Kaos was moved to her foster home today, which was a huge relief to myself and many others, but no more so than to JG, who spent untold hours on the phone and computer making this happen.
She tells me, quite modestly, that this was a “must do” situation, and that she had no choice. I see it a bit differently. I look at JG’s action and I see selflessness, compassion, and determination. Many, many people in her shoes would have said “Oh well, I wish I could do more, but I’m too far away. I tried to help out, but Benedict failed her. I hope she gets adopted.”
In other words, the path of least resistance.
But, JG owned this situation, and took a big hit in the pocketbook to save a life very worth saving. And in my view, she’s a hero for not giving up when giving up would be easier.
My honey and I are going to contribute some gas funds to the kind gentleman who took Kaos from the shelter and to her temporary quarters. But more funds are needed. Kaos went to foster care today with a possible case of kennel cough, so there might be more vet bills in the future.
As I mentioned before, go to NYC GadgetGirl and let JG know what you want to donate, and how. And even better, if you’re interested in providing a forever home to this sweet, affectionate, and well-trained baby, say so. Kaos deserves a home where she will be cared for consistently, and with love. No one can tell you better how extraordinary this dog is than JG; she’s had the pleasure of seeing her soft eyes in person. Kaos is very people-oriented and wants nothing more than to please. Need proof? Go see the photographic evidence- it will melt your heart.
Thanks to all of who have helped already. I guarantee your Karmic burdens just got a bit lighter.
Technorati Tags: Kaos, shelter, bills, donate, forever home
Instead of spending all this time and money to save an animal, wouldn’t it have been better to funnel those resources into finding Benedict, the human.
I’ve just never understood the anthropomorphizing of dogs and find it curious that someone who’s obviously as generous and kind-hearted as yourself would focus that goodness on beasts rather than on man.
Hi Chris.
Benedict is homeless. We have no idea who his family is, or how to effectively find someone without a permanent address.
Also, may I remind you, Benedict can make choices- Kaos, who is HIS CHARGE, cannot. She is much like a child, and cannot defend herself. My feeling is also that anthropomorphizing is not healthy. Kaos is not a person, but a domesticated animal. And the domesticated part means that we, as people, have made the decision to take care of those animals we domesticate.
Some people choose to work with social services revolving around humans. Some of us choose to work with animals. Both are noble, and both are needed.
Dear Lachlan,
1. She’s not a child.
2. She can fend for herself just fine.
3. You are anthropomorphizing her. Big time.
4. Would you take a look at the comment section at the NYC Gadget Girl website, please? I’m a long-time reader of your blog and would love to hear you elaborate on this opinion over there.
This is what I’ve posted over at the NYC Gadget Girl website, if you can’t make it over there. Here you go–
“I’m not jumping on you for rescuing the dog, if that’s what you wanted to do; it’s assigning that act the tag of charity or selflessness or heroism that’s concerning me.
This is a dog. You are compassionate, kind, and predisposed to help out the less fortunate. When I observe an individual like you commit precious hours of their lives to something so trivial, commit money which could be used to advance human interests, I think it’s high time to take that individual aside and argue the point. Take this in the spirit of fraternal concern in which it’s intended.
I’m also not an animal-hater and grew up with dogs, cats, horses, and cows—-all of which I tended daily and treated kindly. So, it’s not animals I hate; it’s waste. Which is what this rescue operation was—-pure waste. Wasted efforts, wasted energy, lost time—all to move some soulless, uncomprehending creature. As if that’s worth anything.
Just looking at the comments on this blog chills me to the bone because among all the clearly thoughtful, educated people posting here the consensus seems to be that saving the life of a dog is just as noble as bettering the lives of humans. ”
And then, this:
“No, it’s not that easy, and it’s not a matter of individual opinion. Something’s rotten. There’s some fundamental shift that has occurred and has changed the way humankind perceives itself in a very subtle, insidious way, and it’s made you–-an intelligent, upright woman–-identify with an animal, ascribe human characteristics to it. That’s so troubling to me.
Remember in “Moby Dick”, when Starbuck criticizes Ahab for obsessing over the whale, and he says: “Vengeance on a dumb beast that simply smote thee from the blindest instinct! Madness! To be enraged with a dumb thing, Captain Ahab, seems blasphemous.” So too to be enamored of one.”
