One of the lovely things about being retired is the chance to see more of the wildlife out here "on the edge of Harmony". This morning, for instance, we were treated to another leisurely look at the bald eagle circling over the yard.
Not being a townie, I do understand that he wasn't being sociable. To the eagle, a rabbit is a cat is a small dog is dinner, and this is the reason that little Andy is always on a lunge line whenever we are outside anywhere.
Eagles are not the only hazard to kitties, as sensible ferals seldom sun out in full view. ( the subject of how inhumane it is to dump a tame housecat or kitten without a feral's survival skills anywhere is deserving of a separate post all its own. )
But I'm wandering afield here. In my opinion, its just a waste of energy to get upset at the bald eagles / red tailed hawks / golden eagles / chicken hawks / foxes / coyotes / weasels or any other wild things who are just looking to survive. To be perfectly honest, we humans are a lot harder on them and their habitats than any of them are on each other.
If we humans weren't so hard on so many things we would never need laws. But here in the real world, laws are there when we can't be good for goodness sake. It is really still a crapshoot to be a pet .... the lucky ones spend their whole lives being well cared for and loved by the same human. Even luckier are the ones who find a second chance at a first rate life through animal rescue.
In a province where many of my contemporaries grew up with dogs that never saw the inside of a house or a vet's office, laws also do double duty by educating. Changing the law is the only way to move forward from how "we always did it at home"
New legislation in Nova Scotia is exactly like a new house under construction. The statute provides the framework that defines the shape of the new law. But before the new law can be "roof tight", regulations have to be drafted to set out the specifics of the new law. Drafted, reviewed, approved and passed by the approving authority, which for most of the new animal act is the Governor in Council. The same kind of speedy process that saw the new law sitting on the shelf for months before being proclaimed.
This morning, I noticed that there were a new series of Animal Welfare White Papers on the front door of the society website. Some of them are dusted off versions of the old position statements, but the really interesting bit is the Key Messages wherein there is a new bold statement that "The Nova Scotia SPCA is a no-kill animal welfare organization that follows the principles of the No-Kill Equation as published by Nathan J. Winograd"
Does this mean No Kill at Metro or does it mean No Kill at all the branches? Hmmm ... just the possibility of such a silver lining could make for very interesting days indeed.
What time is it? Its time to remember that while well intentioned folks from away are focusing on so much smoke and mirrors, that those here on the ground in Nova Scotia have been quietly moving forward in spite of it all.
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