Sommaire pour May/June 2019 de All Creatures

APPROXIMATELY 3.3 million dogs enter the animal shelter system in the United States every year, according to the ASPCA. These animals face uncertain futures, but one thing is for sure: They need love and exercise. That’s where the cross-country team of St. Joseph High School in Orcutt, California, steps—or runs—in. Since 2016 the team has helped Santa Barbara County Animal Services provide exercise, socialization and love to their shelter dogs by taking them running. Luis Escobar, then the team’s coach, and Stacy Silva, the community outreach coordinator for Animal Services, came up with the idea during the 2016 summer practice season. The school is a mile-and-a-half run down the street from the shelter, and the student athletes were always on the move. It seemed like an ideal way to keep…

IN 2006 I was visiting an animal shelter to donate some goods when a little black cat named Vern caught my eye. He looked lonely, and I knew I had to adopt him. But soon after bringing Vern home, I discovered he wasn’t the kind of cat that was happy snoozing on a windowsill. He was a lot more adventurous than that. In fact, I couldn’t keep him inside. Once, I found a bedroom window screen dislodged with the vinyl spline carefully pulled out. He eagerly tore across my backyard and my neighbors’ properties to hunt. Everyone knew Vern—he became the neighborhood cat. At 12½ years old, Vern developed kidney disease. The vet tried everything, but it progressed rapidly, and I lost my dear friend in February 2018. I was…

It happened a few days after we brought home our roly-poly 10-week-old pug, Mighty Maximus. (He was small, but we gave him a big, heroic name.) I was trying to teach Max how to walk on a leash, when I bumped into my friend Gail. Gail had three Westies and was one of the biggest dog lovers I knew. She was also a pastor at our church. “Ooooooh! What a cute little puppy!” She scooped him up in her arms. “Would it be all right if I prayed for him?” she asked. “Okay,” I said, trying to hide my surprise. I was used to praying for family members and friends through life’s ups and downs, but I’d never done it for a pet. Maybe because Max was the first dog…

FUN FACTS: To be classified as a parrot, a bird must have a curved beak and zygodactyl feet: four toes on each foot, with two pointing forward and two pointing back. Several U.S. presidents kept parrots—William McKinley’s pet could whistle “Yankee Doodle,” and Andrew Jackson’s African gray disrupted his funeral by cussing up a storm. Send Us Your Parrot: Remove the back cover and mail your finished coloring to All Creatures, 110 William Street, Suite 901, New York, NY 10038.…

His egg abandoned by his mother for failing to hatch, owlet Poldi was born days after his siblings, leaving him alone and vulnerable to predators. Luckily, his nest was in a tree on German artist and animal photographer Tanja Brandt’s property. Brandt’s Belgian shepherd, Ingo, who comes from a long line of police dogs, sensed that the tiny owl would not survive on his own and quickly took on a protective role. Despite their difference in size and species, Ingo and Poldi became fast friends. “They respect each other and can read each other,” Brandt says on her website. The photographer, who also cares for hawks, falcons and other owls, has captured the two pals’ bond in beautiful shots of them snuggling and exploring the outdoors together. From an uncertain…

IN FEBRUARY 2016, 19-year-old Gracie Jagler of Watertown, Wisconsin, launched her own business selling all-natural dog treats. In its first four months of operation, Gracie’s Doggie Delights recorded sales in 48 states. A remarkable success for any start-up, but this teenager is no ordinary entrepreneur. Gracie has Down syndrome. “The idea for Gracie’s business started out of our frustration over the lack of opportunity for people with disabilities,” Gracie’s dad, John, says. “We wanted her to do something she would enjoy. She loves our three rescue schnauzers, so we knew that a job helping animals would be a great fit.” John spoke to a friend who runs a butcher shop. “He has two industrial machines to freeze-dry meat and agreed to sell us bite-size treats at a wholesale price,” John…

