Warriors Of The Rainbow

When the Earth is sick, the animals will begin to disappear. When that happens, The Warriors of the Rainbow will come to save them.
—Chief Seattle

I am not sure who this great man was referring to when he talked of the Warriors of the Rainbow, but these words have touched my heart today. I think that many of us are Warriors (though we may not see ourselves that way). There are also many phases and degrees to this battle for the animals, and as many different points of view as there are species of animal to help.

Now, to clarify, I am not what many have come to think of as an “animal rights activist”. I do not believe, for example, that only rescues deserve to have good homes, or that all breeders are evil. I do not believe that every working animal is being abused or neglected or needs to be rescued. I believe that each situation should be assessed individually, and that those individual circumstances, when viewed with honesty and compassion, can range from the delightful to the horrific. I do not paint all — “fill in the blank” — with the same brush, and I am very careful not to needlessly dip my brush in warpaint.

However, there are many times where the kind at heart, the Rainbow Warriors whose paints bear the pigments of love, need to do something about a situation, to help those who cannot speak for themselves.

There are Warriors who do rescue of many kinds: dog, cat, horse, bird, wildlife. There are Warriors who fight larger battles to protect endangered species. There are Warriors who adopt an elder dog or cat, and Warriors who bring a new puppy or kitten into their homes and give it love and security for life.

There are Warriors who step in to contact authorities when they see neglect or abuse. There are Warriors who fight to prevent cruelty in the agricultural animal market. There are Warriors who battle to reintroduce species, such as native predators, into ecosystems to try to restore a more natural balance.

Rainbow Warriors don’t always work directly for the animals themselves. Those who promote education about the dangers of climate change, to try to assure a future for our planet and her generations to come, are some of the top-echelon of Warriors today.

The truth is that each of us, in our own unique way, can be a Warrior of the Rainbow as long as we don’t close our eyes to injustice or need. When we see something that doesn’t feel right, we educate ourselves as to the situation and its surrounding truths, and reach out our hand to help. The true Warrior never loses sight of compassion when seeking those truths. We must never forget, when working to help the animals, that human beings are animals, too. Yes, there are some who are just plain rotten, I’ve no argument about that. However, compassion dictates that we try to ascertain the reasons behind a problem — it could well be that the one in most desperate need of rescue is the one we initially see as the cause.

I believe that everyone reading this message can look back on their lives and find examples of how they, too, have acted as a Warrior of the Rainbow. Who has not, at some time, lent a helping hand, planted a tree, adopted a pet, filled a bird feeder in the winter, or picked up a piece of litter that was carelessly tossed into the environment? Each small act of compassion and kindness counts. As we look back on our Warrior moments, we can look forward to the future with more clarity, and more determination to heal our Mother Earth.

 

News and Updates:

Although I am taking a hiatus from doing wild bird rescue this year (due to the need to keep two more un-releasable Starlings from last season, there’s “no room at the inn”), there are many good Warriors out there who are doing wildlife rehabilitation. These folks work on their own dime, often day and night, without any official compensation and with very little thanks. If you’d like to help your local wildlife and the people who fight for them, seek out your nearest wildlife rescue center, and leave them a donation. The nearest and dearest to my own heart, of course, is New York Wildlife Rescue Center. The link will take you to their website, where you can click the PayPal button and lend a hand.

As always, please continue to visit my website for updates, changes of schedule, etc. I will always try to keep the Unavailable Times page current, and you can also follow my Twitter announcements in the sidebar.

Blessings and Light,