Animal Aid Unlimited
Dear John,
I am so touched by your kindness in donating to Animal Aid Unlimited. We’ve received your donation as a personal gift to the animals—those now in the shelter and for the animals on the Indian streets right now who need urgent relief. You are helping them.
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The faces of the animals, whether dogs, calves, bulls or donkeys, you’ve undoubtedly pictured in your mind (and your heart) a thousand times. Their eyes plead, and it is really haunting, I know that. But your practical help is what transforms the pleading into relief, into healing and joy. I hope I can help paint you a picture of that joy in coming letters, and in this one too. You are a part of their healing now.
Every day 20 or 30 new animals arrive for usually-urgent medical treatment. They’ve been hit by cars, or wounded in a fight, or attacked, or caught a virus, or have cancer or kidney failure. Sometimes they’re orphaned babies, and sometimes they’re just plain old and can no longer find the strength to look for food.
From the moment they see our rescuers coming, many of them seem to visibly surrender into the arms of people they would probably ordinarily flee or ignore. But in their desperation there is a melting, even from the first moments. You can see it in so many of the videos. Even the most shy and fearful enter into a new dynamic of trust. I think it’s what I personally love the most—just seeing a beautiful “someone” who has lost his or her independence gain the new world of trust in others, and enters into a new world of safety, comfort (and we all know how good it feels simply to feed a hungry angel)-- and love.
In this region many people come from a farming background and never viewed animals as pets. They were—and for many are—means to a material end. Pet guardianship is still pretty rare. But after 15 years of street animal rescue and community education we are definitely seeing both the compassion in people that once lay buried and unexpressed; and we are also part of an extraordinary transformation. Udaipur is now a community of more animal protectors per capita than anywhere else in India—we get 50 rescue request calls a day now. We used to get 3 or 4 a week. People right here are changing. They want to help and we’re giving them a powerful way to help. You are part of what is changing them.
Thank you, John, for being such a powerful and vital friend to animals. They need you; you feel it, I know, and you’ve answered their plea for help. For you, it wasn’t a silent plea, it was a call you heard with your heart.
