~QUARTER-ACRE RESCUE RANCH~

"Eyes are Mirrors to the Soul." ~ Unknown

"An animal's eyes have the power to speak a great language." ~ Martin Buber

         "Who can believe that there is no soul behind those luminous eyes!"

~ Theophile Gautier

What do you see, think or feel when you look into the eyes of a non-human animal? What do you see when you look into the eyes of the tortured & suffering ones? We believe the answer you give will tell a lot about you.

When we look into the eyes of a non-human animal, we see a fellow creature, no less equal or deserving than ourselves, ---  not "lesser," just "different." We see animals who are the same as us, born into this world without choice or direction, but with a certain inalienable, natural or fundamental right to exist, that is, with a right to an existence free from intentional or negligent infliction of un-necessary pain or suffering at the hands of man. We see innocent creatures dependent upon us for mercy, compassion, and understanding of their ways and needs, both physical and emotional. We see fellow living-beings deserving of not just "life' but - same as us, a good life, - that is, a life where they are allowed to live absent intentional or negligent infliction of un-necessary pain or suffering. It is towards this goal we have dedicated our humble organization; to bring help and hope to suffering non-human animals of all kinds everywhere.

While we believe that the "Animal Rights / Animal Welfare" Movement can never have enough supporters, we also believe that certain "extremist views" have given us "normal," or non-extremist animal lovers / animal rights / animal welfare folk a bad name. We find, in the course of our advocations, that it is difficult for some people to take us serious when they hear we are "all for the animals." Because of these popular extremist views, some people equate all “animal lovers” as “extremist’s nuts.” or “raving lunatics” to be scoffed or laughed at and not taken seriously at all. This attitude towards all animal lovers and advocates in general is due in large part to those individuals, groups and organizations (who shall remain un-named here) who dedicate themselves to doing away with such things as meat-eating, hunting, fishing, the wearing of fur or leather, circus's, rodeos, zoos, and even pet-ownership. While we may find some of these practices distasteful or downright disgusting, and the notion of NOT owning pets absurd,.....we would not waste our precious time and efforts trying to eradicate these things. We know we will always have those things - for reasons too numerous to go into here, we believe there will always be a demand for these sort of things and that they will never be eradicated off the face of the earth, and rightly so, perhaps. Allowing these practices involves real and important issues of Free Enterprise, Free Choice & Free Will - much too much involved a subject to get into here. Nevertheless, as realists, the main thing, we think, is this,... if we must have or allow these practices, ......we should by all means in the name of COMMON DECENCY , conduct these "inheritedly cruel" practices as humanely as possible. If you must butcher for meat or skin for fur, the animal should be "revered" and well-kept right up until the time of butchering, not crowded into tiny little cages half-starved with barely enough room to turn, and the butchering should be done swiftly & humanely with an absolute minimum of pain and suffering. If a bull breaks a leg in a rodeo, it should be immediately and humanely euthanized "on the spot," not run back into a corral limping and suffering to await a later shipment to slaughter. The main thing is to prevent any un-necessary or added evil or suffering upon that which already exists. It is indeed a "cold, cruel world,"...and always will be. ......we will never erase from the world things like cruelty, neglect, abuse or indifference. "In this life," my mother always said, "you have to take the good with the bad." How right she was! The goal "in this life" should be to work towards minimizing the cruelty & suffering involved in those “negative” things, wherever and whenever possible. We were never promised a rose garden, and remember, even the most beautiful, "perfect" rose gardens have cruel thorns.

I have often been challenged with the question, "why animals?" With so many other important causes "out there" to champion, like ending world hunger, campaigning for world peace, the abortion issue, domestic violence, the homeless, etc. The list goes on and on with all the good causes one could "choose" to expouse. But I don't think we really "choose" our "causes" or passions. I believe that they choose us. Each of us have a calling, a natural calling, and for everyone its different. We all cant be called or evolve into the same calling or professions. There has to be diversion and that diversion has to occur naturally or it is false. If everyone stuck to the "readily apparent" and most popular causes such as listed above, "who then," I ask my inquisitors, "will advocate for the non-human animals?," reminding them that they also are "God's creatures." I ask, "are their plights and needs to be ignored?" I don't think so. If no one were called to help the animals, what kind of world would it be? Worse, by far, than it is already, me thinks.

As to those who distain the work of animal rights and/or welfare advocacy ;  we ask,

"What is wrong with the Notion of a Kinder, More Compassionate, Gentler World?"

-Chris Jubic, Founder

©2007