“The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.”
Charles Darwin
“Resonate” by Sarah Class, accompanied by Orchestra for the Earth (courtesy of Air Studios):
“Not to hurt our humble brethren is our first duty to them,
but to stop there is not enough.
We have a higher mission:
to be of service to them wherever they require it.”
St Francis of Assisi
“Brother Sun, Sister Moon” by Donovan, from the film of the same name:
As I promised in my recent post ‘Smile while you swim’, here is the antidote to mind-numbing prescriptions. Of course, it is one of many possibilities; there is always someone, somewhere worse off than we are, who would love our help, be it an animal or an old person, or a child in need of direction. Some years ago I came across a wonderful animal rescue place, Hope For Paws, this time in Los Angeles. It was founded by just two people, Audrey and Eldad Hagar, originally from their home. They rescue stray or mistreated dogs, often those who are minutes from being put down in the city’s compound. What is remarkable is the couple’s, especially Eldad’s, ability to connect and rehabilitate dogs deemed as dangerous and only suitable for euthanasia. They treat, nurse back to full health, and then foster the dogs, before finding them a good adoptive family. To see their videos of rescue and then rehabilitation, and the extraordinary transformation is both touching and spirit-lifting in equal measure.
Courtesy of Hope For Paws – Official Rescue Channel:
I bought their book, ‘Our Lives Have Gone To The Dogs’, to find out more about their work. An added bonus are the quotations from great and famous people that are so important to remember. The couple’s inspiration to help all animals in need is reflected in the very first one thought, written by Ralph Waldo Emerson:
‘For every animal that dies in a shelter, there is someone, somewhere, responsible for its death. You cannot do a kindness too soon, because you never know how soon it will be too late.’
The couple wrote in the book about the fulfilment and joy their work has given them: ‘The greatest thing about fostering and adopting animals is that anybody can do it. Anyone who fosters knows that we are the lucky ones. These amazing animals shared their lives with us and taught us the importance of hope, love, loyalty, and gratitude.’
Epitomising the introductory Charles Darwin quote, the couple help to save any wildlife that is brought to them, including this beautiful young owl. There have been also countless fledglings, lizards and squirrels.
Their book should be on the shelves in every primary school’s library to be read in the classroom. It would teach the very young – the best age to start – compassion for fellow creatures. It would help eradicate the unkindness and bullying that is common in our schools. My very favourite man from the past, St. Francis of Assisi, wrote: ‘If you have men who will exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men.’
The beauty of Assisi (courtesy of Le Ande films di Jean Carlos Gonzalez):
St Francis of Assisi and the call to ecological stewardship (courtesy of BeAFranciscan):
“Legende S.175 No. 1 St. Francis of Assisi Preaching to the Birds” by Liszt, played by Alfred Brendel (courtesy of Alfred Brendel – Topic):
At the Cathedral of St John the Divine in New York, an astonishing ceremony, the Blessing of the Animals, celebrates the feast day of the Patron Saint of Animals, St Francis of Assisi (courtesy of BBC):
In this country, we have many rescue centres but not nearly enough for all the animals that need help. The World Horse Welfare charity was alerted by a caller to an abandoned foal. The black and white cob was found by a passer-by lying in a field that was mouldy, and he was infested with worms and lice. He could not stand up and had no food or water. He was hours from death. Transported by the charity workers to their Penny Farm in Blackpool, he was nursed to health. Four years after his rescue, he was a champion, having won two first prizes in a rescue pony competition, and was named overall rescue pony champion. Penny Farm manager Fran Williamson said: ‘Frodo’s transformation is truly amazing. It is a true testament to the hard work and dedication of the team who care for him, and we couldn’t be prouder.’
Courtesy of World Horse Welfare:
I think that nothing brings a greater sense of calm and reassurance in such a time of such anxiety (Covid-19, climate change), as pictures that show accord in nature. Here are some interesting ones:
Sam and Jac usually spend their working week delivering beer to nine Wadworth pubs. But the coronavirus pandemic meant the one-ton shire horses were also on lockdown – and as these pictures show, the best friends, made the most of their unexpected holiday. Nine-year-old Sam and Jac, age eight, jumped for joy as they were let loose in their field. As well as delivering beer within a two-mile radius of Wadworth’s Northgate Brewery in Devizes, Wiltshire, the horses appear pulling drays at shows.
