words to live by...

"When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one and a lily with the other." - a Chinese proverb

bad trends and sad situations at the animal control shelter...

"The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated." - Mahatma Gandhi

If you can judge a county using the same criteria, then Barrow County has work to do, starting with the resources and attention our community and our county government pay to Barrow County Animal Control.   

The first issue is funding. In 2008, before the economy tanked, the Animal Control budget was $587,000. In 2011, it was $438,500; that's a 25 percent cut in four years. This year's budget is $420,200, an additional $18,300 slashed since last year. During the same period, calls for service remained basically stable at around 4,000 per year. (There were 500 less calls for service in 2011, as compared to 2010.)

This means the people at Animal Control are having to do much more with much less and this is taking its toll on the quality and quantity of services we receive, as well as our public safety. Compare 2011 figures to those from 2010, and you'll see about a 42 percent decrease in vicious animal (179 Vs 313) and cruelty to animal case investigations (271 Vs 453.)

You will also see the number of citations issued cut in half (329 Vs 650.) Court fines (income for the county) fell by 52 percent ($17,494 in 2011; $36, 443 in 2010.) Requests for compliance, were also down 33 percent (444 Vs 718.)

What this means is we are getting less service, both animals and people are getting less protection, and the people at Animal Control are increasingly stuck between a rock and a hard place, due to cuts in payroll funds and overtime allowances. (Salary expenditures for Animal Control have been cut by 24 percent since 2008 and overtime has been slashed to almost nothing.)

Shelter visits were up by 500 in 2011, yet only 32 cats and 183 dogs were adopted during the whole year. Some 617 dogs and 985 cats were euthanized; that is a kill rate of 48 percent for dogs and 82 percent for cats. Of course, no one at Animal Control wants to kill pets. A major responsibility to spay/neuter pets, keep them confined and identifiable (collar, rabies tag, microchip), reclaiming lost pets and adopting shelter pets falls squarely on the community's back.

Yet, there are some things at Animal Control that could be changed to help maximize adoptions and reclaims, such as offering evening or weekend hours. Barrow's shelter is the only one in the area that is only open during working hours - Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri., 8 a.m.-5 p.m. For most people, even visiting the Barrow shelter means taking off work. Realistically, how many people are going to do that?

The Barrow shelter does work with other agencies to arrange rescues. In 2011, 247 shelter dogs went to rescue organizations. Sadly, that was down from 459 dogs rescued in 2010, a 47 percent drop. Cat rescues also fell in 2011, 37 percent, from 459 to 247. Recently, I hear that rescue organizations are having an increasingly hard time transferring animals out of the Barrow shelter. In several incidences, this was because there was no one available to open cages or assist with the transfer paperwork. This is not acceptable, especially given Barrow's high kill rates.

     

Reports of people from the community being treated rudely by shelter staff are also on the rise. I do the "Pets of the Week" feature for this paper, which means visiting the shelter every other week and "talking pets," while out in the community. Sadly, I am hearing more stories that do not shine a positive light on the Barrow shelter visit experience. A look at donations to the shelter also indicates some changes in personnel or policy may need to be made. In 2010, the shelter received $1,275 in donations; that fell to $195 in 2011.  

Let me be clear; I am not criticizing the Animal Control officers or desk personnel. The buck stops higher than that. It stops with the current management and ultimately with the chairman and the board of commissioners. The animals obviously can't speak for themselves, nor can the officers who value their jobs and their benefits. It's up to those of us in the community who care about animals and value public safety, to make it clear to our commissioners that we expect better service from Animal Control.   

Barrow County Roads & Bridges does not have to make a public plea for asphalt donations; nor, do other county departments ask for paper, pens or ink cartridges in order to do their work. Yet, Animal Control makes ongoing requests for basics, such as cat litter and pet food, to stretch their tight budget a little further. Even in a still-troubled local economy, there is much wrong with this picture, especially if you're the dog or cat hoping someone donates food or litter so you can be a little more comfortable until you, in most cases, are euthanized. 

