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On Animals
(from a book of collected essays in progress)
Copyright Jim Willis 2001
e-mail: tiergarten@onebox.com
Web Site: Tiergarten Care Fund

"My animals have taught me to not see
breeding, pedigrees, colors, physical or
personality oddities. They expect to be accepted
for who they are and 'improvement' can only be
accomplished through love and encouragement.

They don't assume or anticipate. They have no
sense of elapsed time and they live for the
moment. They respond to kindness and they
immediately recognize a loving spirit. They
react to how they are treated and always
respond appropriately. They don't judge and
they forgive.

Their communication is natural and direct,
without subterfuge or cunning, and every
movement has meaning. They notice everything
and live by their senses. They don't rely on
other's opinions and they do nothing for the
sake of appearances.

They respect their elders and would die for their
young. They maintain a hierarchy for survival,
not for prestige or arrogance. They are good to
themselves. They own nothing, accumulate
nothing, and are rich in their simplicity. Their
needs are pure sustenance, and their love and
loyalty are without restraint.

They do nothing to damage the Earth or
threaten our environment.

As an imperfect human who respects their
perfection, and that of all animals, I can only
wonder if 'dominion over the Earth' was granted
to the wrong species. And I consider it the
supreme human arrogance to suggest that
animals do not have souls. How can we flawed
humans claim to be the only species created 'in
His image,' when by their very nature they are
surely closer to the Creator than we are?"

Copyright Jim Willis 2001 - Used With Permission

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CONTRIBUTIONS to the TIERGARTEN VETERINARY CARE FUND are desperately needed and must be made payable to McDonald Animal Clinic and sent to:

Tiergarten Veterinary Care Fund
c/o McDonald Animal Clinic
126 S. McDonald St
McDonald, PA 15057

!! WE MUST PLACE ALL FOSTERS BY SEPTEMBER !! SEE OUR SITE FOR DETAILS:
--For Animals for Adoption, the texts of "How Could You?", "The Animals' Savior," "We Are Their Heroes," "IF for Dogs," and more, and a list of helpful links
PLEASE VISIT OUR NEW WEBSITE: http://jimwillis0.tripod.com/tiergarten/

**WE NEED AIRLINE-APPROVED SHIPPING CRATES (especially large/X-large dog sizes).

**CONTRIBUTIONS to the TIERGARTEN VETERINARY CARE FUND are greatly appreciated! - and must be made payable to McDonald Animal Clinic and sent to:
Tiergarten Care Fund
c/o McDonald Animal Clinic
126 S. McDonald St
McDonald, PA 15057

[Please note: we are not a not-for-profit corporation and therefore have donations go directly to our veterinarian. We are exempt from registration with PA Bureau of Charitable Organizations and are entered as such in their database.]
(We also appreciate donations of quality dog & cat kibbles, canned cat foods ("Whiskas" or equivalent), fresh or frozen ground meats, bedding, especially standard-size doggie pillow covers. Please contact us about other items and supplements we regularly use.)

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