Peace, Love, and Real Talk: F*#% you like a Hurricane!

Harvey, Irma, José, Maria –

 these are all hurricanes that have caused so much trauma for so many people. Lives were lost, homes were ruined, and it will take years for the destruction to be repaired. We also saw a lot of communities come together in a time of need to help each other out. People from hours away volunteered their time in whatever way they could. Personally, it’s refreshing to see strangers uniting and not wanting anything in return. 
The thing that irked me (naturally) was the uproar about the abandoned animals. Yes, it’s horrible that these animals were displaced during a horrendous time. Yes, it’s sad to see them without shelter during the storm.  Yes, these precious souls are helpless, confused, and lost. However, why weren’t these animals cared for in the first place? 
Why does it take a catastrophe for people to be concerned? 
A dog that is tied to a pole dies during a hurricane – but to be honest, even if the hurricane didn’t take place; the dog was probably going to die from a heat stroke because it didn’t have proper shelter. A dog left behind with no food, probably wasn’t receiving proper nutrition anyways. The dog swimming because it’s flooding is probably a stray who would have gotten hit by a car. 
Do you see where I’m going with this?

I’m not trying to be cold, because my heart aches for every soul that have been negatively affected by these tragedies. It just boggles me that people are so careless about living, precious creatures. Meanwhile, some do care. Once again people who weren’t responsible for the animals in the first place come to the rescue to save them. They bring their boats, crates, dog food, leashes, and other supplies to go gather as many animals as they can in a trip. Instead of using their time and resources to help those in public shelters or the clean-up process; people feel obligated to do what the others should have done before the crisis was even mentioned. 
I guess my point is, if you see an animal in distress – do something about it now.

Don’t wait until a disaster to do something because by that time, it’s going to be too late. Even if a solution isn’t found for the animal you’re trying to help, it’s better than doing what so many others do, which is nothing. If you don’t want to be a letdown to your own personal pets, make sure a plan is in place for when something like a hurricane happens. 
There is nothing we can do about these natural occurrences, but there is something we can do so that no pet is left behind. 

PEACE, LOVE, & REAL TALK is written by Alicia Williams, founder of Eunoia Rescue