Then on the wings of such wonderful news came the sudden passing of Kieron, our larger than life male goat. His loss has been felt by many and I cannot thank all of the amazing people out there who sent us messages last week and talked about their memories of Kieron. He truely was an incredible fellow and we were blessed to have had him our lives. I have no doubts that Kieron has now joined fellow BMM residents in the pasture in the sky, where he will continue to create mischief and mayhem! I hope he takes some time out to visit us now and again:)
Rest In Peace Kieron
Sept 30th 2005 - January 18th 2012
And so to the hurtful comments....
On Saturday during supper someone made a comment about the futility of the Sanctuary. "The animals all end up dying", he said. This person went on to say that they really didn't see the point: the animals were only there for a short time and then they die. Hot on the heels of the loss of Kieron (which the person was not aware of) my first instinct was extreme hurt. We constantly question why we do what we do and if we are doing everything we can, and we are probably our strongest critics. There have been times over the past 5 years that the loss and suffering has been overwhelming, and it all seems to come at once. However, in these moments we look to the big picture and this is what I did on Saturday night. This is what I saw...
Commander came to us as a 9 year old when BMM was just a dream. Lame and barely able to walk, Commander was made comfortable and offered a special diet and hoof care to keep him comfortable. He was no longer rideable so we gave him a retirement home. Today Commander is barefoot; he is an important participant in our workshops; and can often been seen playing and galloping around the field with his friends. Commander was given up because he was no longer able to show, but he has made our lives much richer just by being around. This year Commander will have been with us for 10 years!
In 2012 Nibbs, Clifford, Ginger and Oliver will all celebrate 6 years with us, Memphis 4 years, Beauty, Buddy and Othello 3 years, and Skipper 2 years. Over the years, many of them have faced the battles of old age and other health crisis, but we've got through them and we will continue to do so. Not everyone has made it through and some of our residents have only been with us a short time, however that is what this is all about.
Not everyone will understand why we do this, but that's ok. There are some things we cannot control and when it is time for an animal to leave, its time. We cannot help or save everyone, but we are making a small difference. Whether it is giving a sick animal love and a dignified death, or rehabilitating someone to live a long and happy life, there is nothing futile about Bella Misty Meadows.
