I read a great article today from Good News Network about a rescue that really touched my heart. A conservation group called Wildlife SOS recently launched a specially designed elephant ambulance to transport injured elephants safely to their hospital. Its very first rescue was a 27-year-old elephant named Veer who had been used as a “begging elephant,” meaning he was taken into busy streets where handlers ask the public for money. Veer was suffering from a painful leg injury, so the veterinary team treated him on site and carefully transported him to their Elephant Hospital in India where he can now receive long-term care. The ambulance is specially designed for elephants, with harness systems that allow them to stand safely during transport while veterinarians monitor them and provide treatment along the way. Sometimes helping animals means thinking bigger. And in this case… really big. One elephant helped, one life changed, and a reminder that compassion travels in many forms… even an elephant ambulance. If you'd like to read the story that inspired this post, go here. What’s the most unusual animal rescue story you’ve heard about?

This is poem by John O'Donohue that I read at my Pet Blessing that I want to share with you. Grab your furbaby, or furbabies, and be very blessed today. ❤️ Learn from Animal Being Nearer to the earth’s heart, Deeper within its silence: Animals know this world In a way we never will. We who are ever Distanced and distracted By the parade of bright Windows of thought openings: Their seamless presence Is not fractured thus. Stranded between time Gone and time emerging, We manage seldom To be where we are: Whereas they are always Looking out from The here and now. May we learn to return And rest in the beauty Of animal being, Learn to lean low, Leave our locked minds, And with freed senses Feel the earth Breathing with us. May we enter Into the lightness of spirit, And slip frequently into The feel of the wild. Let the clear silence Of our animal being Cleanse our hearts Of corrosive words. May we learn to walk Upon the earth With all their confidence And clear-eyed stillness So that our minds Might be baptized In the name of the wind And light and the rain. ― John O'Donohue To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings

I’ve finished my children’s book called Love Doesn’t Stink, inspired by a precious baby skunk that won my heart. I wrote this story to share how loving and wonderful these little misunderstood creatures truly are. If you have kids, grandkids, love to spoil a friend’s kids, or are just a big kid yourself, the link to the digital book is here. You can also find it in the Classroom anytime. Profits from this book will go to All Things Wild to support the care and protection of skunks.

For centuries, whaling pushed humpback whales to the brink of extinction. Entire generations were lost. The balance of their populations shifted in ways we’re still uncovering today. But here’s the beautiful part. As humpback whale populations rebound, something fascinating is happening. Older male whales are now more successful at fathering calves than their younger rivals. Why? Because they’re better singers. Humpback whales produce some of the most elaborate songs in the animal kingdom. And it appears those powerful, refined songs may take years to perfect. In the early years after whaling ended, populations were dominated by younger males. But as numbers recovered and older whales became more common again, females may have become more selective. It appears that experience matters and they may be choosing males whose songs have been practiced and perfected over time. Researchers studying whales in New Caledonia used genetic testing and even an epigenetic “molecular clock” from tiny skin samples to identify paternity and estimate age. The findings suggest that behavior, competition, and mating success are evolving as populations heal. Nature doesn’t just rebound in numbers, it calibrates, relearns and restores wisdom. There’s something comforting in the knowing that given time, protection, and space… life finds its rhythm again. Practice makes magic. 💙

It never ceases to amaze me how GOD brings people into my life. Some may see it as coincidence. Others may see it as a sign. For me, I see it as a blessing. I met Mark while helping him with an urgent situation at work that thankfully turned out well. During our conversation he shared a little about the project he is currently working on. His mission felt aligned with my own, and we exchanged contact information. A day or two later he emailed me a couple of articles. I read the one about whales first. You can imagine my surprise when I realized he was one of the people who helped rescue the gray whales trapped in the ice in Alaska in 1988. I received this just before learning that the Center for Whale Research was hiring. Yes… I took the leap and applied. It would truly be a dream job if the stars align. Mark kindly gave me permission to share the article he wrote about that incredible rescue. It’s a powerful reminder of what people can accomplish when they come together for animals. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did.