Sabrina Black lets out a worried sigh as she and her driving partner, Elaina Rodriguez, study the weather forecast. It’s a Sunday morning in January, and they are planning to drive from Beaumont, Texas, to Sterling, Massachusetts, a grueling 1,750-mile journey. Forecasters predict that the two will encounter ice, snow and blizzard conditions as their route turns northward. Black, a native Texan, has never navigated icy roads. Neither has Rodriguez, a veterinarian who recently moved from Australia. But the women aren’t worried for themselves. It’s the precious cargo they’re carrying in their shuttle bus that concerns them: 19 dogs on their way to new homes. Black and Rodriguez are volunteers for Hearts 2 Homes, a Beaumont Pets Alive program that transports animals slated for euthanasia at the overpopulated city shelter…

Riga, our Eurasian eagle owl, perched majestically on the gloved arm of her handler. The crowd oohed and aahed. Riga was always the highlight of the Festival of Birds, our wildlife education and rehabilitation center’s biggest event of the year. For good reason—the eagle owl is one of the largest rap-tors in the world, and with her six-foot wingspan, Riga was positively breathtaking. I would have been awestruck myself, but that Saturday in September 2010 I was in shock. I felt as if I were plummeting over a precipice, my last, best hope gone. The audience didn’t know, but Wildlife Experiences was closing. My position as executive director was being terminated, along with those of my seven full- and part-time staffers—victims of the struggling economy. I’d gotten the news the…

IN OUR NEW SERIES, Helping America’s Animals, we’re highlighting the everyday greatness of people across the United States who are putting their efforts toward helping animals. Their volunteer work is truly making a difference. To kick things off, here’s Brian Jones of Rhode Island. Who he is Brian Jones is a professional tap dancer and choreographer, a “modern-day vaudevillian,” but you might say his volunteer work is for the birds. He’s one of about 40 volunteers who care for rescued parrots at the New England Exotic Wildlife Sanctuary, aka Foster Parrots, in Hope Valley, Rhode Island. “The building used to be a chicken slaughterhouse, so it’s poignant that it now shelters around 400 rescued parrots, parakeets, cockatiels and other birds,” Brian says. What he does Part of Brian’s work involves…

Shimmering green and purple feathers Small wings beat rapidly while they fly Two hummingbirds chirp together Quietly zooming from side to side Another pair of fluttering wings A yellow butterfly gracefully lands below What sweet signs these creatures bring Blessed is this day I know. —Paige Satterfield, Phoenix, Arizona Share a moment of connection you’ve had with one of God’s creatures (poems and prayers welcome). Send it to allcreatures@guideposts.org or All Creatures, 110 William Street, Suite 901, New York, NY 10038.…

BE KIND TO ANIMALS WEEK MAY 5–11 Tag along on a transport with drivers who make sure dogs and cats get to no-kill shelters so they can find forever homes (page 24). ENDANGERED SPECIES DAY MAY 17 National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore’s mission? Inspiring people to care about all species on our planet through his stunning animal portraits (page 14). ASPCA’S ADOPT A SHELTER CAT MONTH JUNE Sometimes the right cat is waiting for you. Just ask military officer Cody Koerwitz and his family (page 20).…

For nearly three decades, photographer Joel Sartore has traveled the globe for National Geographic magazine. His toughest assignment, however, wasn’t in the wild. In 2005, Joel’s wife, Kathy, was diagnosed with breast cancer. He stopped working for a year to take care of her and their three kids. Once Kathy recovered, Joel embarked on a new project: The National Geographic Photo Ark, a photographic archive of 12,000-plus animal species currently in human care. So far he has captured images of 9,000 species, mostly in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries. The purpose, Joel says, is to raise awareness of the beauty, diversity and value of animal life, especially the lives of endangered species. The Photo Ark began after your wife Kathy’s experience with cancer. How are the two related? My wife’s experience…

I GREW UP IN A FAMILY that cared for all types of animals, even the lowliest bugs. Anytime I saw one of God’s creatures in distress, I felt called to rescue it. One morning I spotted a tiny black spider in the bathtub. I went to grab a container to capture and release it. But something distracted me and I forgot about the arachnid. Two days later I remembered the spider. I rushed into the bathroom, only to find its lifeless body curled up into a small ball. I felt terrible that I hadn’t returned to help the spider. It made me think, What else have I felt compelled to do, only to get distracted and never get around to it? The card I wanted to send to a struggling…