Counting blessings at Christmas

Well, here we are waiting for Santa. It’s almost Christmas Eve, and it seems like only yesterday we were getting ready for Halloween.

I love this time of year when have beautiful sights, sounds and scents of the holidays. Families and friends gather and sweet memories are made. It’s a sacred time of year we want to cherish forever.

It’s the time of year when I reflect on the unlimited blessings I have in my life. I have the most wonderful family and friends who have shaped who I am and what I’ve been able to accomplish for the benefit of animals.

I never imagined I would have the life I do, but I’ve really had the life every homeless animal dreams of. I wasn’t even sure I would survive the night, much less find a family who would love me forever. But even in the middle of the frost on the night when I was abandoned, I dreamed of being rescued.

Every homeless animal has dreams. They dream of not being hungry and thirsty. They dream of not having to scavenge for their next meal. They dream of having a warm, dry place to live. They dream of being safe. They dream of being loved.

If you’re considering adding a furry creature to your family in the upcoming year, please consider adopting a rescue so you can help a homeless animal’s dream come true. There are wonderful local rescue groups who have beautiful formerly homeless animals just waiting to be chosen in their organizations.

The mission of my nonprofit animal welfare group, Central Georgia CARES, has always been to help homeless animals and the people who love them. And I’m proud to say we’ve helped a ton of them.

CARES has been able to feed numerous homeless animals, including feral cat colonies in blighted areas of Macon. We’ve been able to free dogs from miserable lives on chains by providing kennels so many dogs are no longer tethered. We’ve been able to address the population explosion in feral cat colonies by implementing our Trap, Neuter and Release (TNR) program where we trap and neuter cats.

But we haven’t done any of these noble things by ourselves. We were able to do them because people cared, shared and helped. I’m very grateful for that generosity because CARES couldn’t help animals or people if it weren’t for the kindness of others who seem to carry the Christmas spirit all year long.

So even if you’re not planning to adopt a new pet, you can still make a difference in the lives of homeless animals. You can help animals and the people who love them by helping CARES. Just connect with us by email at acpup247@yahoo.com or Facebook to help.

Enjoy this time with your loved ones. I wish for you and your family a very blessed Christmas, and I pray you have all you ever dreamed of this season.

I also pray for comfort, safety and love for all the homeless animals in our area. CARES and I want to do everything we can to make their dreams come true, too.

This story was originally published December 19, 2017 at 5:18 PM with the headline "Counting blessings at Christmas."