7:47 PM When I was a little girl...

I wanted to live in the jungles and live with the animals. As I grew up I decided that I should catalogue and photograph these animals. Dian Fossey was my heroine. She wasn't a perfect person by any means, but she touched my heart.

I chose my college based on a few things, but one of them was their biology program. I knew I needed to have a strong background in biology to land a job as an Ethologist. Unfortunately, I wasn't cut out to stay on that path, or even in school. I am happy with the path my life has taken, but occasionally I reminisce and wish I had buckled down and stayed with my original dream.

National Geographic is one of those publications that often pulls me back into my old dream. Mostly because it was my Absolute dream to have my work documented by its renowned photographers. Incidentally, when I left biology for photography study, National Geographic was still my ultimate goal. And I guess I can even say that as an aspiring writer plublication in National Geographic continues to be my ultimate goal.

This week there are two stories which have touched my dreaming heart. First, the images of the newly born white lions were an incredible sight to behold. I mean, Look at those Faces!!! Who wouldn't want to spend their entire life studying those!!!



Then this story from National Geographic caught a hold of me. I have a hard time coming to terms with much of China's politics as well as their lack of animal welfare policies. However, this one bright light in the face of the tragic earthquake touches me. It gives me hope to know that there is Someone out there who is trying to save these animals. She can't save them all, that's for sure, but she's still trying.



I've often said that my work volunteering in cat rescue is bound to be preparation for something great. The great thing is that I recently realized that it has prepared me to teach myself many things about animal behavior. These are the very things that I dreamed to do in more exotic locations. In my career as a foster I have watched, waited, and problem solved my way into making various cats ready for adoption. And soon I will be undertaking a project with my neighborhood feral cats that isn't too unlike the work that Dian Fossey did when she began cataloguing those silverback gorillas.

Isn't it strange when you actually do realize your dreams in such round-about ways that you didn't notice?

7:52 PM Horse Slaughter news

Today a blogverse friend posted some news on her personal blog about Horse Slaughter. I grew up with horses and still have one in my hometown on my dad's land, but unfortunately I can't afford to have him here with me in the big city. I am a little ashamed to say that I've not been keeping up with this issue as much as I should. I need to change that. In the meantime, here's a plea for help and the links that were rovided today for your information as well as mine.

Suffolk Downs Race Track has implemented a zero-tolerance policy on horse slaughter!

BLM intends to euthanize Mustangs.

Congressmen Rahall and Grijalva, at least, have questioned the BLM.

Remember, everyone, we STILL do not have The Horse Protection Act through and we need it. Horses are still going to Canada and Mexico, which is especially horrific in cruelty, every day. Until we get not only slaughter stopped in the US for good but also transportation for slaughter outlawed our horses are in danger. And, yes, that means EVERY horse because most stolen horses end up in slaughter! Please talk to your Senators and Representatives again!

7:44 PM Rescuers - not all of the same mold.

There are many people in this world who have big hearts and want to do the right thing by abandoned and neglected animals. Many of them volunteer for rescues, a few start rescues, and several just go it alone in the pursuit of finding a good home for a wayward animal. Each has their heart in the right place. Each is attempting to do the right thing.

Unfortunately, it is a fact of life that millions of animals end up in shelters and rescues every year. Some are given up because their families no longer care. Some are Rescued from their horrible living situations. And some families feel as though they have no recourse for whatever reason. It is not my place to judge on those reasons. I do not wish to write a handbook on how to give up your companion animal, but in my years of working with rescue, I have seen a few cases where giving up an animal was absolutely the Best course of action and I do feel for those involved. It is because of this that I am going to give a little insight on what to look for if you find yourself in a situation where you can no longer care for your companion. Because unfortunately, not all rescuers are made the same and just as I have witnessed successful surrenders and happy endings, I have also witnessed surrenders to people who should never be involved with rescue and I feel a responsibility to people who truely have legitimate reasons to part with their companions to throw some insight on the sea of options.

The most important thing in finding someone to take your animal is to do some research. Not every rescue or shelter is a no-kill shelter. The rule of thumb is that many rescues are no-kill, but not many shelters are. So know where you are sending your animal before you take them there.

The second thing is to look at the facility. If you are truely forced to give an animal up and you are concerned about its wellbeing afterwards, make sure the facility of the shelter/rescue is to your liking. A dirty facility can be a sign of laziness, which can lead to illness in the animals housed there. Neither of those is a good trait for a rescue/shelter. Also, watch how the employees and volunteers are interacting with the animals in the facility. Not all of them are there because they want to help animals. Some are there because it's a paycheck. And some are even there because they have community service to do. Shelters and rescues are not always the most glamourous of job opportunities, so we often have to rely on low wage employees as well as whatever volunteer help we can get. Supervision of volunteers is essential, but keep in mind that low revenue equals low staffing and makes constant supervision nearly impossible. In the rescue I've participated in, I've seen both good and bad community service volunteers. I've also seen both good and bad paid employees. So look around and pay attention. If your gut says no, listen and go somewhere else.

