Saving just one animal won’t change the world, but the world will change for that one animal

It only takes a moment to feel. Just drop your attention to your body and from there, perceive. This cuts through some of the mind chatter and justifications, and for just those few moments, you might feel your body and your emotions without much of a filter, without so many distractions.

What if we all practiced this kind of more direct experience now and then? My guess is that the world—and our treatment of people and animals—would be kinder, our actions would be more intentional.

Here’s one example. The man waited in line at his favorite lunch stand on a busy city street in Philadelphia. He noticed the stray dog, again. He’d seen him on other days but hadn’t given the dog much thought beyond: oh well, survival of the fittest. The skinny dog sidled up to the lunch stand, sniffing the fragrant food and looking up at the people in line, hopeful. Those in line and the passersby ignored the dog. It’s easier and more convenient not to pay heed.

On this particular day, the man looked into the eyes of the dog and recognized something familiar, something like kinship, connection, and he felt empathy. He broke off a corner of his sandwich and held it out for the dog, who took it gingerly, swallowed it without chewing, and looked up at the man expectantly. The man pulled out his cell phone, and searched for and dialed the number for a local animal rescue.

The man sat down on a nearby bench, and the dog followed a few respectful steps behind him. He held out another piece of his sandwich to the dog, who ate it and wagged his tail. Over the next while the man gave the dog the rest of his sandwich in tiny pieces. A small white van pulled up and parked, and a uniformed woman climbed out. She glanced at the man, nodded to him, then crouched down and extended a treat to the dog. As the dog took the food, the woman spoke softly to him and slipped a leash over his head. The dog sat down at her side and looked up at her as if to say, what’s next? The woman asked the man if he’d seen the dog in the area before, made a few notes on her phone, and thanked him for caring enough to make the phone call. She slid open the side door of the van, and the dog jumped in, happily. Off they drove.

The man bought another sandwich, this one for himself. As he walked away, chewing thoughtfully, he felt good.

Compassion in action:

When you see a dog or cat that appears to be lost, hungry, or in danger of injury (like on a street), contact help. To find a list of local rescues and shelters, add in your town/area towns in the following link: Identify local rescues in your area (while the site is focused on adoption, this link lists rescues by locale).

You can also go to google.com and type in:SPCA near meor animal rescue near meor animal control near meor animal services near me

Thoughtful, weekly stories about animals, nature, and what it means to be human: https://thekindlife.substack.com/