How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. - Anne Frank

"Unless someone like YOU cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." -The Lorax (borrowed from the Charm City Animal Rescue's facebook page)

Innocent. Unloved. Abandoned. Hurt. Homeless. I can't stand pointless suffering.

My family has always adopted our pets, and recently I've realized exactly why that is so important. About a year ago, I adopted two kittens from a humane society. When their mama cat, Arizona, was pregnant with them, the humane society fostered her out to a foster mom, meaning she was able to birth and raise her kittens in a quiet, clean home. My kittens, Gus and Bella, and their sister Tabitha, never had to live on the streets; they were never cold or hungry; they never had to fear for their lives. Arizona wasn't as lucky... she was rescued from the streets but, after her kittens were born and adopted, she was put down by the "humane" society because she was missing some fur due to an allergy. It was heart breaking and really taught me a lesson. Domestic animals are never truly safe until they have found their true FURever home.

After adopting my kittens, I became friends with their foster mom and I love giving her updates on how Gus and Bella are doing. She left the humane society, and began a mission called "H.O.P.E. in Harford County." The mission statement says, "Humane Options to Prevent Euthanasia in Harford County (H.O.P.E. in MD) is a collaborative community effort with the mission of utilizing programs and developing new ones to keep Harford County animals in their homes and out of the shelter." They are holding the humane society accountable for their incredibly high kill rate. They advocate for the innocent animals. They educate the public on the importance of spaying and neutering animals. Arizona, and her heart breaking story, is the driving force, the inspiration, behind this advocacy.

Arizona - RIP Sweet Girl

"Speak for those who cannot speak for themselves, defend those who cannot defend themselves, and plead the cause of those in need."

When she left the humane society, my kittens' foster mom began fostering for an animal rescue, called Charm City Animal Rescue. They do wonderful things! According to their mission statement, they "focus on saving animals from the streets, shelters, and feral colonies, and rely solely on donations to do so." They take innocent, unloved, abandoned, hurt, homeless cats and give them a second chance. I follow the stories of the animals they rescue and it warms my heart.

"Donate to a charity" has been on my Life List since I wrote the first draft of the List. There are so many organizations out there that do amazing things. It was hard to choose who I should donate to but, luckily, being a broke 20-something Journalism graduate, I had plenty of time to decide while I saved up some money. After following the success stories and the heart aches from Charm City, I decided that I would love to help them in any way I could. I bought some litter, food, and toys, and donated them. Then I went on PayPal, typed in my credit card number, took a deep breath, and submitted my monetary donation. It felt so good. I felt like I had helped. I did my little part. I did my good deed of the day. I saved a life. You should try it. This was the first time I had donated a substantial amount of money to a charity, but it sure won't be the last time.

Donate to a Charity - Cross that one off the list! For now...