Thanks again, Chris, for your comments. I’m not anthropomorphizing Kaos- she is not a baby, I wouldn’t and don’t treat my own dog like a child substitute. Sorry, but I disagree with you on this one. Dogs, like cats, are domesticated and in many cases cannot survive as long as they would were they wild to begin with. In my opinion, when humans domesticated animals, we automatically became responsible for their welfare in a way we had not been previously. It’s an obligation I think too many do not take seriously.
I DO, however, agree that society as a whole does this, and it’s bad. It’s bad for the animals and the people. I think it’s caused so much needless suffering and pain on both sides.
As I said before, I do care about what’s happened to Benedict, but humans are capable (allegedly) of rational thought, have free will, and make choices. Based on what we know of him, I suspect he’s made a bad choice and is in jail or worse. It’s hard to know. However, I have contacts in the area actively working to see if they can determine his fate. Hopefully, he will be found alive and well.
I’ll close with reiterating that there is something noble and worthy about each side of this- working to help at-risk humans, and working to help at-risk animals. I don’t and won’t condemn people who do either; I think it matters less what you apply your positive goodwill towards, and more that you DO something to help others.
Dear Lachlan,
Here’s more from the NYC GG site:
“Thanks for contributing to the conversation, Debbie, but I’m a pretty poor candidate to suggest as lacking humanity. I think you’re just trying to vilify me as a way of explaining my aversion to animal ‘charity.’
I’m a lawyer and farmer who grew up with humanitarian parents, and it’s rubbed off on me. I’m heavily involved in two charities—one that sponsors polio vaccines to children in Africa and one that collects and sends eyeglasses to the homeless and funds literacy programs for them. I’m on the board of directors for my local Habitat for Humanity chapter, and I help build one house per year for a needy family. And by “help build” I don’t mean I just donate money; I mean, I’m one of the people hammering the thing together. I’ve stumped for the Empty Stocking Fund since I was in college, done pick-up and delivery of donated food for a soup kitchen, and I’m in the “Big Brother” program at a local orphanage.
My “little brother” is eight and was systematically abused by his meth-addicted mother since babyhood and has terrible emotional problems as a result. He was assigned to me, I was told, because three foster families have throw him out, no one else in the Big Brother program would have him, and I was the only volunteer big enough to restrain him when he “throws fits.” (And I can tell you that his fits are so violent that I, at 6’3”, have real difficultly getting him back under control.) I’m not yet thirty, but I go to his parent-teacher conferences and in all his eight years, I’m the only person that’s ever given him a birthday party.
That brings me to the crux of my issues on all this. It’s easy to help a dog. They’re pack animals who are instinctively submissive to the alpha who feeds them and humans—who know this—still somehow mistake the slavish devotion of the species as love. A few words I’ve seen on this blog describing Kaos have included sweet, affectionate, people-oriented, friendly and “well-trained baby.” That’s just how the domestic dog’s mind is wired to behave––it has little do with “personality” and even less to do with any imagined deeper relationship or allegiance you may think your dogs feel toward you.
In contrast, there’s nothing easy about helping my little brother. This kid—and myself, and people in general—is none of those words used to describe Kaos. He’s nothing you’d see and want to save, because he’s willful, combative, manipulative, and ungrateful. In other words, he’s very, very human.
The problem is, beyond the mere folly of going to such great lengths to save the immaterial life of Kaos or any animal, I think there’s a great danger in it as well. I think people are more inclined now to be dismissive of the suffering of other people and more likely to sympathize with domestic animals because they’re cute and obedient. Several people, including two members of the foster families who’ve dumped him, have indicated my little brother doesn’t deserve help because he “chooses” to behave the way he does, as if that bad attitude indicates that his is a life that doesn’t merit aid. And as another illustration, my little brother’s orphanage was recently denied a local grant, which instead went to buy ‘developmental toys’ for puppies at the animal shelter. The puppies, I guess, provided a better photo-op for the benefactor than did the ruffians at the boys’ home.
I agree with both of you?
I applaud everyones efforts to save Kaos from being euthanized. It is an honorable deed and everyone involved should be commended. Unfortunately, she’s a very rare case. Anyone who works with animals knows this all too well.
