Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Animal war refugees in Israel and Lebanon need help

Life at Rikki's sometimes gets complicated. Water lines break, supplies run out, people who offer to help never show up. When it gets hot, dirty and difficult taking care of hundreds of animals we can forget how good we actually have it. Whatever crisis we face each day, we don't have to rescue and care for animals while bombs are dropping over our heads.

Each year, thousands of animals become war refugees. Over the last few weeks, fighting in Israel and Lebanon has left hundreds of pets abandoned and shelters filled to the breaking point. Animal rescue volunteers in Israel and Lebanon have risked their lives from day one to get the abandoned pets, shelter animals, and animals locked in zoos to safer locations, and to set up feeding stations for the animals they can not move.

If you would like more info on the groups that are working to save the animals in this area, check out:

http://www.israelanimalallies.blogspot.com/ -- for updated info on the players involved in Israel (news is posted in English and Hebrew)

and for news from Lebanon:

http://beta.beirut.com/ -- rescuing pets and zoo animals. (This group is not affiliated with peta.)

A Problem with the Well

Posted by Kerry through Flickr



On Monday, August 31, you heard my plea for a plumber. A plea that went unanswered. As so many of mine do. It must be God's plan to teach us self-sufficiency here at Rikki's Refuge. The first issue of the day, every day, is to take care of the animals. Water. Food. Cleanup. Of course, the medical crew is working at the same time also. Kevin and Basil were ready to go to work making sure everybody had enough water. Jonathan showed up to volunteer and help. There were only minor groans, when they heard the well was producing no water. They grabbed a truck and went off to retrieve stored water. Soon all the animals were getting fresh water for the morning.

Joe was peering down the well, grumbling all sorts of obscenities, when Kenny showed up to volunteer for the day. Knowing it would take several people to work on the well, Kenny jumped in with the watering, feeding and cleaning so we would get done earlier than usual.

Well before noon, all the animals were happily snoozing in the shade, and Joe, Kenny, Kevin, Basil and Jonathan were ready to get to work on the well.

Joe and Fran pulled up a chair, and took their supervisory positions.

The pressure switch was repaired. But still, there was no water. The well was primed, and the water began to run slowly. The real problem had to be 30 feet below.