If you happen to be advertising your animal on a classified page for adoption yourself, please, Please be aware of who is taking possession of your animal. This goes for both adopters and rescuers. If you find someone to adopt your animal, Always interview them extensively about how they will care for the animal. And if it is possible, grab a friend to go with you for a home visit to make sure it is going to be a safe, well-prepared home. Just speaking with someone on the phone isn't always a good indicator of a good pet owner. I would also advise the same thing for any rescuer who contacts you. In fact, I would go further to say that you should ask for references from any rescuer that contacts you. The reason being is that there are big hearted people out there who say they are "rescuers", but are in fact Animal Hoarders. Your animal is Not Safe with an Animal Hoarder. If you find any signs of a rescuer being an animal hoarder, not only should you decline thier help, but you should remember who they are and mention their name to whatever other rescue you finally settle with. In some cases, rescues keep tabs on hoarders if they are well known and are not supposed to be collecting anymore due to legal issues.

There are also kind hearted rescuers who aren't necessarily Hoarders, but they lack the financial capacity to care for the animals they rescue. Many rescuers live from penny to penny, but the good ones always know how the next vet bill can get paid. Or they have an agreement with a vet to pay as they can if they are short. Your animal is equally as unsafe in this situation as they would be with a hoarder. Not because the rescuer is mentally ill, but because the animal will surely not receive the medical care it needs should it become sick or injured. You may even receive a phone call from the rescuer to take the animal back should this happen. At that point, you could end up with an animal in horrible shape and in serious need of rather expensive medical attention. Since the point of sending an animal to a rescue is to find a better home than you, yourself, can provide, this kind of behavior from a rescuer is completely unacceptable.

You can easily find out if a rescuer is a Hoarder or financially able by asking for references, especially if one of those references is a Vet. Other rescuers can sometimes be good references and other times may not be. Not all rescuers network very well and sometimes the rescuers who network together are as bad as the one you are asking references for. It is difficult to tell just from a fellow rescue reference. Adopters are excellent references as they are often willing to be honest if they received an animal from the rescuer who wasn't cared for properly. They are also often more than willing to tell you all about the fantastic experience they had if the rescuer is a good one.

When you find yourself needing to re-home your companion, it is a hard decision. I can only hope that anyone would think and re-think and then maybe even re-think again 10 times over before they come to this conclusion. Animals are our companions. They bond to us and are most secure when things seem well and stable. Putting an animal out of your home and into a rescue or a shelter is traumatizing. Please do not take their feelings and well being lightly. Please make sure you do everything that is in your power to provide a safe haven for them while they are waiting for their new Forever Home.

8:13 PM The Fall & Mongol

This weekend I treated myself to the movies. I rarely go anymore because I rarely have a movie buddy. This is going to change. This summer will be dedicated to conquering the "lonely movie goer" phobia. Actually, seeing a movie in an arthouse theatre isn't so bad. Half the people there are alone. But for some reason I just can't muster the will to go to a mainstream theatre alone. I must conquer this fear over the summer.

This weekend, however, was all arthouse films. On Saturday I went to see The Fall by myself. Then on Sunday some friends joined me to see Mongol.

Both movies were fantastic! The Fall is a true art movie. It is centered around a wild story told to a little girl and seen through her imagination. Thus the colors and imagery is bold and fantastical. The actual story of the little girl and her storyteller is both sweet and tragic. There is some serious emotion near the end, although you know what is coming because the movie makes no attempt to hide the fact that their friendship is a tragic one from the very beginning. This is not a movie for everyone. Costumers will love it because it is colorful and innovative. Artists will love it because it is colorful and innovative. Storytellers and lovers of stories will love it because both stories are told very beautifully. A person who is not a fan of arthouse films may not quite enjoy it as at times it can seem more of an art piece than a movie. I really enjoyed all aspects of it. I even enjoyed the over the top performances by some as it was appropriate for a child's imagination. In all, I thought it was brilliant!

Mongol is a movie that will appeal to Many! I am still confused as to why it is only showing in arthouse theatres. Mongol was nominated for the foreign language Academy Award this year. Like Braveheart, it is a war story. Like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, it tells an epic story. It was beautifully shot and wonderfully acted. The story was easy to become immersed in. I am hoping that it will have a strong showing in arthouse theatres and will then receive wide release so the rest of the world can see it. There are some interesting films coming out of Russia these days. I am actually quite interested in seeing how Russian cinema develops as we've not had so much exposure of Russian cinema over here in the U.S.

