"Until he extends the circle of compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace."
Albert Schweitzer

Don’t expect to see me without any cat hair on my clothes or dog bones in my purse or horse hay in my car. Lord knows I try, but every time I think, “This has got to be the limit!” another helpless critter will find me. This spring has been especially productive! A mother cat found us and gave us six kittens. A puppy wandered up to the barn, and we could not find his owner. A neighbor said he had befriended him after finding him crying in the woods, but he wandered away again. Just last night, my oldest daughter brought home a tiny little yellow kitten that she rescued from a storm drain on a very busy road. After the emergency vet checked it out and found that it did need medication for an eye infection, she has it in isolation for a couple of days..and until we decide if we keep it or find it a home. So our family has grown! We lost one of our first rescues last year, a gray striped cat, and she was with us for 23 years, but I still miss her. I am currently working on another book with stories of our animals, and how they have touched our lives.
Recently, my long time friend and vet died unexpectedly from a brain tumor. “Doc” was a burly, loud talking, joking man, but he had a gentle compassion for animals. I always knew that he would give me straight and honest answers about all my “finds” and he helped me out with the fees. I will miss his humor, knowledge, and friendship.

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." ~ Anatole France