Pixabay License – Photograph by Nhudaibnumukhtar

THE PROLIFERATION OF ANIMAL ABUSE ON VARIOUS SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS HAS BECOME EPIDEMIC. EVERY DAY NEW FACE BOOK POSTS WHICH CLAIM TO BE ABOUT HELPING ANIMALS- CLEARLY SHOW STAGED ANIMAL DISTRESS PHOTOS OR VIDEOS – WHICH REPRESENT SOME TORTURE OR DEATH OF ANIMALS.

THIS POST IS NOT SAYING THAT THERE ARE NO LEGITIMATE ANIMAL PROTECTION GROUPS OR POSTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA. BUT IT HAS BECOME MORE AND MORE IMPORTANT TO USE DISCRESTION BEFORE CHEERING ON SOME OF THESE RESCUES WHICH LOOK TOTALLY FAKE. TOO OFTEN THE HAPPY ANIMAL PHOTO IS TAKEN BEFORE THE ABUSE – AND IS NOT REALLY AN ANIMAL RESCUE.

TODAY I CAME ACROSS A SITE THAT CLAIMED TO SHOW CAT RESCUES. A KITTEN THAT LOOKED DECEASED AND WET, LAY NEXT TO A RAIL ROAD TRACK. THE CAPTION CLAIMED THE KITTEN WAS RESCUED. I SENT AN EMAIL TO THE SITE’S ADMIN TELLING THEM THE KITTEN LOOKED DECEASED AND ASKED WHY WAS IT SOAKING WET? OF COURSE I GOT NO RESPONSE. THERE WAS NO ACTUAL PHOTO OF A RESCUE OR ANY DOCUMENTATION…JUST THE KITTEN LAYING LIFELESS NEXT TO A RAILROAD.

IN ANOTHER POST – A DOG SUPPOSEDLY HAD WANDERED INTO A TAR PIT. THE DOG IN AGONY IS SHOWN BEING LIFTED OUT OF THE PIT. THEN A HAPPY DOG IS SHOWN AS THE RESCUE PHOTO. THE PEOPLE WHO POSTED THIS WANT US TO BELIEVE THAT A DOG WOULD HAVE ANY ATTRACTION TO HOT TAR AND THAT JUST RINSING HIM OFF WOULD REVIVE HIM. THAT DOG WOULD HAVE REQUIRED MAJOR EMERGENCY VETERINARY HELP IF THERE WAS ANY CHANCE OF HIM SURVIVING.

I HAVE SEEN COUNTLESS FACEBOOK POSTS THAT NEED INVESTIGATING. THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME WAY TO SCRUTINIZE THESE POSTS THAT INVOLVE ANY LIVING BEING THAT COULD BE IN HARMS WAY. RIGHT NOW PEOPLE WITH QUESTIONNABLE INTENTIONS AT BEST, ARE GETTING CLICKS AND MAKING MONEY STAGING THESE HORRNDOUS ABUSES.

I HAVE CONTACTED FACEBOOK A FEW TIMES TO REPORT POTENTIAL ABUSE BUT NOTHING HAS EVER COME OF IT. JUST DELETING A POST IS NOT THE ANSWER. WE NEED SOME TYPE OF SCRUTINY AND INESTIGATION. IT IS TOO EASY FOR SOCIAL MEDIA TO BAIT PEOPLE WITH THESE TITLES ABOUT A HELPLESS ANIMAL BEING RESCUED.

SOCIAL MEDIA COMPAINES NEED TO MAKE THIS A TOP PRIORITY IN THEIR FORMULATION OF WHAT IS ALLOWED AND HOW TO PROPERLY RESEARCH THESE POSTS FOR THIS TYPE OF TERRIBLE ABUSE.

MY QUESTION IS – WHY WASN’T THIS THOUGHT OF TO BEGIN WITH? SOCIAL MEDIA SHOULD NOT BE ANNONYMOUS. THERE SHOULD BE A LEGITIMATE WAY TO HAVE MANDATORY UPDATED CONTACT INFORMATION.

