“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”
- Mahatma Gandhi -
A couple of weeks ago, as my husband and I were headed back home from our walk, I spotted a tiny and adorable little frog sitting on the side of the road. I was convinced that a car would eventually squish him, and felt a desperate need to do something about the situation since this little critter was totally oblivious to the danger he was in, and probably blissfully happy in his spot.
“Darn it, I can’t just leave him here. I wish I had something to move him with to a safer spot.” I said to my husband, and sighed as I shook my head. “Can you believe that just the thought of this little frog possibly being hurt will ruin the rest of my night?”
My husband just smiled. He knows how I am.
I looked around and just a few feet ahead lay a plastic cup that someone had discarded on the grass. For once, I was grateful for litter bugs. I picked up the cup, walked over to the frog and attempted to scoop him up. But he was having none of that. Instead, he hopped back up on the sidewalk, back onto the grass and then continued hopping toward the green space behind our neighbourhood that also has a creek running through it.
I sighed in relief. “There. He’s on much safer ground, and now I can relax.” Followed by: “I can’t believe how overly-sensitive I’m becoming as I get older.”
I shook my head as we continued home. My husband kept smiling.
I’m very sensitive about animals, but there are a few that tug at my heartstrings just a tad more than others. Frogs are one of them. They call to mind a horrible memory of animal cruelty from my childhood. For those of you who follow my blog regularly, you’ll remember the story about the teenage boy that picked up a little frog, placed a lit cigarette into its mouth and kicked it into the water just to impress his friends --- and all this cruelty was committed right in front of my young eyes. It left me upset and traumatized for the longest time. I may have been too young back then to do anything, but I’m old enough now to help an animal in need. Thus, the need to help this little frog.
Thinking about that day in my childhood, and thinking about the horrible things that people do to animals and to each other, shatters my faith in humanity. But every now and then, I run across something that helps to restore it. Like the video below...
There is a lot of goodness in this world to help counterbalance the heartlessness. And I’m so very grateful for that. Perhaps there is hope for our species. I certainly hope so.
Cruelty to animals or children makes my blood boil. We live in a crazy world, where some people have so much, yet others have nothing.
ReplyDeleteCruelty to animals makes my blood boil, too. It's something that drives me crazy.
DeleteGreat post! I do feel the same way. I can't even imagine having seen that boy blow up a frog - I would have been upset for weeks. I still remember being at the ASPCA to adopt our dog. she was shaking and huddled in a corner of a cage. My husband put his hand out and waited. She walked over, rubbed his hand and licked him. That was it. The people that left her there decided that they just didn't want her anymore. I think having a pet is for life. You don't 'return' them like a blue light special. What is wrong with people?
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet story. It breaks my heart thinking of that poor dog shaking like that. Yes, pets are for life. We don't just dispose of them. Some people are just horrible.
DeleteO gosh, thank you so much for sharing that video. Yes, it did help restore my faith in humanity a little; the images of people going out of their way to help animals especially. I cannot, I simply CANNOT, bear any sort of cruelty, but most of all to animals and children. I too would pause everything and do whatever it takes to get a frog or lizard to safety. (I would also love to see the day the world becomes vegetarian -- as Paul McCartney said (though he's not my favourite Beatle!): “If slaughterhouses had glass walls, we would all be vegetarian").
ReplyDeleteI feel exactly the same way. I cannot bear any sort of cruelty, especially to the vulnerable. Animals, children and the elderly top my list. I cannot understand how people do horrible things to living beings.
DeleteO, p.s. Perhaps you might be interested to read my post here, which is sort of related: http://bikbikroro.blogspot.sg/2011/06/on-creatures-great-and-small.html That book I mention -- One at a Time -- A week in an American Animal Shelter -- is a very worthy read.
ReplyDeleteI just finished reading the post! I loved it. Thank you for the link. We definitely have this love for animals in common. I will have to look up that book.
DeleteThere's so much evil and cruelty in this world that it is absolutely necessary to remind ourselves as often as possible that it is not the entire story. Beautiful video!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! I often go looking for things like this just to remind myself that there is some decency in this world.
DeleteThank you for this video. I can think of a very wealthy and greedy American who should watch this video!
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome! And I am curious as to who this American is! ??
DeleteYour post reminds me of when my husband was driving down a busy main county road with our two year old son and myself. In the middle of the road was a turtle trying to make it to the other side. My husband put on the brakes and pulled over to the side of the road. He climbed out of the car, picked up the little turtle and carefully carried it to the side of the road and put it in the grass. When he climbed back into the car, I said "I hope that was the side of the road he was wanting to be on." :) Thanks for making my day (again).
ReplyDeleteI love that story, Cathy! It is sweet and funny. These types of actions from people remind me that there is kindness in this world. And it only takes a moment of our time to make a difference.
DeleteI firmly believe in extremely harsher punishments for cruelty to animals. I don't understand how people can evenly remotely think that is okay. When people are around my cats I watch them like a hawk. I very protective and many have said so to my wife.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on this WebDebris. We should have severed punishments for this type of behaviour. These animals are at our mercy and we should protect them.
DeleteI just had to share that video with my friends of face book Martha. You really made my day. Thanks so much!!
ReplyDeleteIt is a beautiful video, and I'm glad you enjoyed it, Francie. I absolutely loved it.
DeleteNothing to be ashamed of at all, Martha. If more of us could be as sensitive as you, can you imagine the world? I can. It would be a more peaceful and happy place in which to live.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jim. That's very kind. I suppose it's not a bad trait, although it can be tiresome at times!
DeleteMartha, thank you for sharing this. I am crying like a baby, but in the midst of all these wars, hatred, violence, poverty, racism, sexism, machismo, and greed... we do need to be reminded of the goodness in people.
ReplyDeleteWe do need reminders because the world can be quite overwhelming at times.
DeleteI'm glad you helped the frog. It's good to know that there are people put there who will help. As for the poor abused frog it most likely survived with minor burns to its mouth and a bit of scraped skin. It would have spit the cigarette out almost immediately and frogs are seriously flexible.
ReplyDeleteSadly it also learned to fear humans that day.
I like to think that it survived. And I've no doubt that it feared humans after that. Some people are just so darn cruel.
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