Splash-The dog

Back in 2005, I was inspired by a series of events, which took my career in a different direction. I became aware of a media report, of a man, who rescued children from a subterranean drain. As the full story emerged, I discovered some very interesting information about these kids and their experiences. Each of these rescued kids had one thing in common. They each had a story to tell and most of the stories related to an animal that was very important in their lives. On further investigation, I discovered that the common denominator in all of their stories involved dogs. As I was thoroughly convinced of the great importance of the human/animal bond, I pursued my career in the training of assistance and therapy dogs. After moving to Australia, I continued to hold the belief of the importance of the bond between humans and animals. In fact, after being introduced to the animal welfare industry, my feelings on this matter grew much stronger. I became aware of a very interesting connection. Animals were often experiencing the same situations as their owners and vice versa, in terms of mistreatment. It is worth noting that these situations were also having a definite impact on the community. At the front reception of the animal shelters, we repeatedly listened to stories of individuals experiencing domestic violence. Simultaneously, the situation was exactly the same for the animal in that family as well. In other words, the animals and people never arrived as isolated individuals, to the shelters. The animals were victims of violence, as were their owners. Often the owners, giving up their pets, had this same story to tell. I believe that such stories as these are a strong communicators that we can use to connect communities with education and welfare. Only through education, can we change people's perception of animals.