This was my No. 1 (EVER) favourite movie since young and it still is. I must have watched it 30 times at least and I dare say, I probably memorised every part of the dialogue and knew exactly what's coming up next in every scene and who was going to say what.
Apart from learning some better English and more correct pronunciation of this elusive language, I think I learnt many other things from this movie.
On the subject of rescuing animals, allow me to draw an analogy to something that was said in the movie.
Remember the part where Prof Higgins had successfully transformed Eliza Doolittle from a "piece of squashed cabbage" (marketplace unrefined flower-girl) into a "princess"? Colonel Pickering asked him, "Now what are we to do with the girl now?"
The professor pondered over it, suggested a few things, and finally, in his typical I-couldn't-care-less manner, said, "Why can't we throw her back into the gutter and let her be a flower-girl again?"
That's exactly it, when it comes to rescuing animals.
We pick up an animal from the street, taking it away from its "space", for whatever reason, and I assume, it is always for a good reason. But do we have a plan for it after that?
The PLAN.
Do we have a plan?
We NEED to have plan.
Who is going to provide the medical treatment? AnimalCare - ok, please apply and abide by our policies. We will help.
Who is going to foster the animal after that?
Who is going to adopt the animal after that?
And if nobody wants to adopt the animal, what are we going to do?
We adopt the animal?
Or, in Prof Higgins' words, throw the animal back in the streets? Return to colony?
How long has the animal been taken away from its colony? Can it still survive if it is returned?
These are pertinent questions that we must address or at least, have a plan for, after we pick up the animal.
I know our intentions are always good.
I know we may not be able to have a plan WHEN we pick up the animal.
But we NEED to address all these questions AFTER we have decided to take responsibility for the animal.
RESPONSIBILITY - that's the keyword here.
I met one of my longtime friends recently and he used to be a rescuer. Now he tells me he has learnt. A rescuer is not just someone who picks up an animal off the street. A rescuer has to follow-up and have plans for the animal after that.
Precisely my point.
We are here to help, but we can only help you in sponsoring/subsidising the medical treatment. We can help publicise your animal for fosterers and adopters but we do not guarantee.
Please have a plan, when you next pick up an animal.
There is a whole community of animal caregivers and animal-lovers out here, in the numerous blogs, facebook pages, etc. Seek help, by all means, but don't EXPECT it.
And when all else fails, remember this - WE are RESPONSIBLE for the animal.
As my vet always tells me, albeit jokingly, "How many times have you interfered with nature?" (referring to my own rescue of dying baby animals, refusing euthanasia, giving treatment no matter what it costs, etc.)
I know. Many times. But I take responsibility for my "interference".
So, what I am saying here is, by all means, save the animal, but please have a plan for it after that.
Please do not dump the animal on someone else.
We are responsible for the animal that we pick up from the street.
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