As for the human side of the story, I work with the homeless every day. A lot of them have dogs and if there is one thing I’ve learned it’s that these animals come first. In fact, I think the homeless are the best “pet guardians” around.
Reading the back story on Kaos, it sounds like Benedict was totally committed to her welfare and well being. This is not unusual.
They would sooner starve than let their animal go hungry. But this is never an issue as their dogs get more free dog food via donations from passersby than the human. One guy I know had to turn down a case of dog food because he couldn’t carry it – he already had too much dog food, yet he himself hadn’t eaten more than a cheeseburger from Jack in the Box for 2 days.
Simply put, people would rather help the dog than help the human. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard something akin to “if you can’t take care of yourself, you shouldn’t have a dog” yelled at a homeless person from $50K car driving past my site. Or how many people have actually *spit* at the homeless and cursed them. This is how we treat allow people to be treated? Yet, one dog stirs a national effort to be saved… It’s cause for pause.
One other point worth mentioning is that police often impound the animals as a means of harassment. These guys on the street will beg, borrow and yes, steal to get their animal back from the pound. The fact that Benedict, a man who has proven his love and commitment to his dog, left her at the homeless shelter (they rarely ever allow pets anywhere near the shelters) tells me something happened to him. Saddly, he’s probably either dead or in jail. Or … there’s something fishy about the story and the shelter(s) are not being totally truthful about what happened. I doubt he would ever voluntarily leave the dog. Something happened and someone other than Benedict left that dog at the shelter.
When a homeless person with an animal is arrested one of two things happen. Either the dog is taken to the pound by the cops or a friend takes over caring for the animal. The friend considers this a very serious commitment, and will do everything they can to ensure than the animal is safe and healthy when the owner is finally released. If the friend is unable to care for the animal, they will find someone who can.
From my experience, something doesn’t add up in this story. Again, I applaud everyone efforts in saving Kaos. But what about Benedict?
Sorry my 2¢ turned into a quarter…
MJ – I thought the same thing about the story, as part of why Benedict went to Florida was because dogs aren’t allowed in shelters and it was getting too cold for them to live in the streets. However, it turns out that the shelter he was in was a rare place indeed. They have small fenced runs (I saw photos) for dogs… the dog gets to stay safely kenneled while the person goes out to look for work, etc. Knowing Benedict, I’m not at all surprised that he managed to get into a place like that – he is (was?) very smart and well-spoken. Unfortunately, he did have a tendency to get drunk and get thrown in jail. I’m guessing that’s what happened, although what I can’t figure out is why he didn’t show up to claim Kaos at the pound and why we haven’t heard from him yet. I really hope we’ll learn more.
Chris, I kind of resent your implication that I or JG or anyone else is “taking the easy way” in choosing to help Kaos or other animals. Frankly, you don’t know anything about what else I do in my life or how I choose to spend my time helping people.
As always with blogs, what you see in my posts is a snap-shot. A slice of an instant, nothing that can be wholly representative of me or my activities.
I *get* what you are saying, and as I’ve said repeatedly, I don’t entirely disagree with you. It makes me nuts that people can be absolutely dismissive of humans suffering. I don’t shy away from that reality nor do I fail to address it here on my blog. If you read me, as you say you do, then you know this.
And not to sound cranky, or all I’m-the-writer-so-I’m pulling-rank, I’m done. I really have nothing else to say on the matter. I respect your thoughts and thank you for them- I really do. Same with MJ and JG, who as ever, offer good perspectives and thoughts. That’s what makes this worthwhile, IMO. Keep it up!
I know I’m late in commenting here, but I thought I’d throw in my two cents worth. I applaud you who were trying to find a home for this dog. And to say that the dog can fend for itself once lost or seperated form its owner is really not a very informed statement. I am all too familiar with sad strories of domesticated animals, and I help when I can, but believe me it is a never ending task. So many people are so irresponsible. I am not implying here that Benedict was irresponsible, I’m saying that so many of the cases that I’ve dealt with were such.
I think we are all called to serve differnt purposes in life. Some of us are the gaurdians of animals, some of children, some of the mentally ill, some of the homeless, you get my point. That doesn’t mean that I don’t care about all those other people, or that I think a dogs life is more valuble than a person, I was just not called to serve for their good. That’s what make the world go round. We all serve a purpose to make the world a better place whether we understand each others roles or not.