Thursday, Oct 18, 2007
There is a hole in my heart that can’t be healed. There is a face swollen from grief and tears. There is a hole in the ground that must be filled. As pain becomes unbearable, I think to myself, why? Why do I do this to myself? I didn’t have to be this raccoon’s mom; I could have a life. I could actually sleep from time to time if I didn’t rescue. Why do I do this?
Then I go to her room to retrieve her body and I see the bag of marshmallows. I begin to cry more and I remember the day we first met. It was April 1, 1994 when a wildlife officer called and said, “I need your help! Some college kid stole a raccoon from a nest to be a pet. He abused the raccoon. The raccoon looks really bad and none of the other wildlife rehabbers will take her.” Not thinking, I took her in.
Her name was Miss Khaki and she hated all humans. Khaki was afraid of water because her former “owner” held her under water. Her feet were oozing and infected from cigarette burns, and she weighed 45 pounds. I grabbed a bag of marshmallows and began the long process of gaining her trust. That day, I promised Khaki no adult wild animal would ever be turned away from our home.
I remember thinking no one person could change the world but, maybe two humans and a raccoon could. That night John and I sat in our finished garage with Khaki discussing our new little raccoon’s future and that’s when it hit us. This could not happen again! This was the birth of the 24-hour part of Foothills Animal Rescue.
I remember the first time Miss Khaki took a marshmallow from my hand. I remember the first time she chuckled at John. Now, as I lay Khaki to rest under our favorite tree, I remember why I do this. Miss Khaki taught me the meaning of friendship. She gave much more than she ever took. She gave me purpose. She gave me a mission. She gave me the courage to fight the good fight and I’ll never give up because of her.
Thank you, Miss Khaki. Piper will carry the torch you lit and everyday we will think of you.
- Tresa Adams, founder of Foothills Animal Rescue
2 comments:
Oh, I can't read that without bursting into tears even though I've read it a hundred times before!!!
When I began volunteering with Foothills, I was drawn to the raccoons. The way Piper hugs you and just shows you this amazing affection; almost as if she is thankful that you'd saved her life.....Ms. Khaki's funny antics and how she could sleep through the noisiest festival with her hiney stuck in the air without a care....how she would "steal" twizzlers and keys and shiny things off the tables, how she would "goose" anyone who stood too close to the cage.....I was just getting to know her, but I miss her dearly none the less.
Then, I was given the chance to raise our first baby raccoon and as the mother of two human children I can honestly say that the bond I had with our little Abigail was one I'll never forget! Letting her go was the happiest and also one of the saddest days of my life! I'm so thankful that she's healthy and able to resume her life as she should, swimming in the river and just being a raccoon, but the selfish side of me misses her kisses and how she would grab my feet on the way down the hall, etc.
And then came Panda Bear....I thought the bond with Abigail was like nothing else I would ever experience and along came Panda Bear. Because she is not developing mentally or physically the way she should she is truly like having a human baby in the house....I love her more and more each day and I don't want to imagine life without her.
I now GET your relationship with Piper and Khaki and I now understand why it's so important to educate the public and allow them to see these guys up close because until you see it with your own two eyes, how amazing these animals are, even if you think you know, believe me you don't!
Foothills has become such a huge part of my life and I'm thankful to you and John for doing all the crazy things you do in order to make this possible.
Nothing can compare to that bond. Mine have been primarily with deer, but I understand. Thanks for taking Renty Cat. I hope she is doing well. Keep us posted. She is missed here.
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