World Strays Day.

Isn't this a lovely logo?

(Thanks to facebook)

I was idly typing via skype this morning to my daughter in Dubai and she happened to mention that today is World Strays Day. She is very involved in the rescue, neutering and rehoming of cats and apart from her own three pampered felines, (two ginger brothers who were found in a rubbish bin and a tabby stray), she feeds several strays as well as regularly heading off with a cat-trap to rescue some of the huge stray population. You can see the work that she does on http://www.felinefriendsdubai.com/  Like all animal charities, they are struggling for support and are in danger of having to close.

Larry, one of her rescues, happily adopted.

Remembering back through all my years and all the animals that have passed through my life and have touched me in so many ways, I am very proud to say that, apart from the thirty pounds my dad paid to the local butcher in Lusaka for a horse that would have ended his days as dog food, we have never, ever bought an animal, either from a breeder or from a (aaargh) pet shop. Our animals have all either found us by just arriving and never leaving, or us finding them in various animal shelters. We once had a female dog thrown over our wall from the road, bewildered and malnourished, cowering and terrified. We kept her and added another one from the SPCA to keep her company.My sister has umpteen cats and three dogs, all loved and all originally homeless. Her latest addition is a tiny tiny kitten who is being bottle fed every three hours! That is love for you.

Clyde arrived as a tiny kitten and stayed 17 years!

The most important member of our household now was a stray, our Alfie, our well published, frequently mentioned, much loved camping veteran! He shares our lives together with three feral cats who have become tame enough to nag for food, sleep on the bed and to move inside when it's cold and wet!

Alfie, ears in the wind!

I have worked a few times with a wonderful vet who comes up from Cape Town to spay and neuter free of charge in the townships. My blood boils when people say that they won't neuter their males because it takes the fight out of them, but will happily hand over puppies to be euthanised as though they are bits of paper to throw away.

This is Twin, looks like Dopey, wild as a bug, coming for food.

As I write this, there are over 600 million strays worldwide, and the number increases daily.

They don't ask for much, food, shelter and love.

And that is their right, and our responsibility.

Think next time you want an animal, choose wisely, choose with your heart.