Animal Attraction

I've been thinking about critters a lot lately, more specifically, mine. When I say the three dogs and two cats that occupy our living quarters are "mine" I don't quite mean it a possessive sort of way. Rather, I look at our furry brood as our contribution to supporting creation. They're my responsibility. (Well, mine and the fella who does the bulk of the care-giving 'round these here parts.)

When humanity was charged in Genesis 1 with having dominion over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, our marching orders weren't "and declaw them and throw them from moving vehicles and break their bodies and spirits." Yet, that's what we've done with creation. We've abused it, we've altered habitats, we've altered critters to the point that they're mere genetic shadows of their former selves.

And now, in at least this home, we're trying to provide physical, emotional and spiritual healing to the ones who share our home. Each of them has his or her own set of "challenges."

Merlin was abandoned in a state park, left to fend for himself, as though a 20 pound dog has retained his instincts to hunt for food and defend himself. Sweet Pea was tossed with her litter mates from a moving vehicle and left for dead. Chicklet, at about 6-9 months old, appeared at our door hungry and exhausted after having one, if not two litters of kittens. Beans' past is a mystery, but he had a shattered back leg and has occasional moments of being "spooked." Nilla, another skinny cat was so traumatized by his near starvation that he compulsively eats to the point of jeopardizing his health because his brain is stuck in starvation mode.

Sure. Some might argue that the time, energy and money we put into these critters, "just" animals after all, could be better spent on humans. There's no shortage of people in need of food, clothing and shelter. How Christian is it to turn our backs on people and use our resources on "damaged" pets? To that I have this to say:

Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our image,

according to our likeness;

and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,

and over the birds of the air,

and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth,

and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth." Gen. 1:26 (NRSV)

If the Christian Bible has a passage like that, that points out that we are made in the image of God and are expected to rule over the land and creation like God, then we darn well better pay attention because "God saw everything that [God] had made, and indeed, it was very good." (Gen 1:31, NRSV)