Be a Valentine for an Animal In Need (From Janet)

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.