Blog the Change

 

I've been seeing Blog the Change posts around for the past few years and I kept meaning to participate, but it always seems to slip my mind when I'm behind my computer in a mental and physical place I can blog.

Currently I'm in a mental one, but not in a physical one (shhh, yes I am at work, and yes, I should be working, but I so did not want to miss this yet again)

There are so many changes I would love to see made, but most of them are in the faerie godmother stage.. you know, you need to have a magic wand to fix.

But one thing I wish to convey to people is that you do not have to make great big sweeping changes to make a difference.  Every day small acts add up.

Nothing sums this up more spectacularly than a quote I heard on the day of William and Catherine's spectacular royal wedding.  One of the news casters said the full cost of the royal wedding, then said "that works out to about one Pound per person" (the Pound being the currency of the United Kingdom).  One tiny little "Pound".. about a $1.50 US.

If they could do that, imagine what a dollar could do for the homeless animals.

So many of us would like to make giant sweeping grand donations to the shelters (or any of our favorite causes) but we can not afford to.  I know it seems like if you can't do big, there really is no point in doing it.  But it really is the small things done over and over by people who care that make a really big difference.

The change you throw in a collection bin adds up.  The towels you were going to throw away will give comfort and warmth   The extra yarn you had from a project can make a small bed to go in a carrier when a pet is adopted.  A bunch of lettuce will feed many bunnies and small animals. There are things you can donate and if your shelter is so inclined there are things you can craft to donate.  The shelter I foster for has several very crafty women, they make cat beds for sale, jewelry with cats and dogs on it, and most recently some beautiful hand made cards.  You have a new outlet for your craft, and they have a new source of revenue.  See if they have a program for kids, many have birthday parties for your child at the shelter or school break 'camps' where kids get to 'help' the animals while on vacation.

Heck, ten minutes you spend going into a shelter or stopping by an adoption cage in a satellite facility to help socialize a pet will make the pet more adoptable. (yes, I am advocating going in and petting cats or walking dogs as a way to help)  Heck, I've seen people show interest in an animal and it generates more interest, and eventually the right person in the right circumstance sees it and becomes interested.

Share the word of the wonderful pets up for adoption at shelters.

Support your local open admission (aka "kill") shelter.  With out help they are going to continue to be a place where pets go to die, not where they are rescued from.

Give up the fantasy of what you wish you could do and just start by doing something.