I do not very often post a request, but…
I have known John Zande for quite a few years. It has been, what they call, a virtual relationship for we have never met in person. I do have John’s book The Superstitious Naked Ape and it is a first-rate read.
John recently sent me an email. It read:
Hi Paul — How are you both, and the clan? Weather station up and going? Still has not stopped raining here. The ground is beyond saturated, and many of our big old trees around here are just falling over, which is horrible.
Just got sent this link (below), and G asked me to send it on to people I know. To celebrate Betty White’s work with animals (and her 100th birthday, which sadly she’ll not have) her sister (in Australia) just started a short Gofundme for G and me here in Brazil. She’s good like that, and at this time of year (heaps of dumped dogs and cats after Christmas) everything helps.
This is the link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-vista-verde-animals-fund
If one opens the link then one reads the following:
ooOOoo
On 17/01 Betty White would turn 100 years old. Most of her life she was an advocate for the health & welfare of animals. As a tribute to her legacy, there’s a global movement to send monies to all animal shelters (thanks to my amazing friend Heather C who brought that to my attention). My sister and her husband John live in Brazil and have been working tirelessly to take stray cats & dogs off the streets for over 15 years.
Their amazing work, as much as is rewarding & noble have absolutely no financial help from the local Government. Stray animals are definitely a public health issue and depend practically solely on the private initiative.
So I’m asking my friends here to donate (any amount will help) to my sister’s VISTA VERDE ANIMAL FUND. Every cent in this campaign will go towards helping fund rescuing stray cats & dogs in the city of Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil – where my family lives – have them spayed/neutered, nurtured back to health with whatever operations/medicines/treatment they need, house them, and, with luck, get them adopted out into loving homes.
As Betty White herself summed it up best: “Take responsibility and breathe kindness.” Thank you in advance. YOUR CONTRIBUTION WILL MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE.
ooOOoo
To view the photographs and, more importantly, to Donate! go here
We have joined thousands of others in making a modest donation!
Learning from Dogs 
Thanks Paul! We’re actually off to the clinic today for the next round of tests for this blind boy before his operation to restore sight (hopefully) in one eye.
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This getting old lark is all encompassing, isn’t it John. Humans and animals are no exception from the ultimate end. That’s why memories are so precious!
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Tell me about it. Bits of me I didn’t even know I had are breaking down! 🙂
Hey, I just found this, about legislation to end animal cruelty in Oregon: “Let’s Get IP 13 on the Ballot.” You might want to sign it.
https://www.yesonip13.org/
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John, a bit slow to follow up on that link. But, thanks, and Jean and I will most definitely sign it. I will also make it a future post for any other Oregon readers.
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I’m unable to respond to John’s reply to you here, Paul, so this is the best I can do:
https://www.yesonip13.org/
Wow, that’s a tall order. I’d definitely sign if I were an Oregon resident, but I’m not, so all I can really do is hope that this succeeds.
(s) peNdantry alias Alan Temaficoni alias Yetan Uthralius 😉
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Thank you, Mr. P. One hopes it will achieve its goal!
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Has ‘the blind boy’ had his operation yet? If so, I hope it was a success 🙂
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No — but he’s still in treatment. And thankfully, he’s adapted rather well to his new dark world. In fact, he’s on my lap as I write. The op is planned, but the surgeon doesn’t want to go in while he has gunk of some sort in the actual eye that can be saved. This gunk is forming because he also has feline aids… which is untreatable, but not as bad as it first sounds. So since last year he’s been on three different drops every day, twice a day. The doc wants to give him every chance of a successful op, and that requires (apparently) a clean eye. We’ve seen the surgeon and done tests every two months to see if he’s ready. His next visit is July (13th, i think?), and I think that is when we’re going to go ahead, gunk or not.
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John, the very best of luck for the operation whenever it is done!
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Thanks Paul. I’m confident. The surgeon is apparently the best around, and I certainly admit she’s being spectacularly cautious and careful with her approach. I wanted the op last year, but she insists this is the right way.
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Sounds like a great surgeon, John.
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Fingers crossed for a good result! 🙂
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A most worthy case honoring a beautiful human spirit.
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Those are precious words! Thank you.
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