Thursday, October 11, 2007

For the Animals

Last weekend, I volunteered to help man the booth with coboypbI was only rostered on 2 short 4-hour shifts over the weekend, and I know I wouldn't have the sort of dedication to do it often. Yet coboypb did full shifts for 2 days while keeping the flu bug at bay. And she does it almost on a monthly basis.

There is much to be said about coboypb's commitment to organizing the charity's booth at the various events across the island. It's not just about selling. It's also about the coordination and logistics pre and post event. It's amazing that she has the energy to do this so often while juggling a demanding day job.



I'm not big into animal welfare because that is not my chosen area of charity work. But I'm blessed to have friends who are. They've opened my eyes to another facet of the community. I've seen idiocy, obstinacy and illogical behavior; witnessed senseless rescue without practical considerations; bureaucratic red-tape and rigidity versus openness and creativity. If only there can be a measure of openess. And compromise. Importantly, common sense and responsibility. Have we forgotten?

Psalm 50:10 reads, "For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills."

Jeremiah 12:4 reads, "How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of the whole field wither? For the wickedness of them that dwell therein, the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said: 'He seeth not our end.' "

Is it really necessary to put down all stray animals to make a residential estate sterile and fit into the mould of 'Clean and Green'? Have we not given thought to the idea that cats and dogs roaming the streets are deemed as strays only because they are defined as pets. Are the streets not home to cats and dogs too?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

there's a thin line between urbanization and decimation.

Dawn said...

It's funny - I was asked here how SIngaporeans feel about cats and birds (ie about the possiblity of predation) and I said Singaporeans don't seem very keen on birds in general either!

Anonymous said...

animals are a big deal in sgp, just that we don't seem to have many responsible owners/attitudes...

animals are still treated like disposable toys.

Anonymous said...

alot of passion and dedication go into advocating animal welfare.

it'll be great to couple that with common sense too. lots of people just forge ahead blindly without thinking. and if there's one rational voice saying wait, think, the rest pounce and say that one is not doing enough.

*shrug*