There is only one long term solution to decreasing the local unwanted pet population. It is spay/neuter. Leftover Pets is a local, low cost, non-profit organization providing those services. They also rescue cats and kittens from the Barrow shelter. (ww.leftoverpets.org) Pup & Cat Co. is another local, non-profit rescue that saves animals from the Barrow shelter. (www.pupandcatco.com)  Both could use support. Please, do it for the animals.  

This column was in the 5/16 edition of the Barrow Journal.

"feeling His light on my face..."

"I've found that worry and irritation vanish into thin air the moment I open my mind to the many blessings I possess." - Dale Carnegie

I suffer from what I call "brick-a-brack of the brain." It's the feeling that I have a head full of thoughts, swirling and churning about, and not a one of them is worth thinking. Brain clutter. Noise. I don't know how common this is, but for me it's a near constant state.

Whoever said, "God is in the details," was wrong. Flat out wrong. The details are where the Devil lives, taking our minds off the important things and pricking us with worries, negative thoughts and forgetfulness about our blessings. But, ever so often, the light shines through...    

The other night I was driving back from volunteering as a social worker at Mercy Clinic, a free clinic in Athens, for people without money or insurance. As always, it had been a busy and blessing-filled shift. Many of the clients at Mercy have difficult lives full of challenges beyond their medical conditions. Most of the staff at Mercy is particularly in touch with the Lord. So, you can imagine the miracles that happen there, on an almost  daily basis. I've never been in a place where God's hands are so clearly on everything as they are at Mercy Clinic. Big revelations, small epiphanies, physical and mental healings, spiritual awakenings, all couched in the form of free medical care. It's amazing.

That night I was feeling sad, lonely and a little remorseful. My problems are clearly so small - nothing like a shift at Mercy to make that clear - yet they were overwhelming me. The Devil was along for the ride, pricking my brain with that tiny pitch fork of negativity he uses, telling me to focus on the wrong things, distracting me from looking on the bright side, beating me up for not being in touch with my blessings, making me feel small rather than secure and thankful.

It was raining and I was driving along sobbing, wondering what exactly what I was sobbing about. So, I started praying, more like talking to God, asking him for clarity and calm, a sense of direction and peace, a more clear recognition of all that is right in my life...Sometimes when I do this, I imagine my prayers sound like needy static from an old radio, floating up to Heaven. Other times, God clearly hears and reaches down to calm my heart, slow my mind, and commune with me.    

This particular night He was there and the thought that filled my mind and soothed my sobbing was a simple one. It was that the Lord's love, like the warm light of the sun, is always shining down on me. When I don't feel it, it's not because He's not there. It's because I'm in "brick-a-brack of the brain" mode. My lack of focus, not His.   

That might seem like a minor realization, especially to those who are closer to God, clearer in their faith or more spiritually aware. But to me, it was a new thought and a powerful revelation. He's always there, always. All I have to do to feel his warmth on my face is tune down the static in my mind. Easier said than done, of course, but it's a thought I've been trying to keep close and in many ways He's been helping me.

Relay for Life is coming up and I'm doing a series of stories on this year's honorary ambassadors. There are three each year, people whose battles, fights or journeys with cancer seem to particularly embody the spirit of victory. Last year the ambassadors' stories were fascinating, inspiring, uplifting and encouraging. This year's ambassadors'  stories sound like they will prove to be the same.

The thing about the cancer survivors and their families who I've talked with is how lit up with faith they are, how strong they stand with their Lord, and how He gives them the strength to do things they never, ever thought they could do. There is no "brick-a-brack" in their brains. They have more important things to focus on and their strength, determination and conviction is incredible.

I never liked the notion (1 Corinthians 10:13) that God will not test you beyond your strength. That makes it sound as if people like these strong cancer survivors brought their fight or journey upon themselves by being strong. It also allows people like me to take secret solace in our weakness. The second part of that verse holds the key: "but with your testing He will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.” Problems huge and insignificant, His light is always shining on our faces; our challenge is to remember that.