help the helpers

If you are one of the millions of people who spend any time whatsoever on social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other sites you can think of- hell, if you've ever been on the internet at all- chances are you've seen (and enjoyed, and shared) at least one cute animal video. I'm willing to bet you've seen (and enjoyed, and shared) more than one of these videos...a LOT more. Cats, dogs, owls, bats, eagles, hawks, bears, bunnies, whales, you name it. Unlikely interspecies friendships, reunions with humans who had been apart from their animal buddies, hurt critters being nursed back to health, and on and on. I've never met anyone who doesn't respond positively to a cute animal video.

A week ago, one of the "trending" topics Facebook lists on the right-hand side of their "home" page caught my eye: my hometown, Bellport, New York...it's been years since I lived there, but it's where I'm from. Bellport is a small town, and not one that often pops up in the news, especially for someone who is sitting in front of a computer in Maine. Sadly, Bellport wasn't in the news for a positive reason: a pit bull puppy had been found hanging from a tree, beaten and lifeless. Several days later, another story was making the rounds on Facebook. Once again, it was animal cruelty: a man had been arrested for beating a black lab puppy. This time, the location was my current hometown: Brunswick, Maine. 

While the case in Bellport has become an investigation, the case in Brunswick still has hope. The abused puppy, Buddy, was brought to The Coastal Humane Society to be nursed back to health. Buddy's leg was amputated, but he is in a caring environment and responding well to the love, kindness, and medical treatment he is receiving. 

It goes without saying that the people who committed these heinous acts should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. It is difficult to even comprehend that anyone could be capable of such behavior. When things like this happen, I can't help but think of the famous quote from Mister Rogers:   

It is important to look for the helpers. Not only that, it is important to help the helpers. Before I had even heard about either of these incidents, I had decided to have the Coastal Humane Society in Brunswick as the charity I would split the proceeds from the raffle ticket sales for my next Brushstrokes With Impact (tm) "Paint-a-Thon" event. I'm grateful for this opportunity to help the helpers. Would you like to join me? I will be at Wild Oats Bakery & Cafe (149 Maine Street, Brunswick- inside the Tontine Mall) on Saturday, March 19th, from 9am-5pm. Raffle tickets ($5 each, 3 for $10) will be available both in person and online on my Carii community page, Brushstrokes With Impact (tm)  (click the "fundraising" button on the left). Feel free to share the Facebook event page, if you'd like to spread the word- it's public: https://www.facebook.com/events/517333668439215/.