"Begging!" implores the email messages coming into my mailbox. "Only one leg to fill- please help!" And so it goes for the coordinators who volunteer their many hours setting up amazingly complicated transports shuttling dogs and cats across the northeastern US and into Canada. Animals who currently are housed at shelters that euthanize or ones that try not to but are filled to capacity must leave or die. It's that simple. Along with the information about the legs left to fill- 2 drivers needed for leg 4b from Columbus to Mansfield, meeting place the east side of Walmart at exit 19 for 6 dogs- come pictures and descriptions of the animals- Buddy, a 40 pound black lab, sweet boy, thinks he's a lap dog, travels well- who need a lift. I scroll through the pictures and descriptions of these furry people, animals who would love a person to greet after work or to have their bed on the floor by a little kid's bed, and know that if I- and people like me- don't step up and volunteer some time and gas there won't be a tomorrow.
Sometimes I wonder why animals mean so much to me. Why not orphaned children or refugees who have survived disaster? I don't know. I do care very much about the orphans and refugees and do what little I can for them and I accept that in this life loving animals is what I am to do.
