Creature Thoughts August 2010

Keeping in touch with the animals…
…and the people who love them

A Boy And His Dog

Or a girl and her kitten. Or a toddler gazing in wonder at the hamster scurrying around the cage. Or the excited youngster mounting her pony for a riding lesson. Kids and animals…it’s a natural pairing. Those of us old enough will always see Timmy and Lassie running through the fields together when we think of animals and their natural relationship with children.

Of course, the relationship between children and animals–though the natural instinct to bond is there, and the ability to communicate is something that resides within every child–is one that, if not nurtured properly, can fade, falter, and fail. Children have an inborn ability to connect with their animal friends, but if parents do not guide them toward gentle respect, that ability can drift away. We all know that kids can be cruel–and a child cruel to animals is one that has most often not been taught to see them as valuable companions. If a little person has the right instruction, and adults who believe in the connection and strive to nurture it, he has a much better chance to grow into an adult who is caring and friendly to his fellow living beings.

In my many years working closely with the animal world, I’ve seen the best and the worst of that "parental guidance system". I’ve seen children who are encouraged to handle animals gently, kindly, and to develop special lines of communication. A large grouping of children raised in such a way, in fact, are part of what inspired me to write my Junior Handler Mystery story, The Corpse That Wasn’t There. I want to encourage more kids to develop that kind of respectful bond with animals, more parents to involve their kids in such positive experiences. I have also, sadly, seen parents who have put on blinders as to how their kids are treating animals–sometimes yielding disastrous results. Even the gentlest dog can only take so much of a toddler climbing on its back and poking fingers up its nostrils, after all.

For a number of years, I was a 4-H leader. One of my fondest memories will always be the Christmas Eve Lily, our 4-H group’s favorite Jersey cow, gave birth at 4 a.m. with eleven little faces peering over her stall door, grunting along with every contraction.

Most of the animals I speak to who live in households with children adore those kids. Even in cases were the parents are less than vigilant, the animals still love the kids. Some of them are worried, some even afraid of, the children, but they still not only desire to be safe around them, but to see themselves as part of a happy, loving family unit. In other households, where parents have guided and encouraged the bond, I am privileged to get a small glimpse from the animal’s point of view of that wonderful relationship.

The release of my book by Fehrman Books has had "kids and dogs", or "kids and animals", very much on my mind. I thought I’d take this month to share the pleasure I feel when I see a child free to develop that wonderful bond. I think toward the future, and hope those children who are learning and growing alongside animal companions each day find a place in the leadership of our planet. Developing a bond of kindness with all living things in children gives us hope for a future where that kindness is the norm, rather than the exception.

If you have children in your life (and I know you all have animals in your life!) encourage them to love their non-human friends with respect and gentle handling. Educate yourself on kind methods of training, of animal care, of proper handling, so that you may teach your children likewise. Don’t think of it simply as "little Johnny being kind to Fluffy" … think of it as one small step toward a gentler future for the whole human race.

PS: My apologies if it seems that I’ve been preoccupied with the book lately, but, well … I’ve been preoccupied with the book lately!

Poll Results … "People Readings"

Well, it looks like the results are in, and pretty clear:

• Yes, please! (78%, 25 Votes)
• I think I’d need more information before deciding. (16%, 5 Votes)
• No, continue to specialize in animals. (6%, 2 Votes)

Thanks to everyone who took time to vote! Due to the fact that a number have stated they’d like more information, what I would like to do is accept "people readings" but on a very limited basis. People would have a chance to ask questions and get answers to any issues they may inquire about before scheduling. Pricing, "before the fact" guarantee, etc, would all remain the same as with my animal communication settings. Do keep in mind that this is an experimental process, and we’ll probably be adjusting things as we go along.

Free Help For Our Animal Friends at NELR

Northeast Llama Rescue and Barnyard Sanctuary and New York Wildlife Rescue (an IRS 501(c)(3) charity) accept Paypal donations through their website at http://www.redmaplefarm.net. In addition, we have a totally painless (and free) way for anyone to support the care of the animals we rescue. If you sign up to shop online through iGive.com, at no cost to you, every purchase you make through the iGive gateway will earn a donation for the animals.
To sign up to shop through iGive for NYWRC:

http://www.igive.com/NYWildlifeRescueCenter

And even if you don’t sign up (but why would anyone not sign up since it’s free and painless?), you can still earn money with each internet search you do simply by logging in to the iGive search engine rather than Google or whichever other search engine you normally use:

http://www.isearchigive.com/NYWildlifeRescueCenter

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Links of Interest

• The Corpse That Wasn’t There for Kindle
• Paperback version, coming soon!
• Other eBook versions
• Fehrman Books
• STOLA Store will also carry ‘Corpse’