I was talking to a person yesterday who said in a conversation on a different topic, “I want to tell you an animal horror story.” “Please don’t. I know enough.” I said. She continued, “I know, right? I just want to tell you about this dog that was at this…

Irene opened the shelter door to a man wearing a face mask. He was in his mid-40s and sweaty, as if he walked to the shelter on foot in the Houston heat. A shower cap was hugging his black, curly hair. The man — Mr. …

What would happen if you acted as if you welcome every single moment as if it were a friend? — “As if.” It’s not just for Alicia Silverstone anymore. Richard Parker lived at the shelter. He was a big, buff-colored boy with a loud purr and bright, wide eyes that stayed engaged. They’d lock on and follow you with a sense of what felt like intense curiosity. I had the…

When your gut tells you there’s a better way to help animals, rise to find it. — This week, I got a request to take a cat in from one of the “Big Three” private shelters here in Houston. The plea was heartfelt: “Please consider taking this one-year-old cat into your program as the staff and volunteers have become very attached to him. …

The magnificent characteristic of animal lovers is the willingness to live in -their- time. — We lost Mojo, a dignified old man ferret who was part of the FFL family, in February 2015. He lived with ferret friends and a foster mom and dad for the last few months as he had increasing effects from heart failure. He spent his last day hanging out with…

The Golden Rule applies across all boundaries — including species. — Religious scholar and former nun Karen Armstrong had a brilliant yet simple idea on how to heal the world. She shared it on the TED stage and invited the world to sign a charter, agreeing to live their lives in a way that abides by it. …

Nurturing loving-kindness as wounded healers. — There is a powerful practice called the loving-kindness meditation, which I first learned as part of a group of 12 others. The guided meditation teacher invited us to picture a being that we love without condition. People envisioned their child, their pet, their parent. The teacher then asked us to…