Stepping Out

February 25, 2015

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We all have a comfort zone. You know that imaginary bubble in our lives where we feel most like ourselves. We all have one. And the thought of stepping out of it can be a scary thing to do. While most of us are quite happy living in this bubble, staying there also keeps us from opening up our minds and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, having a closed mind makes that “bubble” a cage.

As most of you know, I volunteer for Priceless Pet Rescue. They are responsible for some of the best moments of my life and helping me discover my passion. But I bet most of you don’t know who Lisa and Charles Price are. They are 2 of the co-founders of this great organization. You probably don’t know who they are because they are either running their own businesses or saving animals. However, Lisa found time to sit with me last week to talk about this amazing and eye opening rescue she and her husband set off on their own to do…in Louisiana.

Through a lead on a social media page, Lisa caught wind of an animal hoarding situation out in Bienville, Louisiana. Without hesitation, Lisa and Charles set out on their way without knowing the extent of the problem. All they knew was that there were a good amount of dogs that were living in horrible living conditions with zero signs of help from anyone else in their surrounding areas, let alone the country.

Without getting into specifics…let’s just say they faced quite a few obstacles on their way there. There were enough obstacles that would send most people home and everyone would have understood. But when you’re on a mission these obstacles become minor road bumps.

Bienville, LA is a parish with exactly ONE traffic light. The amount of stray dogs that roam in the parish makes our problem here in California look like nothing. There is no animal control and there are no laws when it comes to the animals. The animals there just roam. And the people that do decide to keep these dogs as pets have no access to spay/neuter clinics so dogs just multiply. This is no way makes these people cruel. They just don’t know. I mean, I live in Southern California where people have access to everything and they still don’t know so what makes you think a parish with one traffic signal knows anything about spay or neuter?

They had been talking with the local sheriff in town on their way there and when they arrived, the number of dogs that were being contained on this property was more than they could count. They knew they couldn’t save them all but they took as many as they could. These dogs were not starving. The people on the property were feeding these dogs but had no other means to do much else. They took in 25 beagle mixes out of the more than 75 dogs on this property.

Anytime you do something that helps others, there will be people that wonder why. I’ve already heard the whispers from people about why would Priceless Pets drive over 1600 miles to help dogs when there are dogs dying here in California. And the answer to that question is, why not? The question that sticks out more to me is WHY were they the only rescue that was as involved as they were. Who is to say that one starving animal deserves to live over another. I, for one, commend the Price’s for stepping out of their comfort zone and showing the people in places like Bienville that they’re not alone. While they may be uneducated about animal control, their hearts spoke to them loud enough that this was a growing problem and reached out for help. And they found it…1600 miles away.

Now, this isn’t about who the best rescue is. This is about doing what’s right. This is about realizing that the problem with overpopulation of animals and animal welfare is not an isolated problem. Rescue is not THE solution; it’s only part of it. The more uneducated people are and the more people stay in their bubble, the more animals will overpopulate and die. And if we don’t start educating more people then rescue will no longer be a solution. It will be a losing battle.

After sitting with Lisa, I could tell in her voice and her facial expression that this experience has completely changed her. Not that it makes her want to save animals any more than she already does but she sees the impact one person and one rescue can have. No, she did not fix the situation out in Bienville but she reached her hand out when someone needed help. And this is how change starts. Whether positive or negative, energy is contagious. This 1600 mile trip could possibly spark a domino effect for the better and be bigger than anyone could ever imagine or it couldn’t…but at the end of the day, what did YOU do to help this situation? You can save quite a few lives by rescuing animals but you can save millions by educating people. And if you don’t know where to start, start with the people who want to listen and stop worrying about the people who don’t. People who don’t want to listen will not do so until they’re ready but they are so many people who want to help and don’t know where to start. Start with those people and see how it spreads.

When they got home, they found out 16 of the 25 dogs had tested positive for heart worm and some appear to be pregnant. They are receiving care as you read this but it is not cheap. If you would like to make a donation please go to http://pricelesspetrescue.org/donate.

And I would like to wish a very Happy Birthday to Lisa Price who celebrates the anniversary of her 21^st birthday today!! Thank you for all you’ve done, all you do and all you will be doing in the future!!