It begins with the simplest gestures of compassion. An Ohio fisherman lowers an open palm to a drowning American robin and warms the fledgling by a lakeside fire until it flies away the next morning. A Texas obstetrics nurse negotiates with a man to release his badly neglected, nearly starving Labrador mix and then pays for surgery to remove the puppy sized collar embedded in his full grown neck. And a retired Massachusetts schoolteacher can’t bear to watch a stray cat tunneling through snowdrifts during a bitter winter storm, so she captures the cat and gives him foster care until she can find him a good home.
These are real moments, defining moments that transform ordinary animal lovers into something more. Some might even call them heroes because for an instant these rescuers felt the weight of the lake on a young bird, the ache of an empty stomach in a very hungry dog and the sting of snow against the body of a gentle orange cat. And most importantly, they decided to do something about it.
An Historic Animal Rescue Event...
Scheduled for launch in 2010, The Great Animal Rescue Chase is about to put the power of empathy to the test in an historic move to create one of the largest animal rescue operations the world has ever seen. The event is open to animal lovers everywhere regardless of whether they’re about to stage their very first rescue or celebrate their hundredth. Each participant is asked to go out into their own community and transform the life of a single animal in need. This extraordinary rescue event will be hosted on the worldwide web at AnimalRescueChase.com, a site built to satisfy every animal lover’s appetite for happy endings. The site will be a gorgeously designed, easy to navigate showcase for the rescue event.
A real time ticker will count toward one million as participants from across America and around the world log on to upload personal rescue stories and photos of compassion in action. Thousands of images will accompany the tales of stray dogs who finally found homes, cats rescued by boat when floodwaters moved in, an injured skunk gently taken out of the road and to the safety of a wildlife center and perhaps even beached dolphins returned to sea. Those exciting, original chronicles will capture each animal’s moment of transformation and serve as inspiration to all who follow. And the best of those stories will be featured in our special book series that will chronicle the true rescue tales of animal lovers around the world.
You're Invited to Participate
I'm currently inviting rescuers to share their photos & stories for inclusion in the launch of the The Great Animal Rescue Chase. Your materials may appear in the upcoming book or in the premiere of our website.
I'm currently inviting rescuers to share their photos & stories for inclusion in the launch of the The Great Animal Rescue Chase. Your materials may appear in the upcoming book or in the premiere of our website.
Step One: Gather up to 10 high resolution photos of the animal(s) you've rescued.
Step Two: Write a clear caption for each image. Tell us about the animal(s) you helped and how the experience inspired you. Include whatever you feel would be most interesting to other readers. Use up to 200 words per caption.
Step Three: Read and Agree to the Terms of Use Below:
The Great Animal Rescue Chase, herein referred to as the Chase, will take the form of both a website and book series aimed at inspiring animal lovers to save the lives of animals in their own community, and with an initial goal of transforming the lives of 1 million animals. By submitting photos and stories for inclusion in the Chase, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, right to publicly display or re-display such materials in other formats, including television, magazine, newspaper and other promotional venues.
The Great Animal Rescue Chase, herein referred to as the Chase, will take the form of both a website and book series aimed at inspiring animal lovers to save the lives of animals in their own community, and with an initial goal of transforming the lives of 1 million animals. By submitting photos and stories for inclusion in the Chase, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, right to publicly display or re-display such materials in other formats, including television, magazine, newspaper and other promotional venues.
Step Four: Email your photos & captions to me at LauraLynnSimpson@comcast.net
Thank you very much for all you do for animals.
Best wishes,
Laura Simpson
Executive Director
The Great Animal Rescue Chase