Animal Welfare

I stood in my kitchen last Tuesday, explaining to my dog why I couldn’t take him for a walk right that second. Full explanation. Complete with hand gestures. He sat there, tail thumping against the floor, eyes locked on mine. I felt good about it—I’d communicated, right?

The dog appeared at our back gate on a Tuesday morning, ribs showing through matted fur, one eye swollen shut. My neighbor Jim saw it first. “Damn stray,” he muttered, grabbing his hose. “I’ll get rid of it.” But before he could spray,

There’s something magical about the moment a rescue dog first trusts you enough to fall asleep in your lap, or when a cat chooses your shoulder as their favorite perch. These creatures, who have every reason to be wary of humans,

There’s something magical about the way a dog greets you after a really hard day—tail wagging, eyes bright, completely oblivious to your failures or frustrations.

My first lesson in true compassion came during a volunteer shift at the local animal shelter. I was assigned to a corner kennel where a dog named Max had been living for months, overlooked by adopters due to his age and timid demeanor.

Have you ever locked eyes with an animal and felt an inexplicable connection? I recently experienced this with a rescue dog at our local shelter. As I approached his kennel, our eyes met, and time seemed to stand still.

Have you ever experienced an unexpected moment of connection with wildlife that left you in awe? Last week, while hiking in a nearby nature reserve…