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Wondrous Wildlife

By Vern and Lori Gieger

Team Work

 

As we start off the New Year we would like to thank everyone who has supported us in our wildlife protection events this past year. We are fortunate to have many wonderful volunteers. We would like to welcome a long time friend with a huge heart filled with love and compassion for all animals, Gudrun Jones, to our Board; and thank her for accepting the dogs we have rescued from life threatening situations.

Some special thanks go out to Jeanne Chaussee for being an animal advocate helping spread the word to protect all animals. Lic. Alvaro Becerra, who perhaps is better known for helping lakeside residents with immigration and various legal issues, also has a big soft spot for animals. He has worked with us for the protection of wildlife for several years. Alvaro has assisted several lakeside residents with the required paper work to bring their exotic pets into Mexico safely and legally. Alvaro can be found at LCS on Fridays 11:00 am -2:00pm, or via email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. he will be happy to answer any questions you may have. Also better known for their other duties our local fire dept. often assists with wildlife and sometimes domestic animal rescues. They are environmentally- conscious and all too familiar with the devastation a fire leaves behind.

Fires and regulations—in urban and residential areas the burning of rubbish and garden debris is prohibited. In rural areas, burning permits are required and must be monitored, as any fire can quickly get out of hand, especially this time of year as vegetation dries out and the winds pick up. Many baby animals are killed, especially baby birds, who are unable to escape the smoke and/or flames.

Working together and planning ahead—often times we don’t consider or want to think about, what would happen to our pets if we suddenly passed away. Everyone should have provisions in place. After the sudden death of a friend, we decided we needed to protect our beloved pets. For us our New Years resolution was to do just that. Like many Lakesiders, we have more than one dog or cat that a friend would adopt. It is a comfort for us to know that our domestic pets will be lovingly cared for by Gudrun Jones / The Lakeside spay and neuter/ Ranch Adoption Center. It is reassuring to know they are in our post life plan. It is also important to remember that your pets need food, shelter and veterinarian care. Therefore, making financial contributions is equally important and the responsible thing to do. As we well know our eight dogs go through a considerable amount of money; fortunately they don’t ask to borrow the car or require a college education.

Everyone can help protect and preserve our environment and its inhabitants, whether it is preventing a child from killing a snake or from shooting at birds with a slingshot, or rescuing an animal in need of help; it may not change the world, but it will certainly change that animal’s world.

For those who enjoy walking, take a trash bag along, and pick up some trash. We all make a difference, what kind of difference we make is up to us; perhaps by living more simply, all creatures may simply live.