Taking Care of Yourself: Brought Together

Happy Thursday, Positive Animal Caregivers! ♡🐾

I got very lucky this week.

At a baseball game, I managed to lose both my wallet and my credit card — separately, which is its own kind of achievement. And yet, thanks to two kind strangers who handed them over to lost-and-found, I got everything back. My team was thoroughly spanked that night, but I left the stadium feeling relieved, oddly grateful, even a little buoyant.

How about you? Have you had a chance to take a break lately?

For the next few minutes, take a breather. This time is yours — not the animals’, not the clients’. Just yours.

Animal caregiving is full of peaks and valleys. Last week, three quarters of you shared that you were feeling positive. I’m glad for that. And I’m also holding a quiet space for those of you who aren’t quite there right now. Let’s pause and check in —

Add a note if you want (I read them all)

Ever since a summer nearly three decades ago, when I embarked on a whale-watching cruise in Eastern Canada, these giant mammals have fascinated me. So when I heard that scientists had captured a sperm whale giving birth on video, my ears perked up. 

In the rare footage, a group of 11 sperm whales — half of them unrelated to the mother — huddled together, taking turns lifting the newborn to the surface so it could breathe.

The mother, known as Rounder, had the hardest job: the delivery lasted 34 minutes. But the baby whale wouldn’t survive without the caregiving group, including Aurora (Rounder’s sister), Ariel (an unrelated female), and Allan (a male on the verge of leaving the group for a solitary life). I found this curious — as CBC asked in their coverage: “How did the group of whales form in the first place? How do the whales know to join?” 

I don’t know how the group came together, or if any one whale led the effort. But I do know this: the calf survived because others showed up. In our world, that kind of showing up rarely happens by accident. More often, it begins with someone deciding to bring others together. 

Like Mary Akers. 

Hermit crabs don’t receive the same attention as more visibly endangered animals. Still, according to The New York Times: “Millions are plucked off beaches, forced from their chosen shells.” They are sold to tourists and often die within weeks, despite a potential lifespan of 50 years. 

Akers, who was formally trained in ceramics and pottery, spent more than a decade documenting everything she learned about hermit crabs, in the process teaching herself to breed a second generation of hermit crabs in captivity. After a spawn of 246 baby crabs, she organized the Crab Con, bringing together enthusiasts who wanted to adopt to also talk about conservation. (I couldn’t help but imagine Crab Con as a kind of Comic-Con, where everyone dresses up as crabs.)

What Akers built isn’t as unusual as it sounds. I saw a version of it this weekend. 

I spent my Sunday volunteering at the community vet clinic, where one person brought together multiple veterinarians, a dozen technicians, and even more students to provide preventative care for animals in the community. (I felt completely out of depth as people around me communicated in codes like “fracture on 404”.) 

“This is amazing,” Prince’s owner told me as her pet was examined. “All the vets who gave up their Sundays to be here. All the food and toys for my Prince. I could never afford this by myself.” Smiles were easy to find. Laughter, too. All of it tracing back, it seemed, to one person who had decided to pull others together and make the day happen.

Prince was a bit overweight, but otherwise healthy. He received his rabies and FVRCP vaccine (an acronym that tripped me up all day). Dr. Rachel explained that Prince’s diet needed to be controlled to help him live a long, healthy life. As she spoke, the technicians trimmed Prince’s nails. And I escorted his owner on a tour of all the free resources, not only for animals but also for people. 

By the end of the day, it felt clear: none of this happened by accident. Someone had decided to gather people to make care possible. Maybe that’s what it takes — not something extraordinary, but the willingness to bring others together.

— or roughly $27 U.S. — is the maximum prescription fee a U.K. veterinarian can charge, according to a new ruling by the Competition and Markets Authority.

Add a note if you want (I read them all)

Mark your calendars for these upcoming opportunities to connect with others:

Here are the ways to recharge this week. Pick ONE small thing that makes you smile. You’ve earned it. 

Listen: I recommend re-listening to a recent (2004!) classic "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield. YouTube said: "let's be honest, if this song was released today it would be even more popular than is actually." Comment to share a song with other animal caregivers. 

Watch: See this ad (made on behalf of Nintendo) about two brothers, before checking out The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

Write: Start a gratitude journal. This week’s prompt: Coming Together. 

Appreciate: Set a five-minute timer and sit with a beautiful piece of art. This week’s artwork: The Water Lily Pond by Claude Monet.

Try: Browse through Meetupand see if any of your local groups excites you.  

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Thanks for spending part of your day with me and the rest of the Positive Animal Caregivers Club. Take care of yourself this week. Remember - even superheroes need naps. 

– Philip