With royal events such as Trooping the Colour cancelled last year, the horses that pull the Queen’s carriages were also on furlough. Windsor Greys Londonderry and Knightsbridge were among those turned out to graze in fields at Hampton Court Palace.
“Simple Gifts”, an arrangement of a traditional Shaker devotional, performed by Alison Krauss and Yo-Yo Ma (courtesy of Vickie Burns):
With tongues hanging out, laser-focused eyes and a synchronised running jump, these two dogs make a stunning leap of faith. The pair of border collies, Leep and Chester, were snapped in mid-air by photographer Claudio Piccoli, who has been taking all-action shots of dogs since he was a boy. Mr Piccoli said ‘With running and ‘flying’ dogs, I want to catch their soul through their eyes.’
Peppi the puli is also shown flying through the air:
A musical portrait of these flying dogs (courtesy of The Piano Painter):
All over the world, during the pandemic lockdown, nature’s comeback was dramatic with wild animals exploring empty city streets and beaches.
A taste of things to come perhaps! (courtesy of WCCO – CBS Minnesota):
The final words come from Sir David Attenborough who features in this performance of “I Will Fight” by Sarah Class:
“Spiegel im Spiegel (Mirror in the Mirror)” by Arvo Pärt (courtesy of magnalink600):
naturetails 
Wonderful post. Gorgeous pictures . Truly enjoyed.💕
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Thank you, Grace, for your kind comment! As I love nature and animals so much, I enjoyed writing this post.
Joanna
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Thank you again, Grace. Greatly appreciated.
Joanna
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You are so welcome.Truly enjoyed.💕
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My pleasure.💕
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Feeling overwhelmed knowing about such a place. And what an incredible stories in the book. You’re right it should be on every school library.
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Thank you, Ritish, for your kind comment. I love the stories and the people who help animals to such an extent, and that is why I wrote about them.
Joanna
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Thank you, Ritish, again. Greatly appreciated.
Joanna
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I daily come across people feeding biscuits etc to stray dogs. In a few cases, it’s religious gesture, but mostly people do it out of compassion. One day I saw a rag picker feeding dogs. It’s also a fact that there are NGOs working as rescue centres in every big city, but it was really a pleasure to know about the ‘rescue and rehabilitate’ campaign by Hagar couple.
I agree that the Hagars’ book should be a part of school curriculum, as compassion for small creatures is not less important than that for fellow colleagues and others in society. I fully resonate with Francis, as we believe that all creatures are God’s own creation, and hurting one of them means hurting God.
This post once again shows your immense love for nature and animals. The photos and videos are marvellous, as always. Thank you, Joanna, for one more interesting and informative piece!!
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Thank you, Dear Kaushal, for your wonderful comments! You are not going to be surprised to know that I am always waiting eagerly for your
analysis as it makes my day!
Joanna
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Thank you again, Dear Kaushal, greatly appreciated.
Joanna
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That’s a great honour! Thank you, Joanna! It’s always my pleasure to read your posts.
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You’re always welcome, Joanna!!
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Thank you, again, for another wonderful and uplifting post! Blessings to you, from a reader who sees your love and passion for the earth and all its inhabitants! 💐🤗💖🌹💝🥰🙋♂️
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Thank you, Ashley, for your wonderful comments! I am just waiting for the results of the summit,
It is very satisfying to have readers like you!
Joanna
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Thank you again, Ashley, greatly appreciated.
Joanna
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Wonderful videos and photos, Joanna, and that book should be a part of the school curriculum, I agree. When I think of any animal being abused, it breaks my heart. Thank you for another informative post. All animals, big and small, domestic or wild, should be respected. 💞
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Thank you, Lauren, for your generous comments. The children should learn very early on to love nature and all the animals, it would make them kind people as adults.
Joanna
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Thank you, Lauren, again. Greatly appreciated.
Joanna
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Such a wonderful post Joanna! Thank you for caring and for the encouragement to take care of nature and our animals, so much appreciated.
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Thank you, Henrietta, for your wonderful comment! The Earth belongs to all who share this planet. I am very happy that I have like-minded
readers like you!!
Joanna
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Thank you, Henrietta, again! Greatly appreciated.
