Voice For The Animals

This I Believe. I believe that even though we don’t speak the same language, that it is our responsibility to be the voice and speak for those that have little, or none, the animals we share this great planet with.

Many of us interact daily with animals. Whether it be with our personal pets or driving past horses in the field, or the bird sitting perched atop the electric pole on the way to work.

I grew up on a farm around many animals including horses, cows, dogs, cats, and wildlife. I have fond memories of playing with them, learning to ride a horse, or finding a bird nest with eggs in it waiting to be hatched. I grew older and moved to the city and moved away from all that. No longer did I see the deer from afar in the field, or the pheasants rummaging for food in the tree line. You might call it out of sight, out of mind. As I have grown older, I find I have a true appreciation for the animals and feel compelled to be a voice for them.

The older I get, the more I feel a desire to learn more about them and how to relate to them. I often wonder when I see a bird flying with something in its beak, how long does it take to build a nest, one small piece at a time? Or where do the animals go when it storms and do they understand what it is, or are they just as scared as my dog that is hiding in the closet from the monsoon? Or what about when an animal is hit along the side of the road, how does that affect their family structure? Was it the father out gathering food for the family and who will do it now?

I look at the growth of the valley and wonder how much consideration is taken in for the wildlife that is living in the open desert that is slated to be the 1,000th strip mall in Arizona that looks just like the one three miles down the road? I look at the cattle in their pen on the farm down the street and wonder if they have ever experienced any sort of a pet or kindness from a human being? Taking that one step further, I wonder how many people make the connection that the little calf or chicken that they and their kids visit at the petting zoo, is the same species as the on their plate for dinner? Or how many people that visit a zoo fully understand that these animals will never again be able to live within their own natural environment.

Everything counts. From the mosquito you swat away to the dogs or cats or birds or fish that share your home. They all deserve a voice and need your voice. This I Believe.