People, Pets, and the Amazing Effects of Proper Care and Compassion

From left to right: Hope the turtle (top photo from The Dodo, bottom photo from @aquamike23), Jerry the schnoodle (photo from @jerry_thewoolf), Belvedere the tomcat (top photo from The Dodo, bottom photo from @tomcatbelvedere) and Zelus the pitbull (photos from The Dodo)

People, Pets, and the Amazing Effects of Proper Care and Compassion

By. Angelica Garcia

Have you ever watched a video of a rescued pet's journey on social media? There have been many cases where pets would get abandoned. Without a decent, nurturing environment, they can develop a sense of fear, and a lack of trust towards humans. It can worsen when they don't receive the love and care they need and deserve for days. If you have ever seen these videos, you will notice that two things can happen when a kind person rescues, and adopts a pet. The pet can immediately trust and attach themselves to their new caregiver, or it can take more time to do so due to trauma. Some people might wonder, why would an animal have trauma? Well, it's because animals have feelings too, and being abandoned can hurt as deeply as it could for us. Likewise, just as proper care and compassion can do marvelous wonders for us, they can do great wonders for animals as well.

For a pet, getting adopted can be tough! There are many reasons why an owner would abandon a pet on the street, or why an animal would get overlooked and ignored - making it even more difficult to get adopted. One of the reasons might be because there may be something about that animal that most people would consider as a hopeless case. Let's take the story of Hope, the turtle, for example. Hope was born with an exposed heart. Mike, the man who adopted Hope, said that some people would think, "she's just a turtle. Why bother? She won't survive." Sure, Hope had an exposed heart, and she was as small as a quarter. But while others might think this is too strange, Mike didn't think so. He adopted Hope, took care of her, and proved doubters wrong. Hope was able to survive, and she wasn't "just a turtle." She would express feelings as she got to know, and recognize Mike. For example, whenever she'd see him, she'd get excited, and splash around in the water. Also, she grew from the size of a quarter to the size of a big plate, which is quite impressive!

Just as some people didn't believe Hope could survive, some people didn't think Zelus, the pitbull, would either. He was clearly underweight with a lot of his ribs protruding. To other people, Zelus seemed like he was tough to get along with. He was always growling, which made him seem aggressive to others. However, he was actually misunderstood. At the shelter, sometimes there'd be sadness in his eyes. It was a good thing Amanda and Tanner saved Zelus from getting euthanized. Amanda said that she and Tanner couldn't "risk him ever being put down because of something that triggers him that somebody doesn't understand, and doesn't want to work through with him." While others turned their back away from Zelus, Tanner and Amanda were willing to put in the effort to understand him. Tanner explained that they knew Zelus was "a very intimidating-looking dog." However, they still wanted to take the time to understand him with as much compassion as possible. Eventually, Zelus was able to trust Amanda and Tanner. Then, miraculously, Zelus went from being aggressive to being playful, and affectionate towards his parents and other dogs. He was also able to gain 15 pounds in two weeks! Tanner proudly explained that a pet like Zelus could "come with a little bit of baggage, [but] it all comes down to love."

Like many others, sing-songwriter James Joohyun Lee would definitely agree with Tanner's statement based on his experience with his own dog, Jerry. Jerry is a schnoodle with looks similar to that of Tramp, from the Disney movie, Lady and the Tramp. Just like Tramp, Jerry was a street dog living out on the streets. However, Jerry got bullied by the other street dogs, and somehow, one of his legs got injured. Everything about Jerry, especially his injury, caught James's attention. When James learned about what Jerry went through, he resonated with him, because he was battling with his own injury. At the time, James's severe injury on one of his hands caused him to leave his k-pop, rock band called The Royal Pirates. In a way, James and Jerry both had this sense of loss. So, James adopted Jerry, and they both filled each other's lives with more joy. Sooner or later, Jerry was able to gain a healthier weight like Zelus. Also, he went from having little fur to so much fluff to the point where you wouldn't even recognize the new Jerry from the old Jerry.

For Belvedere, the tomcat, a remarkable, positive change occurred with his attitude after receiving the love and care he deserved. Belvedere was a senior Tomcat without a home. He was old, and sick with FIV. Just like Zelus, vets suggested euthanization. But Lindsay rescued Belvedere after seeing the sad, hopelessness in his eyes. So Lindsay took the time and patience to help Belvedere recover till Jenna decided to adopt him. With Jenna's unconditional love, Belvedere became happier, and he was willing to participate in different activities. Even though his eyes might still look a little sad, he would actually be very content inside. He would enjoy playing with toys, and he would enjoy singing. According to Jenna, Belvedere even has a different tune for different emotions, which is quite special.

In conclusion, with the help of their heroes, the people who rescued and adopted them, Hope the turtle, Zelus the pitbull, Jerry the schnoodle, and Belvedere the tomcat were able to face the odds. Their human parents helped them learn to trust, and love life again. We can learn a lot from these rescued pets' journeys. Their example shows that positive differences in appearances, attitude, and behavior can occur when people give their pets proper care and affection. Likewise, positive changes in appearance, attitude, and behavior can happen when we, as people, are treated with compassion and care, or we choose to treat ourselves with compassion and care. Sometimes, we might need help, and that's ok. However, remember that happiness can be a choice. For example, Zelus, Jerry, and Belvedere could have rejected their human parents' help, but they chose not to. They accepted their help instead, and they decided to be happy. May we all choose to be happy as well, and may we all do the best that we can in our lives.

You Can Catch Up with Hope, Zelus, Jerry, and Belvedere on Instagram.

You can find Hope @aquamike23.

You can find Zelus @life.with.zelus.

You can find Jerry @jerry_thewoolf.

You can find Belvedere @tomcatbelvedere.