THE NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION, LADY FREE THINKER, HAS SUED YOU TUBE OVER IT’S ANIMAL ABUSE VIDEOS. HERE IS A LINK TO THEIR WEBSITE WHERE THEY DISCUSS THE PROLIFIC PROBLEMS OF SOCIAL MEDIA – ANIMAL ABUSE POSTS: https://ladyfreethinker.org/sign-remove-animal-cruelty-from-youtube/

THE ANIMAL WELFARE INSTITUTE HAS A VERY GOOD ARTICLE ON THEIR WEBSITE THAT DISCUSSES WHAT TO DO IF YOU COME ACROSS SUSPECTED ANIMAL ABUSE ON SOCIAL MEDIA. HERE IS THE LINK TO THAT ARTICLE – https://awionline.org/content/frequently-asked-questions-about-reporting-animal-cruelty

WHEN I COME ACROSS THESE FAKE ANIMAL RESCUE SITES – I OFTEN LEAVE A COMMENT UNDER THE POSTS TELLING PEOPLE THIS IS LIKELY ANIMAL ABUSE AND A FAKE SITE.

ALL SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS NEED TO COME UP WITH A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO BLOCK AND INVESTIGATE THESE TYPES OF SITES. NOTHING IS MORE DISTURBING THEN ANY TYPE OF ANIMAL OR HUMAN ABUSE BEING CONDUCTED FOR SICK HUMAN PROFIT. PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOUR IDEAS ARE FOR STOPPING THE PROLIFERATION OF ANIMAL ABUSE VIDEOS ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

Please note the photo above has nothing to do with social media animal abuse. It is a photograph I downloaded from Pixabay.

Copyright – Cynthia Fain – Oct. 2023 –

Photograph By kudybadorota – Pixabay License

One of my most passionate topics to write and teach about is what I call “powers of observation”…which many of us have clearly lost. Nature and wildlife are not supposed to be something that we take for granted and pave over. One of the worst things to come out of modern society is the tendency for people to blame deer and other wild animals for being a problem to us.

I prefer to look at this issue much differently. We need to go back and look at history and see how as humans developed cars, roads, and factories; the effects of all of this modernization was to place our priorities over that of nature. Instead of developing a plan that learned from animals we stampeded over their habitat.

When I look around the suburbs here in the Washington, DC area I get extremely frustrated at the lack of land preservation and the way planning did not work holistically with the earth and animals. There are ways to improve the quality of life for humans as well as wildlife. Instead of plowing over every ounce of nature, why don’t developers work with nature and still make money?

I once lived in an apartment complex that was bordered by a stream and woodland. After joining the community evironmental committee, I found out that the developer had paved over a beautiful pond filled with aquatic life. What was once a thriving eco-system was now a parking lot. That is just a tiny fraction of the loss of life and habitat that goes on behind the scenes of any development.

Why don’t developers go out to the land they are going to develop and think about something other then the money they are going to make? They should have to sit on that land and learn something from the land and the animals before they pave the whole thing over. Our planning agencies need to focus on retaining more green space so there is some habitat left for birds, wildlife and people.

We can envision and implement new types of development that would be far more attractive to humans as well as wildlife. Imagine developments where there are protected areas of forest and ponds. Today houses are built in super high density which puts too many people smashed together. There is nothing healthy about human over population and loss of habitat.

One of the greatest break throughs are wildlife over passes or tunnels, that are constructed over and under major highways throughout the world. You Tube has several good videos that show how wildlife over and under passes are major progress towards creating a more humane world.

I suggest that you keep a journal and watch the animals and birds around you. When you drive to work, when you are out at a park, or even in your yard – learn from the animals. The next time someone complains about the deer or other wild animals- I suggest you try walking in their challenges. See the world from their point of view. We need to increase our powers of observation to create a more balanced world that includes the creatures.

What ideas do you have that could help to build a more balanced and humane world? I would like to hear your thoughts on this issue.

