Love
-Helen Morrison, Board President
Love can never really be extinguished. It is always there, it will always rise again...to warm the world, to awaken hearts, to change individuals.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” --- 1963 Martin Luther King, Jr. Strength to Love
So, Happy Valentine’s Day….a day to celebrate love in all its forms. And Happy February, when life begins to stir under the snow, when life begins to feel the warmth and power of the sun. It is a month to celebrate love...for friends, for partners, for spouses, for our fellow humans, for life...and for those non-human beings that enrich our own lives in so many ways.
I would like to tell you about one special feline pair...who, if you believe that animals can love each other (and I do), have a very precious (and humorous) friendship.
Obi and his Special Friend, Blissful Spirit
Obi, or Obi Wan Kenobi, was living in a local trailer park, with his five siblings, all around the age of 10 weeks old. They were hanging out mainly under a dumpster...for two reasons. Trash food was somewhat available...and it was protection from dogs that were trying to get to the kittens. We were alerted and were able to get all six kittens. Within weeks, it became apparent that Obi’s elimination abilities were lacking. He was in pain much of the time, crying out, and had to have frequent enemas. Obi saw Dr. Sechrist at St. Johnsbury Animal Hospital and then had a visit to Peak Veterinary Specialists. All worked on a health care plan to keep Obi in good shape. Obi went to live in foster care where there was another cat, Blissful Spirit, who had his own serious urinary issues. He had been brought to us with a seriously damaged bladder. But with excellent advice from Peak Veterinary, Spirit worked through treatment and got well. And Obi was there to be his friend, to support and play with him, to wash his face, to snuggle.
After some time, it became clear that the plan for Obi’s digestive health wasn’t working any more...and that dramatic surgery was needed. A subtotal colectomy was performed. The first six weeks were rough, but now, Obi is doing great, playing again, snuggling with Blissful Spirit, and the two of them are back to getting into mischief. Blissful Spirit has been adopted by his foster, and Obi will be adopted as well, on Valentine’s Day...so that the two of them can happily spend many more years together.
-Helen Morrison, Board President
Love can never really be extinguished. It is always there, it will always rise again...to warm the world, to awaken hearts, to change individuals.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” --- 1963 Martin Luther King, Jr. Strength to Love
So, Happy Valentine’s Day….a day to celebrate love in all its forms. And Happy February, when life begins to stir under the snow, when life begins to feel the warmth and power of the sun. It is a month to celebrate love...for friends, for partners, for spouses, for our fellow humans, for life...and for those non-human beings that enrich our own lives in so many ways.
I would like to tell you about one special feline pair...who, if you believe that animals can love each other (and I do), have a very precious (and humorous) friendship.
Obi and his Special Friend, Blissful Spirit
Obi, or Obi Wan Kenobi, was living in a local trailer park, with his five siblings, all around the age of 10 weeks old. They were hanging out mainly under a dumpster...for two reasons. Trash food was somewhat available...and it was protection from dogs that were trying to get to the kittens. We were alerted and were able to get all six kittens. Within weeks, it became apparent that Obi’s elimination abilities were lacking. He was in pain much of the time, crying out, and had to have frequent enemas. Obi saw Dr. Sechrist at St. Johnsbury Animal Hospital and then had a visit to Peak Veterinary Specialists. All worked on a health care plan to keep Obi in good shape. Obi went to live in foster care where there was another cat, Blissful Spirit, who had his own serious urinary issues. He had been brought to us with a seriously damaged bladder. But with excellent advice from Peak Veterinary, Spirit worked through treatment and got well. And Obi was there to be his friend, to support and play with him, to wash his face, to snuggle.
After some time, it became clear that the plan for Obi’s digestive health wasn’t working any more...and that dramatic surgery was needed. A subtotal colectomy was performed. The first six weeks were rough, but now, Obi is doing great, playing again, snuggling with Blissful Spirit, and the two of them are back to getting into mischief. Blissful Spirit has been adopted by his foster, and Obi will be adopted as well, on Valentine’s Day...so that the two of them can happily spend many more years together.
