"The Voice"

Everyone ... this is my amazing friend Amy

(or who is also known as - A.J.).

*I have tried writing this post like 1 trillion times since Saturday (some funny - some serious) and I just can not express how proud I am of her wonderful accomplishments - so this post is what it is and I hope I do her justice. I know some might say that might my over adulations are unwarranted but I know I could not do what she does and still stay centered - I would breakdown and whine constantly. She is like the God Father, calm and placid and one NOT to be trifled with, while I am Joe Pesci in Goodfellas, unstable and unpredictable - especially under extreme circumstances such as witnessing abuse. So if you have someone in your life that are civil servants, please give them a little credit for how hard their job is.*

I have known this fantastic person for about 11 years now and I can say that she is hands down one of the greatest people I have ever gotten the pleasure to meet. She is truely a genuinely nice person - inside and out.  A few years ago she started to volunteer a few hours a week at the local humane society, which led to working there, which led to a great opportunity to be part of the teams  for the shows 'Animal Planet Heroes: Phoenix' and 'Animal Cops Phoenix' and when Hurricane Katrina devestated New Orleans - Amy took her experience there to help those who were scarred and abandoned and when she returned home put those experiences in a book called Hurricane Katrina Animal Rescue: A Story Buried Deep. And WOW - she has an amazing way of capturing the moments there, some are a bit disturbing but at times you find yourself full of hope. I totally recommend reading this book and even to share it with your teens, also known as the "all about me stage". It can help remind us the dramatic power a few individuals have and how small choices we make now evolve to become the experiences we need in the future. Here are some excerpts:

     "Neighborhoods in Louisiana were transformed into giant science experiments gone terribly wrong. Dark green and black mold covered the inside of homes like Petri dishes labled "hazerdous". In the sunlight, these organisms appeared to be breathing, mating and multiplying right before my eyes."

     "Animals inside these flood zones were starving and struggling to find food, so we knew the smell of delicious meat hitting the air would snap his attention towards us. Normally in the city, we wouldn't have to be this aware of feeding an animal, but this wasn't the city. After almost a month of roaming the streets and being locked in houses, these neighborhoods became primal hunting grounds for animals."

     "So much time was spent in the field listening for any sound an animal might make. We drove down streets with our windows open, barking and meowing in hopes our cries would connect with theirs. At times, we couldn't locate where the sounds were coming from, so we'd jump out of the truck and place bags of food and bowls of water along the sidewalks; this was later known as a "Louisiana Food Drop."

Remember people - spay and neuter your pets - it's the responsible thing to do. For more information regarding volunteer work or being a foster parent contact your nearest animal shelter for list of legitimate places.