Sometimes, I just get weary. 

Part of it is just the aches and pains, and the lack of strength I often live with.

Helping the animals is never a chore for me; it is a source of my strength even though, as I have written, I don’t always succeed.  The animals and the emotional roller coaster, I can handle — it is the people I grow weary of.

“Please help, I’m on a fixed income and my little dog has allergies.” 

I helped two dogs, and getting them up to date on vaccinations.

A Chihuahua was in trouble, full of fleas, can I help. It turned out to be a house full of dogs with fleas; the little dog couldn’t be put back into that situation, so I helped them all.  I’ll be settling that bill, which is large.

Cocoa, the 10-year-old Siamese cat depicted in the photo, was accidentally caught in the wheel well of the owners’ car.  She was brought into Landrum vet with head injuries and was pretty badly traumatized. 

“Please do whatever you can for our cat, I promise we’ll pay anything.” 

Cocoa was cared for, and after one week and a slew of meds and care, the swelling came down and this sweet girl that everyone loved was due to go home. When the bill was set to be paid, they said they couldn’t afford it and left the cat.

I received a call from the owners, saying they wanted Cocoa but couldn’t afford the bill, which was nearly $1,000. 

This is how the conversation went: 

“Can you help us Mr. Rizzo, we love our cat?” 

“What would you do if I wasn’t her?” I replied. 

“I guess we’d have to put her up for adoption.” 

“OK, that tells me you have other priorities more important.”   

“We have so many bills, Mr. Rizzo.” 

“I’m not saying it’s easy, but if you love Cocoa as you say you do, other things can wait.  Can you come up with $200?” I asked. 

“I get paid Friday; I can have it by then.”

Two hundred dollars was brought to Landrum, and sweet Cocoa went home with her owners.  I handled the rest of the bill, and the vet shaved other monies off the top to assist my fund.

Sometimes I’m just a cranky old man, but I wish people would just be truthful. When I say I want to help the helpless, most of the time it’s just the animals that are helpless — the people are clueless.

Thank God for my angels, they show me that there is another side to human nature. 

As always, thanks for listening.