Copyright – August 2023 – Cynthia Fain

SCRUFFY

Photograph taken by Cynthia Fain – May 2017

Rescuing and fostering cats is a very powerful and moving experience. I first began my journey into the world of humane trapping and fostering cats way back in the 1990’s. Under the light of the full moon on a cold March night, I walked into the small patch of forest where stray cats often frequented. The chill of the night air numbed my face and hands as I used my flashlight to check the humane trap.

A pair of inquisitive eyes reflected through the trap as a grey and white tabby cat cautiously followed my every move.

I knelt by the humane trap and spoke to the frightened cat, “I haven’t seen you before. I won’t hurt you – I am here to help you.”

I gently picked up the trap, and carefully navigated my way down the hill and through the dark woods. As I walked up to my apartment, I sensed that this was someone’s abandoned pet as the cat did not act feral or in a panic.

Tragically, many of the strays I rescued were abandoned by heartless tenants who had moved out of the apartment complex where I lived. Left behind in the parking lot, fending for themselves, they often found their way to the cat houses and food I set up in the woods.

The name that came to me as I stayed up late into the night was Rocky. I regularly checked on Rocky and spoke to him and reassured him, that he would be taken care of.

The next morning I contacted Mary who generously fostered many abandoned cats. Due to my small apartment and the fact that I had 3 cats of my own, I sadly, was not able to keep him.

As I walked up to Mary’s, I was reminded that parting with a rescued cat is never easy. So many questions come to mind as I wondered who would eventually adopt him, and would they make a life commitment to him. I rang the doorbell and as Mary welcomed us I glanced around the room filled with cats who were all hoping for a happy home. I introduced her to Rocky and thanked her for the commitment she made to helping so many lost and abandoned cats.

Before leaving, I pet Rocky and gave a heart felt goodbye. I turned and looked at him one last time as I headed for the door. I hoped all the cats Mary cared for would find dependable caring homes and never end up abused or on the street again.

Years later, my cat rescue journey continued when I moved to the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Rappahannock County, Virginia. Situated at the top of a hill, the old bed and breakfast was surrounded by thousands of acres of forest.

One February evening, a woman who lived in one of the rental cottages came running up the driveway. Out of breath and clearly shaken, she said, “Two grey and white kittens and a mother cat were just abandoned at the foot of the driveway! A white pickup truck stopped and dropped them off. I tried to run after them to get the license tag but they sped off too fast. Whoever did this needs to be held responsible!”

I hurried down the long gravel driveway and searched the woods where the kittens and their mother were callously dumped. After finding no sign of the kittens or mother I alerted my neighbor who thankfully was a cat lover and an experienced rescuer. John assured me that he would keep an eye out for the mother and kittens. After their abandonment, I regularly left a bowl of water and a bowl of cat food out in the woods hoping the trio of cats would find this sustenance.

Weeks and months went by with no sign of the cats. I contemplated the fate of the two kittens and their mother, and how they could possibly survive being dropped off between a highway and forest. A busy 2 lane highway connecting Rappahannock County and Culpeper County was at the foot of our driveway. The huge expanse of forest, behind the Inn, was home to black bear, fox, bobcats, raccoons and many other animals. Until we were able to rescue each of them, the cats abandoned at our property had to carefully navigate between that busy road and the predators of the forest

Over several years, these two kittens and their mother were just a few of the abandoned cats on our property.

When I first arrived to the Inn, every night I saw a tabby cat peering into our house with sad forlorn eyes.

I began putting food and water out for him, and by the spring I was able to humane trap him. He had been camped out under our front porch and scavenging through the trash when the name Scruffy came to me. Another resident on our property said she too had named him Scruffy when she saw him peeking into her windows at night.

After a few months of fostering Scruffy, he found his happy home with my sister who is also a great rescuer of cats. Scruffy went from sleeping out in the cold, to King Tut at my sister’s house. He had his special beds and blankets and always commandeered the bowls of cat food.

With every unique cat or kitten that I have rescued and fostered, I always found it very difficult to say goodbye. Most of my rescue cats went to nonprofit cat rescue organizations that do adoptions. Each cat had their own very special story and personality. No cat belongs out in the wild fending for him or herself. I encourage everyone to stay aware and learn to recognize when any cat (or dog) is clearly abandoned, neglected or abused.

