The Ordinary and the Extraordinary

I watched a heartwarming follow-up segment on last evening's news about the man who rescued the stray dog that was running through rush hour traffic on the Stevenson last week. Viewers all over the tri-state area had watched the morning news in horror an fascination as the "sky-cam" streamed continuous live coverage of the terrified animal that could be seen darting between vehicles and evading the State Police as they ran through the median and tried to capture it. The dog had since received a bath, veterinary care, food, shelter, and a lot of love, and transformation was nothing short of amazing.

I see these news stories every so often-- dozens of animals rescued from a hoarding situation, a bag of kittens that were thrown from a moving car, gut-wrenching photos of injured pit bulls that police officers removed from a dog-fighting ring-- and am always astounded by the flood of people who respond. Throngs of compassionate viewers step forward to offer everything from well wishes and donations to a loving, permanent home.

It's not hard to understand why people react; an ordinary animal finds itself in an extraordinary situation through no fault of its own, and the media presents the story in a way that is meant to tug on the heartstrings. And it works. While I'm so grateful for the good Samaritans who do respond, I can't help but wonder: what about the hundreds upon thousands of extraordinary animals with ordinary stories that are languishing in our area shelters?

It's hard to sensationalize the plight of a dog that was surrendered by its owners because they lost their home or a cat that was abandoned after its owner died, because there are thousands of creatures just like it that fell victim to the same unfortunate circumstances. However, that doesn't make it any less worthy than the animal that appeared on the evening news.



The challenge for shelters everywhere is to publicize and promote their adoptable animals in a way that prompts the same passionate and visceral reaction that these occasional news stories do. While many try-- they post personal profiles for each animal in their care, using the power of anthromorphization to show just how much these deserving creatures need a home of their own-- they just don't get the same exposure as the rogue pup who brought the Stevenson to a standstill.

I would love to find a way to get these pet personals to the masses in a manner that continues to resonate long after people look away from the pictures of the hopeful, pleading eyes staring up at them. I can't help but fantasize about writing a news story so moving that it would prompt hordes of people to flock to their nearest shelter and wait in lines stretching down the block (like at Hot Doug's on a Saturday) for the privilege of adopting one of these extraordinary animals. Just imagine... if we could match every person who was willing and able to welcome a pet into their family with a loving pet that needed a family, what a wonderful world this would be.