Love Divided - Animal Rescue in Los Angeles

Los Angeles is a city like no other. LA 4 Animals Foundation was created to CALL TO ACTION those who care to help stop the killing of – what averages out to be hundreds of adoptable dogs and cats per day in and around the City of Angels!  Many people are waorking to save lives and change LA from being high kill to a model for humane animal care. 
I was warned that many in the rescue community in LA are competitive, don’t get along, out for themselves & all the credit and donation dollars that go along with good will ventures. Truth is, Los Angeles has enough resources, supporters and donation dollars for everyone - if we are doing our jobs right. 

Critical judgment and competition (ego), have splintered the animal rescue and advocacy groups of Los Angeles – to the detriment of those we are all desperately trying to save.

A key to uniting and not staying separate is to remember our similarities instead of dwelling on the differences. Another key is to have integrity and grace, to credit others for their work and ideas - and contribute, not obstruct. I believe if rescues worked together, shared resources and honored eachothers good work – the euthanasia rate would be far lower. 

I've seen people stop doing rescue because of the general demeanor of so many who do it. The situation is so dire and stressful - so many animals need rescue and medical attention, that attitudes often are short tempered and quick to blame.  Someone can do good work for years, and if something unfortunate happens, even beyond their control (which is inevitable dealing with so many animals who come out of shelters sick and afraid) - they get blacklisted. Again, magnifying the negative, and not giving credit for the good that they've done. 

Frankly, if we were fighting a war– we’d lose. Platoons would be fighting about strategies to help those in harms way. The Army would be negative about the Marines, the Marines would hate the Navy, and the Navy would refuse to work with the Air Force. The National Guard would be seen as a bunch of wanna be’s and not taken serious.

We ARE an army fighting a unified enemy – the killing of adoptable homeless pets in shelters, apathy about this daily crisis and the ignorance of the public at large regarding overcrowding in shelters – and how precious life is. Animals truly are ‘the little people’, with all the characteristics of humans, and more. Many consider them angels, I do.

Tactically, efficiency  and morally speaking – it’s the right thing to do.  So everyone put down your grievances, your magnifying glasses and jump off your high horses and roll with the rest of us – there is much work to be done. We are all pieces of the same puzzle. We can stay scattered pieces on the floor, or come together and create a gorgeous tapestry. 

www.la4animals.com