The protective guardians of nature looked over the two kittens that were abandoned in February 2019 on our property in Rappahannock County. Their miraculous story will be shared in my next book, “More Stories Along The Golden Path of Nature”.

In memory of Scruffy and many other rescued cats, please support cat rescue groups and be kind to any abandoned dog or cat that you come across.

Copyright – Cynthia Fain – 2023

Photograph by Cynthia Fain. Taken from The Blue Garden in the Peace Park – Poolesville, MD

The jewel of Montgomery County Maryland is it’s 90,000 acre Agricultural Reserve. This masterpiece of nature is heralded by many conservationists, hikers, nature lovers, bird watchers and cyclists. A lot of work goes into keeping this vast expanse of forest and farmland out of the hands of home builders. Preservation organizations keep vigilant watch over our planning agencies, because legislators need to be held accountable for keeping zoning regulations in tact, and focus their priority on protecting the Agricultural Reserve.

In the early 1990’s I read a newspaper article about a Buddhist Temple called Kunzang Payul Choling that was in the Poolesville, MD area in the Agricultural Reserve. I had never ventured into the Agricultural Reserve on foot, so this would be my first exploration beyond a drive through the country roads.

I was given a tour of the temple and shown the Prayer Room – including a beautiful array of crystals. After being shown around the temple I was delighted, to find out they had purchased 60 acres of land across the street, and were integrating magical gardens and trails into the woodland. What a treasure it was to have this park, with all it’s gifts right outside the incredilby hectic suburbs of Montgomery County Maryland.

One of my greatest joys was wandering off the trails and exploring hidden places in the forest. The park has five gardens: The Blue Garden, Red Garden, White Garden, Yellow Garden and Green Garden. Each garden has it’s own special charm, and the trails wind through forest, meadows, hills, valleys, and meandering streams.

After my mother passed away in the late night of November 2nd, 1999, the first place I ventured was the Peace Park early the next morning. Fresh from a night of crying, I headed out to the trail that leads to the Yellow Garden. After crossing over a stream, I navigated a hill with an obstacle course of large tree roots. At the top of the hill I came to the Yellow Garden. The chill of November air and barren trees made a stark contrast to the springtime , when the Yellow Garden transforms into a golden glow with forsythia and other yellow blooming flowers.

After my walk along the trail, I stopped at one of my favorite places in the park where a little earthen mound over looks the covergence of two streams. Getting to the streams was an adventure of grasping trees, while climbing down the mound and to the muddy shore. By the edge of the stream, I sat llistening to the water rippling over the rocks.

Six months after my mother passed away, my sister and I arranged to place a memorial bench in the Blue Garden at the Peace Park. Perched at the top of the hill, her bench, overlooked pink blossoming trees and a stream flowed through the forest below. The songs of woodthrush, cardinals and carolina wrens echoed through the trees and I knew we have found the perfect place for her bench.

We need to look at land conservation as a permanent committment and not sacrifice our natural heritage. Whereever you see a park, forest or farmland, always remember these places won’t be there without our committment to preservation. Connecting with nature and the healing of earth and streams needs to be a regular part of our lives. Take some time to unplug from all the electronic media and find your cherished place among nature.

In Montgomery County Maryland we are so fortunate to have our Agricultural Reserve and cherished spaces like the Peace Park.

For more information about the park, here is the link https://www.tara.org/stupa-peace-park-maryland/

JOURNEY TO THE PEACE PARK – COPYRIGHT – MARCH 2023 CYNTHIA FAIN

One of the greatest experiences of my life was volunteering with the Maryland Environmental Trust. I began volunteering with this Maryland State Government Agency in 1996-1998 and eagerly went back in 2006-2008. MET places voluntary land conservation easements on farms, woodlands, and historic properties. A 15-year state and local property tax exemption on the unimproved land comes with the MET easement agreement. The easements on the property are permanent, making this an excellent and effective land preservation tool.

