Hello everyone!
I am a Brazilian Senior Salesforce Developer who also like to help in Animal Rescue Cause.
Before anything else, sorry about my English. I'm Still learning and improving it.
I plan at some point to write about my professional background and also make some Salesforce tutorials.
But today, I want to write a fairly long history, which maybe tells the reason that I like to rescue and save animals (abandoned, and/or victims of violence).
Saving animals I mean rescue from streets, take care of any illness, spay / neut, and find someone able to adopt and provide them a definitive home.
Like all long history usually begins, it has childhood things.
Childhood
I have lived most of my childhood on the countryside (farm). Not so far away from the big cities, but enjoying not much comfort.
I was raised by my grandfather (a old-school a country man) almost throughout childhood. Because my mother had to take care of my older sister almost all the time. She had a rare mental illness, and demanded much attention.
There were no color TVs around. And the black and white one, did not work 90% of the time it was turned on. Also, we had no radio, music, nor phone.
My best friends, beside my grandfather, were the animals that lived there. Cows, horses, dogs, cats, etc. Because I spent most of the time taking care of them. That's why I developed admiration and affection I have for them until today.
Unfortunately, in poor families' farms here in Brazil, dogs and cats have a short life. And they are created in a wrong and cruel way. Cats for example can not be fed as the sole function of them is to chase and kill rats. And when they are with full belly, they usually don't do their job correctly, being useless for most people there.
But not for me. I fed them anyway, hidden from the adults eyes, of course. So every cat that crossed my path, soon or later, they lost interest in rats.
Sadly, I went through many sad stories during this period. But two of them, I believe were fundamental to the formation of what I am today. And it helped me, even in a sad way, to become a "Animal Protector."
1) The Cruel Cousin
We all know, children fight for silly reasons most often. But they fight, and those often get very ugly if there is no interference from an adult.
Once during a fight with such a cousin, he found himself very angry with me. But someone yelled at him to not punch me.
For my bad luck, a black cat, that I used to fed, was a few meters from there. sleeping peacefully in a warm corner, without any clue about what was coming.
And when, in anger outbreak, my cousin took him by the legs and threw him into the stove, right into the flames, without any ceremony. With the intention of hurting me, in addition to killing the animal.
The poor cat was badly injured, he had burned eyes, and also screamed a lot. It was the most terrifying scene I had seen until that age (9 years I think). Hours later, the poor cat was killed in front of me, the older brother of this cousin and his father, both also very cruel. I don't forget until nowadays: They laughed while they killed that poor animal. They said "we don't like cats", or something like that.
I was a small kid, but I feel guilty until today. Because if I did not care that poor cat, maybe he would not have been killed so prematurely. But anyway, lets go on to the next story.
2) My First Contact With a City
When I was 11 years old, I could not go to the "farm school / country school" anymore. Yes, here in Brazil, in some very poor areas, rural schools only accept students up to 10 years old. After that, if someone wants to continue their studies, it has to take a bus that takes about 3 hours to reach the nearest town.
So I had to go to the city.
Right at the entrance of town, there was a lake. And for my lose, the first thing I saw was a dog drowned, trapped by a rope tied to his neck and the other end to a stone, which was on the lake bottom. I have that image in my head until today, sadly.
I wondered "Why would someone do such a thing with a dog?".
But nowadays, I understand. Because I know now: there are bad people out there, capable of things far worse.
And then, after seeing that scene, I could hardly pay attention in class. And at the end of the day, I decided to run away from home. To never have to set foot in that city.
And then I did, I ran aimlessly, running to the woods. And over there I spent a few days and slept a few nights. Without food or warm clothing. Drinking dirty water along with the cows, and feeding me with any fruits I've found. This "escape" lasted only four days, I think. But it was enough to make my family go to the police and start making small patrols nearby.
Please o not judge me! OK, judge me if you want. It's internet after all, lol. But in my defense, I was a traumatized child, so I did not think in the people who would be worried about me. Things that kids do in desperate situations, right? No? OK!
Another Bit of Sadness
When I was 12 years old, unfortunately my older sister died.
The sadness took over my family for a long time.
But in an attempt to overcome this event, my mother decided that we would move to a small town where she could find a job.
The idea did not please me in the first moment, because I liked the farm, being with animals, chickens, cows, cats, birds, etc. That was my place, where I was very used to live.
But I was convinced that this change would be good for me. And I had to agree a few months later, it was when I get my first video game, bike and even a TV, full of colors.
It was also at this time that I watched my first Anime, Saint Seya ( "Knights of the Zodiac" - believe or not, this is the English version of the Brazilian title).
This passion for video games, Anime, and drawing is still present on me until today.
The First Rescue
Two years later, the first animal rescued from the streets. A dog, puppy. The poor animal was placed in a box and thrown into the river. But luckily, the water took him to the backyard of the house where I lived.
The dog called "Chuí" lived happily with me for about 4 years. Until an ignorant neighbor killed him. Yes, believe me, people here can kill your pets, and the police won't do anything. Cause we had no laws to address those crimes.
The same neighbor also has poisoned one of my cats. Supposedly my cat would have invaded his house.
It was no reason for such cruelty. He was an evil man, and miserable. Who cashed in other living beings, his frustrations and problems.
I was 18 when I decided to join a group of people who rescue and stray dogs in a city called Pedro Leopoldo. And there I saw things that I would love to not remember anymore. I wish so bad, I could clear those memories. So many cruelties and bad things. I'm going to spare you guys about the details, of course.
And that's when I decided to never have a pet again.
And so it remained for long 12 years ...
But I was still feeding abandoned animals that I've found in the streets, but not bringing them to my home anymore.
Throughout this period, I wanted to have a cat, but still did not feel ready. I was still making donations whenever I could, to other people who were more involved in the cause, and I always advised people to spay their pets.
And gradually I feel able to act again in animal cause.
Back to The Cause
It was only when I was 30 years old (almost 5 years ago), that I finally returned to the cause.
But since then I decided to act more efficiently.
I started rescuing and adopting for myself a little kitten.
Then I joined other people (Whatsapp and Facebook). And now I take care of 6 cats here at home, and other 5 in my street, all them directly (giving food and water all day). Also I do help others with donations, transport, facebook posts in animal rescue groups, etc.
I do not get even close to the efficiency of the true protectors. But I do my best within my reality.
I have a daughter and my mother has several health problems. So, I can not devote so much time, as I really like, to the animal cause after all.
But even so, last year, I have directly saved 2 dogs and 3 cats' life. This year, I already saved almost the same number, and there are still five months until the end of year. So I want to save more and more.
Here's some pictures of the recent cats and dogs that I rescued with or without others help. In almost all the cases, I had help from friends and people I've found on Facebook.
For those who want to contribute with food, money or anything else. Please enter contact via email tiagofoil@gmail.com
Or Paypal
Adoteds
Ted
Princesa
Rock
Pickles
Looking for Adoption or Help
Evelyn and Giovana (Mother and Daughter)
Sininho
I am also a member of a facebook and whatsapp group that saves various cats every month, called "Gatinhos Albita": https://www.facebook.com/gatinhosdaalbita
Please check it out. It's in Portuguese. But I can help to translate to English anything you guys want.
And I'm used to make donations to various other groups as well.
Thank you very much if you read everything until here.
I hope you all have a nice day, evening or night!