Man's Best Friend

Some of the most uplifting videos and photos out of the Texas Crisis are those involving animals. Why is that? We all feel it. Last night I actually saw a group of men sitting in a boat together with two deer. The deer were lying down as if they were dogs on the family couch. Or the video of firemen helping two stranded horses on a porch that was being overtaken by the rising waters. And there are countless pictures of people carrying cats and dogs- some in cages, others draped across shoulders or clutched tightly in their rescuers arms. The amazing thing I observed is that all these animals were so quiet. No barking, meowing or attempting to get away, even though many who had them were complete strangers. I've heard it said that animals truly know when people are trying to help them. We've all read stories about rescue dogs and cats going on to alert their human family about fire or other disaster. There are viral YouTube videos of whales caught in nets searching out humans for some help and once released, circling back around as if to say a final thank you.

So many of the families in Texas have lost everything. When making the decision to leave their homes behind, they made the choice to bring along their pets. Of course it made their journey more difficult. But we learned a very important lesson from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Sadly, things were much different back then concerning evacuating pets. It simply wasn't done in many cases. People had to choose whether to leave their homes without their pets, or stay and possibly face death. Many chose to stay. I would have been one of those people. Crazy? Not in the least. My pets have always been family members to me. They depend totally on me. I am their world. And they make my life so much richer. Richer than any other possession I have.

Animals that we allow into our lives give us unconditional love. They enrich our days with purpose- simply a reason to get up in the morning. They make us laugh and act silly.  They do not worry about tomorrow. They live in the moment. And they know what is truly important: Love, devotion and loyalty.

So, it's not really that difficult to understand why so many people are taking heroic measures to save animals in Texas. During difficult times, we all need a reason to go on. To have something that loves us no matter what our circumstances. No home? They could care less. They have you. No bed?  Their idea of the best bed is your lap. Uncertain future? Of course, but they have your back and your heart. That's not a bad place to start.