Some of us are more than happy to turn the page onto 2020. This past year, I’ve said goodbye to two dear family members, watched the rains slowly turn my living room ceiling into a sunroof and prayed for my vertebrae to become vertical again. But hidden within these challenges is the chance to learn how I can be the better for them.
While it is good to focus on the monumental work that still needs to be done on behalf of companion animals, we shouldn’t lose sight of the “half full” glass of 2019. Here are but a few of the stories that can help anyone restore their faith in humankind:
In a landmark ruling last August, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) struck down Delta Airlines’ policy of banning dogs by breed. The decision came one year after Delta banned “pit-bull type dogs” as service or emotional support animals after two employees were bit by a pit bull. “While [we are] aware of high profile cases involving pit bulls, airlines have not presented evidence that any particular breed is inherently more dangerous than others,” a DOT spokesperson said. Airlines can still require passengers to provide documentation related to vaccinations and training to determine whether an individual animal poses “a direct threat to the health or safety of others.”
As Hurricane Dorian hovered over The Bahamas, splintering lives and property, Chella Phillips took to the soaked streets in search of homeless animals. By the time she battened down her rattling hatches, Phillips had rescued nearly 100 four-legged friends and brought them home. Phillips’ power went out in mid-storm and her house flooded. But she kept her cool and kept her guests calm by singing to them. Over the past 15 years, Phillips has run The Voiceless Dogs of Nassau, Bahamas shelter which has helped more than 1,000 dogs find homes, many in the U.S. By the time flood waters receded, Phillips’ shelter had received more than $275,000 in donations.
Carmaker Subaru puts its money (and its hearts) where its hatchbacks are. On October 22nd, Subaru established the first-ever Make A Dog’s Day, a national campaign to adopt special needs shelter dogs. Through their 11-year collaboration with the ASPCA, Subaru has contributed nearly $25 million to support the health, rescue, transport and adoption of more than 57,000 companion animals. Subaru’s event reminded us that missing eyes and limbs and advanced age does not render any of us less lovable.
Rather than spending his time dreaming of playing the world’s prestigious concert halls, concert violinist, Martin Agee, plays for New York’s shelter dogs. Agee — a volunteer at the ASPCA Adoption center — had the idea that music could soothe the wounded hearts of abused and abandoned pets. Every few weeks, Agee totes his violin to the shelter and treats his furry audience to Bach, Handel and Mozart. The dogs and cats in attendance crane their necks attentively or strain against the glass partition to get closer to their musical storyteller. Over time, the animals learn that humans can bring good things, vastly increasing the chances that a forever home will be just that.
Staci Alonso, founder of Noah’s Animal House, was nominated one of CNNs Top 10 Heroes for 2019. Opened in 2007 alongside Shade Tree Shelter in Las Vegas, Noah’s provides a haven for the fur-children of abused and battered women who have been given the opportunity to build a new life. The collaborative venture of Noah’s and Shade Tree was the first of its kind in the U.S. After hearing the pleas of a desperate woman who showed up at Shade Tree lugging a cat carrier with her last friend in the world, Alonso decided that a woman should never have to choose between an unbearable past and a future without the love of her fur baby. Alonso’s vow sparked a sweeping movement that has shaped the philosophy and design of family shelters.
Having endured a long and winding legislative road, the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act (PACT) was signed into law by President Trump last month. PACT closes anti-cruelty loopholes by criminalizing horrific acts perpetrated against companion animals. Previously, it was a federal crime to produce videos of the atrocities but not a crime to commit the acts themselves. Re-introduced to the House of Representatives in a bi-partisan effort last February, the bill passed unanimously in the House and Senate before landing on the president’s desk. Apparently, our polarized politicians can agree on something . . .
May our redemptions vastly outnumber our sins in the coming year.