Inspire

Michael had spent his entire life at the end of a chain. Now 16, the Spaniel-cross caught the eye of someone who felt sorry for him and took him home, but couldn’t manage his care. He had a massive tumour on his back-end; was totally crippled with arthritis; had end-stage cardiac disease and a grade 6 heart murmur.

Cape Town is a beautiful city. Ringed by a flat-topped rise called Table Mountain, Arcadian wine country, and a wide open sea that stretches to Antarctica, it’s a favourite of European vacationers and draws comparisons to San Francisco. The drive from the airport into town, however, isn’t pretty. The N2 highway runs along a length of one of the ugliest stretches of the city: the township or informal settlement called Khayelitsha.

Before my bags are unpacked, I have fallen in love with Jack. I’m not surprised, really. I knew as I was preparing for my trip to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, location of the National Geographic Channel’s DogTown, that I would want to scoop some new pals to add to my ever-expanding ark. Somewhat aloof, Jack only warms up to me after the second sweet potato snack. Admittedly larger than most animals I have approached in the “can-I-be-your-friend” crouch, he is nonetheless dainty as he takes the rumpled chew from my hand. The fact that people who eat with boorish abandon are called “pigs” strikes me as ironic when I look at Jack. For, though one of the sanctuary’s 21 pot-bellied residents, Jack’s polite manners exude all things gentleman. I quickly suspect similar epiphanies might end up being a theme over the next few days. After all, this place breathes transformative magic.

Old Dog Haven is the last hope for death-row shelter dogs that most potential adopters breeze on past without a glance. The animals targeted by Piper are eight to 17 years old. The plain truth is that senior dogs who land at shelters have a near zero chance of survival. While shelters do the best they can to place older animals, going so far as to offer discounts on the elderly in some cases, or providing scholarships for medical bills, it’s still an uphill grind. Even minor medical costs and inconveniences such as the ongoing need for basic prescription drugs thwart an animal’s chance of being adopted.

An amazing two-legged dog provides hope and inspiration

Whatcom Humane Society, located near the Bellingham International Airport, has animal control contracts with local governments to serve a population of about 85,000 people, but the shelter will accept animals surrendered from owners living anywhere. In 2006, almost 3,300 animals were accepted into the tiny, dilapidated facility staffed by 16 people. The non-profit organization is assisted by 75 volunteers. The kennels have no access to sunshine or fresh air, and barking dogs blast out a cacophony of noise. Areas for exercising and socializing animals are nearly non-existent. Most animal shelters (including WHS) receive no government funding with the exception of what amounts to break-even animal control contracts. They depend entirely on donations to survive.

Though rescue groups and shelters are, more often than not, known for sparring, in San Francisco, cooperative rescue relationships have earned the city a reputation as a mecca for animal rescuers, a place to go to be inspired by community involvement and creative solutions that are saving animals’ lives.  

If you want to cause a commotion in any psychology department or any other place where animal and human behaviour is studied, all that you have to do is to claim that your dog loves you. Skeptics, critics, and even some ardent supporters will pour out into the halls to argue the pros and cons of that statement.

It was seven years ago that I first encountered the teachings of Eckhart Tolle. I was at a crossroads in my life, unemployed and searching for the next path I should take. I decided to enroll in an entrepreneurial course and it was there, sitting in that classroom, that I first heard a passage from The Power of Now. I'll never forget the words, as I knew without a doubt that something very significant had happened to me. I went out and bought The Power of Now, followed by several of Tolle's other books. I keep them close at hand and frequently refer to them. I never put one down without having gained deeper insight into myself, my relationships, and the world around me.