Stress Line. Could this be part of the issue for the caged dog that has behaviour issues? Can we use geomancy to assist with behavioural issues they may occur due to Geopathic Stress Lines?

How about Zoo’s or any area where animals are contained? The pacing of the bored animals could it be more than boredom?

Could the detection of Geopathic Stress Lines help animal shelters and rehoming facilities ensure that the animals in their care are being kept in the least stressful environment? The happier the animal, the more chance we have of finding it a new home.

Where do we go from here?

After Nicky left we moved Laura’s desk and now Keira is happy to lie next to her mum all day.

I am intrigued, fascinated and hooked on geomancy.

– Joanna Clough
  Director at Pet First Aid & Training (New Zealand)
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