Joanna
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At least i am certain of one thing that before the film on environment comes out, i make sure that you approve it first, see its sound, its cuts- the editing, how much it has moved one and all and how much more can we achieve, and it goes without saying about the storyboarding- the script. because your each post pushes not just your presentation but amazes us readers with all the dimension you bring on board. Astonishing.
Who else would you find internet talking, persisting, pushing, sharing the tales of the beings without a language. This post took us near to the savers and the saved. And the time when the animals give back once they come back to life, healed and confident again.
It also gave me a reminder of my resolve to start, and now sooner because we do not know how soon is too late for some. It needs to be done with small steps first.
The hagars book without doubt should be read out once a week to children, and other books of nature, may be one which Joanna is writing, every week.
I love dogs myself, and have many friends on the way that i take almost daily to walk with some treat for them. And even then the outburst of their joy is when they see me, come running whole heartedly. The story of the horse is as much inspiring.
For this post i wrote less but read very slowly as each musical, the videos, photographs of flying dogs, the very recent memory of the animal kingdom moving around our streets was also a reminder of what might be coming, As COP26 ended with much pomp and show, still needs to be seen if anction will follow all the words, but before that happen, what must change is our vision, each eye, here who work on field, quietly helping, saving the planet. Lets start.
Thank you Joanna for truly being true to what you want out of the world and inspiring us. I am certain that soon you will lead us too.
Narayan x
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Thank you, Narayan, for your wonderful beyond words review! I think the leader is Sir David Attenborough, and that is why
I included him in my post! It is good to know that you help the dogs-friends on your walks! It would be very helpful if children
learned compassion early in life.
Joanna x
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Thank you again, Narayan! Greatly appreciated!
Joanna
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Frodo’s horse story had me in tears, what a gorgeous transformation! I liked all the dog photos and the people saving them. St. Francis of Assisi is also one of my favorite historical people. And the video of my favorite local news team WCCO, shows how fast nature can make a comeback, if it’s given space. Thank-you for this entire awesome post! ❤️
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Thank you, Rose, for your wonderful comments!! It made my evening very happy! I do so wish that the summit talks will be followed by
action. Who is the admire of St, Francis of Assisi is my friend! I love the frescos in the Basilica, which shows him preaching to the attentive birds!
Joanna
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Thank you again, Rose. Greatly appreciated.
Joanna
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We need better, responsible adults too. Children learn by seeing. And only when we train these children well, they will grow up to become responsible adults.
Thanks to you.
Narayan x
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Thank you, Narayan, couldn’t agree more!
Joanna x
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Thank you, Narayan, again. Greatly appreciated.
Joanna
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A great post Joanna! Animals need care just like we do. The rainforest video and orchestra were beautiful. We had some friends who when they retired, started taking in dogs. They eventually built a shelter and hired a vet to work there. They would try to place them in good caring homes. They had no children so the animals were like their children.
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Thank you, Dwight, for your inspiring comment. Animals often make the best friends to those who help them.
Joanna
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Thank you again, Dwight. Greatly appreciated.
Joanna
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You are welcome!
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Thanks for sharing this wonderful post .
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Thank you for your generous comment. It is my pleasure!
Joanna
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Thank you again. Greatly appreciated.
Joanna
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Beautiful post with amazing pics and videos. Thank you for sharing this with us.
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Thank you, Joyce, for your generous comments! Helping animals in need is a noble aim!
Joanna
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Indeed. It was my pleasure.
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Wonderful share, Joanna. You caused me to feel deeply, smile, and be grateful. Best Friends in southern Utah is the largest no-kill sanctuary in this country. They take in all kinds of animals. It’s a joy to tour their beautiful property & visit with the many varied residents! Oh, I love the book title that you mentioned! 🌞
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Thank you, Lisa, for your lovely comments! I felt the same reading the book! I will look up the Best Friends sanctuary, thank you.
Joanna
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Thank you again. Greatly appreciated.
Joanna
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Such a tender share and soooo inspiring to see the transformation of the sweet doggie and the love shared to support this sweet doggie. Joanna. my heart is happy to heart this story. Animals all deserve this love and respect.💖
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Thank you, Cindy, for your moving comments! I am passionate about all animals and nature, and that is why my writing comes
from my heart.
Joanna
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Thank you again, Cindy. Greatly appreciated.
Joanna
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You’re so welcome Joanna! It all shows through your posts! 💖💖
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indeed!💖
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Thank you!!
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