To ensure the easements are properly maintained – landowners must agree to be monitored by MET for compliance with the stipulations of the conservation agreement. My monitoring adventures took me to huge farms in the Agricultural Reserve of Montgomery County Maryland and in Frederick Maryland. I visited forests, historic civil war easements, and emerald green meadows.

Development pressures in our suburbs have created a major loss of forest and farm habitat. The loss of quality of life for humans and wildlife is staggering. As humans, we have to think of the long – term, not just a rush to capitalize financially.

In Montgomery County Maryland, we are fortunate to have the Agricultural Reserve! This land is protected by agricultural zoning. But there are always risks being posed to the Agricultural Reserve. Many organizations including the Montgomery Countryside Alliance fight very hard to keep intrusions out of the reserve. I have testified many times at local legislative hearings regarding proposed developments that are not in alignment with the goals of the agricultural reserve. I encourage citizens to get out and take a firm stand against any type of development that poses serious environmental damage.

Land preservation needs to be a priority when areas are targeted for development. The tactics that developers and government agencies use to promote development – have fallen way out of alignment with what is sustainable for the future. Wildlife and birds have taken a brutal beating in areas where there is clear-cutting and massive pavement replacing what was once their sacred land. Imagine waking up one day and finding your home is gone or a highway is paved through your habitat.

To protect the future of our farms, forests, and green space please join a land trust or other land preservation organization. Exercise your civic rights to testify at legislative hearings; volunteer for an environmental organization and put your vision to work. A world without trees, clean air and water, green space, and abundant wildlife habitat is not a happy or sustainable outcome.

I hope to soon move back to Montgomery County and hike in the Agricultural Reserve! I miss it there. Long live our green heritage!

COPYRIGHT – APRIL 2022 – CYNTHIA FAIN

Image by Kessa from Pixabay

Tonight I ask people to PLEASE help all the cats that have been left to fend for themselves. Stray and feral cats originated from someone who failed to take proper responsibility for spaying and neutering their cats. I have been involved in the humane trapping of cats and working with groups like Rapp Cats. It is so important to get these neglected animals to spay-neuter clinics and provide food, water, and some shelter. And when possible work with groups to responsibly adopt out the cats that are able to be tamed. I thank Rapp Cats for all their hard work in providing the cats of Rappahannock County with humane trapping, sheltering and responsibly adopting cats to interested families. Please feel free to share your story about cats that you have rescued. I have seen many success storiES IN MY MANY YEARS OF WORKING WITH STRAY CATS. IN FUTURE POSTS I WILL SHARE SOME OF MY STORIES OF WORKING TO RESCUE AND FOSTER STRAY CATS.

COPYRIGHT JANUARY 2021 – CYNTHIA FAIN

Image by ArtTower from Pixabay

Here it is Christmas Eve, and I came across an extremely upsetting video on You Tube. This evening after, dark I thought I heard a wild animal hurting a cat. I wondered if it was a bear vocalization that I heard before the cat cried.

I ran out and got my flashlight and yelled out into the woods to try and find the cat. After the cat cried, everything went silent. I went inside and searched You Tube for the cries of a black bear.

I found a You Tube video of a bear cry and it turned out to be a video that a bow hunter took of a bear that he shot with an arrow. The video is tragic beyond words….the person who reposted this video is apparently an animal activist who was intent on showing the world what we humans do not want to hear. All those bullets and arrows randomly shot into wild animals for supposed sport – is no sport at all. It is barbaric and totally unacceptable that any form of violence to animals is viewed as a sport. Arrow wounds can lead to a prolonged death from bleeding, and the sounds of terror coming from this black bear would cause anyone but a sociopath to know that this is not what humans should be doing to our wildlife.

I encourage people to ask questions and not just think that hunting is solving wildife over population issues, etc. We need to look at the suffering of the animals and how we as humans have over taken their habitat and normal trail ways.

Make it a regular intention to go out and do something compassionate for the deer, bear and other wildlife – honor their pathways and learn from them.

I know this is a serious post on Christmas Eve, but isn’t Christmas supposed to reflect brining in the light and compassion to the planet for people, animals and nature?