A dog named Charlie spent 3 days trapped in a 40-foot-deep cave … next to a sleeping black bear. Charlie got trapped in the extremely narrow cave shaft, requiring the rescue efforts of “rope rescue technicians” from multiple fire departments across Tennessee. They monitored the bear so that they could safely rescue Charlie once the bear had left the cave. Thankfully, Charlie was safely reunited with his guardian. [1]
Any guardian knows that companion animals are truly members of the family. Countless stories show us the profound bond between humans and dogs and cats, drawing attention to the extreme lengths to which individuals go to save their companion animals from danger.
Humans Stepping in to Save Animals
1. Rafa the cat had gone missing, and his family was incredibly alarmed when they could hear his meows coming from a storm drainage pipe near their home. Rafa was 50 feet away from the entrance, forced to stand in the freezing water. While it was only a few inches of water, a storm was expected soon, which could have proven fatal for Rafa. Thankfully, the Seattle Public Utilities’ Drainage and Wastewater First Response Crew, along with Rafa’s guardians and dedicated neighbors, were able to remove a section of the pipe and rescue Rafa. [2]
2. An animal control officer in Laredo, Texas, noticed smoke coming from an area of the animal shelter where the cats were housed. A fire had started, and he knew he had to take action quickly to get the cats out of the steel cages. He bravely acted without waiting for the fire department to arrive, and managed to rescue all 45 cats! [3]
3. A 26-year-old marathon runner, Sarah Bohan in Chicago, sacrificed her personal best time in order to rescue a stray kitten. At mile 21, she spotted the tiny white kitten on the pavement. She could tell that the kitten had suffered neglect–-their fur was matted, they had marks beneath their eye, and they were meowing with distress. She took the kitten into her arms, and made sure that the kitten was brought to safety. She ended up running the marathon 19 minutes slower than her personal best, but has no regrets. “I didn’t care about the race at that point,” said Sarah. “I was just like, ‘This cat needs someone, and I might have to be that person. And I’m okay with that because that’s my responsibility.’” [4]
Are All Animals Worthy of Rescue?
The stories above detail the lengths that humans will go to rescue their companion animals, but also homeless animals that they do not have a personal relationship with. All animals deserve the chance to live, and deserve to have people advocating for them to be treated with kindness.
Stray animals didn't ask to be born into a life where they are faced with constant struggle and suffering.
As innovative and empathetic beings, we have both the opportunity and the obligation to address the crisis that humans have created.
Stop the Suffering Before it Starts!
The stray overpopulation crisis means that hundreds of millions of animals will be born into a world without the human care they are dependent on for survival.
That’s why 600 Million Dogs is working to address the crisis right at the root of the issue.
Our mission is to end the number one cause of suffering and death for dogs and cats -- overpopulation -- by developing a permanent-lasting birth control cookie that will only need to be eaten one time, and it will in effect spay or neuter -- without surgery.
Compassionate humans go to great lengths to rescue individual animals from suffering. But we must also work to stop the suffering before it begins. Through innovative, effective animal birth control measures, we can prevent entire future generations of dogs and cats from suffering!
Thanks for caring about animals!
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