Mongol tells the story of the little boy, Temudgen, who became Genghis Khan from about age 10 to just when he begins taking over all of Mongolia. There is a huge undercurrent of love and loyalty running throughout the film. We are all led to respect Temudgen from the very beginning and that sets the tone for wondering What on Earth could have made this young man grow up to be the terror that we were all told about in our youth. The movie is a fantasy. There are historical elements, but as far as I can tell it never claims to be an historical account. But where it loses in accuracy, the story is so engaging that by the end you are compelled to read up on what Actually happened.

And then there's the added bonus of the amazing soundtrack. I've spent most of my morning listening to Mongolian folk music. It's very interesting stuff. And I think that this movie will usher in a surge of interest in the history of the Mongolian people and their culture. In my eyes, this is a very good thing. I know that when I was growing up, most of Mongolian history was glossed over. It will be nice to have a new reason to get ourselves and our children involved in a little known culture. I think so anyways.

7:54 PM Garlicky Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Herbs

Recently I made my very first attempt at roasting a tenderloin on the grill. I was Very pleased with how the recipe came out! And even better, it was Easy.

The recipe comes from Food & Wine. The chef providing the recipe is Jeri Ryan.



You can find the whole recipe here

This tenderloin was so luscious. Since it was my first I was worried that I would either over cook it or that people wouldn't like it since roast tenderloin is supposed to be cooked medium rare. To my absolute joy, the guests went crazy over it. Compliment after compliment was given over the recipe. I only wish I could have afforded the whole 4 lb recipe instead of having to scale it down to 1 lb.

If you make this recipe and enjoy it, please go back to the Food & Wine website and give them a review. Recipes this good deserve many acolades!

8:11 PM Could this be good news for DFW air quality?

As a person who has recently been a passenger for mass transit, anything I come across mentioning improvements to said transportation perks my ears right up. I reside where mass transit is on nearly every corner. However I work where mass transit is here, there and maybe not. Having a car for me isn't just convenience, sometimes its a necessity. Trips to the grocery store are not viable unless I'm only buying dry goods as the only stores on my route are the ones across the street from my office. But that doesn't mean that I don't look forward to more improvements to mass transit. Oh no. I get excited when I hear that we're getting more train lines and that employers are further being encouraged to purchase transit passes for their employees. I think that if we could get over our cars we'd all live a little better. But mass transit has to be better before we get over our cars.

In this week's Dallas Business Journal there is an article about a possible new ordinance that is being discussed. Some cities want to restrict car traffic.
http://dallas.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2008/06/23/story1.html

Part of me sees the word "restrict" and it makes me squint my eyes with mistrust. I'm one of those who despises Smoking Bans because I feel that people should be allowed to do whatever they want to do provided it is within the law. We are in America, after all. But then the person in me who is constantly worried about oil prices and how we will sustain our energy needs sees this as just the thing that could push enough people over to using mass transit that could make Some Sort of Difference!

And in the process it makes me wonder why on earth it takes this much work and legislation to get people (including myself) to submit to what is right for us.




The latest addition to my line of car ownership is the First to have been made in this new millenium. So it's the First to have any sort of decent gas mileage.

7:41 PM Sometimes people make my skin crawl

Today I was notified that a particularly creepy man was back out in the world doing what he does best. Capturing and hoarding animals.

Following is a link to a news story about it. This story is very brief and I am linking to it as opposed to my local news because eventhough this man is abhorrent to me, I'm a little nervous about splashing his face on my blog. If you'd like to see him so you can identify him yourself, I believe you can easily google his name.

http://www.boston.com/news/odd/articles/2007/07/31/dead_cats_found_after_high_speed_chase/

The rescue community was told today that this man was spotted in a Far North Metroplex city trying to adopt a cat "for his mother." He was turned away because nobody in rescue allows someone to adopt an animal for another grown person in the family. It's just not done. However, the following week he returned to the place where he had been turned away and someone recognized him for who he was and told him to leave. This week he was spotted hanging around a feral community by the person who cares for said feral community. This time, the police were notified.

What really gets me is that this man will continue to collect animals because it is his compulsion to do so. I believe he is mentally ill. I cannot say so for sure as I am not his physician nor have I counseled him, but I have been involved with a rescue that has tried to help him in the past and I have had the misfortune of being on lookout at the address of the shelter and location of our Adopt a Pet events for him with my cell phone ready for 911 as he has previously threatened harm upon our rescue. A person who truely loves and is "for" animals does not threaten to harm them when things don't go their way. These are the actions of a mentally ill person. And I wish whole heartedly that there was something we could do to put him away for the good of all the community animals. But since he has yet to harm an animal with clear intention of harm, there is simply nothing that can be done. So those of us in the rescue community continue to report sightings and keep counts on our animals. I guess this means that I should actually start cataloging the strays in my neighborhood so I can keep track now. I would hate for any one of them to be snatched up by him.