the dignity & beauty of elderly animals

Photographer Isa Leshko has been "travelling to sanctuaries across the country to photograph animals that are elderly or at the end stage of their lives."  Prompted by helping to care for her mother with Alzheimer’s disease, and time spent with an elderly blind horse, Leshko hopes that the photos will help herself and others wrestle with the difficult realities of aging and mortality.  And she also hopes that the images will encourage people to look at animals, especially farm animals, in a different and more empathetic light.

You can read more at Leshko's "Elderly Animals" project artist statement, and view the photos here.  In black and white, they really do capture a unique beauty and dignity of some of the more venerable members of God's animal creation.  Leshko mentions fighting back tears at some of her shoots, in the following short from Walley Films about the project, which in itself is very moving:

Click to read more ...

Eddie the rescued dog and grace

Ellen Painter Dollar is a Christian who writes on "faith, family, disability, and ethics," including the genetic bone disorder which she and one of her three children live with.  She's penned an honest and heartfelt post on her family's rather awkward first two months with a rescued dog named Eddie, who lived in at least three other homes previously, and is extremely shy and often nervous.  Here are just a few lines from "What my Dog is Teaching me About Grace," which I hope you'll have a chance to read in full:

There were times in those first weeks that I was so baffled by this animal and so certain I could not ever understand what he needs, much less provide it, that the foster mom’s offer [to take Eddie back if necessary] was tempting.

Click to read more ...

last minutes with Oden

This short film will almost surely bring you to tears, and even contains a few instances of strong language.  But I promise, if you take just a few minutes to watch it, "Last Minutes with Oden" will be one of the most moving and Christ-imbued moments you ever have the privilege to witness - between a man with a broken past and broken friends, and his cancer-ridden dog who loved him and all of them unconditionally ...

"He showed me, through his example, how to love.  And I loved him. ...

Click to read more ...

tornado miracles

With all of the tragedy and extreme devastation which the rash of recent tornadoes have spawned in Alabama, Missouri, Oklahoma and much more of the South, along with Massachusetts and other parts of the country, thousands of animals have been hurt and displaced as well.  See the preceding links for information on how companion animals in particular have been affected, and about some of the groups working to help them and their owners.

The entire aftermath and recovery effort warrant our prayer and perhaps even monetary or practical help (much more than I've personally contributed in any of those categories, I hate to admit).  I would think that knowing what has happened to lost animals would be a vital part of the process of moving forward for many individuals and families, and the hope of reunion justifiably hard to let go of. 

Click to read more ...

the story of our wolf-dog Casper

I was grateful when Croatian friend and artist Lidija Ivanek (see "The Art of SiLa" and "A Sense of Guilt") offered to write a response to the phenomenon of seeking out wolf-dogs as pets, an issue which she is uniquely positioned to address.  Following is "Kindness with a Touch of Wilderness: The Story of Our Wolf-Dog Casper" ...

As with so many other pets that were a part of my home at some period in time, so it is with Casper now.  Not that I wanted or demanded him exactly, a wolf-dog, he just happened to find a home with me and I accepted him as I did any other of God's creatures that passed through my home.

Click to read more ...

new limbs (and a brace) for pets

As promised, following up on Stephanie's post from a couple of days ago on amazing animal prosthetics, here are a few more stories of pets who were given a new lease on life through incredibly inventive and compassionate technology ...

The first was shared by an old seminary friend, Adam Short.  I was floored when I took in the report of Oscar the cat who lost his back feet in a horrific farm accident, but was given hardly fathomable but amazingly effective new legs by Gordon Blunn of University College London. 

Click to read more ...

amazing animal prosthetics

Many thanks to Stephanie Feldstein of Change.org Animals for sharing this eye-opening post with us, "Five Amazing Animal Prosthetics," which can't help but lift your heart as well.  We'll be following up soon with a couple more stories of pets who have received a similar new lease on life ...

Human ingenuity and compassion have resulted in some incredible second chances for animals. I'm not talking about cosmetic implants like the PermaStay Ear Implant or Neuticles.  These five stories are about state-of-the-art limbs, fins, and beaks that made the difference between life and death.

Click to read more ...

wheelchairs for rabbits

Updated on May 3, 2010 by Ben DeVries

We've had a couple of recent posts praising the companionship of rabbits as pets, but also warning about taking their unique needs seriously and for the long haul (see "Celebrating the Resurrection of Christ with a Season of Suffering" and "The Easter Bunny's Seedy Underbelly").  To exemplify that commitment, above and beyond even the normal responsibilities of rabbit-keeping, I wanted to share a happy story of tremendous compassion and creativity which I bumped into not long ago.

Charles and Kathy Harris of Ponchatoula, Louisiana have a much-loved house rabbit named Bebe, now 9 years old, who two years ago became paralyzed in her front legs due to a rare disability called "splay leg."  Her condition broke their hearts:

"I just kept saying, 'I wish we could do something, '" Kathy says.  "She used to be able to fly through the grass.  That's what made us so sad."

Click to read more ...

seven times seventy: a collie named Max

The following is a beautiful reminiscence of dog fostering by Cindy Crosby, originally featured on Today's Christian Woman's Kyria blog and scheduled to be published next summer in a collection by Revell tentatively titled Great Dog Stories:

I’m a good hater and a slow forgiver.  It took a dog to show me I was wrong.

He was a tri-color, collie-shepherd mix whose whole world was a cardboard refrigerator box with a short kennel run, tucked behind a seedy motel.  A Rottweiler shared the same space.  As the bitter months of winter bore down on Illinois, the two huddled together for warmth.  But a cardboard box isn’t much protection against the cold.

Click to read more ...

the sad story of Oreo

Last winter we ran an extended series on companion animal shelter and rescue efforts, and some of the many dynamics which confront them, including the very vital discussion taking place around the "no kill" ideal.  I wanted to share an important reflection from Nancy Janisch on the same subject, applied to severely psychologically damaged pets in particular. 

You may not agree with Nancy at every point, and from the outside looking in I wonder myself about the availability of other options.  But, as always, she wrestles honestly and graciously with very difficult scenarios, and my hope is that any comments on her post will reflect the same. 

"The Sad Story of Oreo the Dog" begins with a pit bull mix who survived being thrown off a New York City roof last summer, but still ended up being put down by the ASPCA in November for severe behavioral reasons (be sure to read the article to familiarize yourself with all that went into the decision):

Click to read more ...