SnipPets Annual Spay/Neuter Report and an inspirational tale

The Starfish Story by Loren Eiseley

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.

He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"

The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."

"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.

To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"

At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "I made a difference to that one!"

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This inspirational story perfectly illustrates how most animal rescuers feel. You know you can't save them all, but every life counts....and you know you must try to help the ones you can.

I read this when I feel like I am not doing enough and can't seem to make a dent in the pet overpopulation problem. I also refer to my TNR/rescue spreadsheet to see concrete evidence of my spay/neuter efforts. I try to reflect on the births prevented and the suffering alleviated. You MUST look at the positive so that you can push forward and keep on going.

We moved to Lexington last July and started our TNRing and rescuing here in late August, so I figured that it was time for an annual SnipPet kitty report!!

Total cats and kittens spayed/neutered: 60

To celebrate my snipping successes AND raise money for the long list of kitties I have yet to snip, 100% of the sales in my Etsy shop from today thru September will go toward spaying & neutering & vaccinating cats and kittens in my area!! The costs add up quickly, so your purchases will make a HUGE difference in the lives of our furry friends. THANK YOU!!!

Skippy, Sammy, Suki and Scout thank you too :)! Purr, purr, purr....