When You Try Your Best and You Don’t Succeed
This has been a tough week for our admin team and for some of the rescuers who we were trying to help. Kisa was a kitten found in Chiba, late at night in the rain, being attacked by crows. We responded to the rescuer’s reach out right away, despite the very late hour. He got Kisa to an emergency clinic, where he paid for overnight treatment and care, despite having recently lost his job. We agreed to accept Kisa at our vet for ongoing care in our program, and he was brought to us in the morning.
Sadly, and despite our vet’s best efforts, Kisa passed away later in the day. He had open wounds on his jaw, inflamed lungs, and a foreign body in his stomach. He had likely been starving and, in desperation, had eaten something that wasn’t edible. This poor tiny baby did his best to survive, multiple volunteers worked hard to help him, and still…he didn’t make it.
In Akita, another kind rescuer tried valiantly to help Stitch, a park kitty covered in mud and too weak to move. Stitch very sadly passed away at a vet clinic as well.
When these things happen, it can be heartbreaking, and we can’t help feeling devastated by the outcome. However, like many hard experiences in life, there is still something to be learned and a way to face these challenges without letting them stop us. Here are a few points to consider when facing difficult rescue outcomes.
1: Be grateful for even a small amount of love
How amazing that someone stopped to help. How amazing that there were volunteers standing by to advise. How wonderful that an animal in need received medical care and kindness. Every single effort that came together to help these animals contained love and conscious choices made by compassionate people determined to make a difference. We can be very grateful for that, regardless of the amount of time involved. It counts. They count.
2: Be committed to reducing the number of animals surviving on the streets
It’s not only the beautiful photos of animals happy in forever homes that motivates us to do what we do. Kittens and cats like Kisa and Stitch are also why we do what we do. We fight to sterilize, rescue, educate, and advise so that fewer and fewer animals might end up in such sad situations in the first place.
3: Be kind to yourself
We sometimes forget to take care of ourselves when we know that there are so many animals suffering. It’s particularly important to take time to rest and recover after a difficult experience. By treating ourselves with compassion, we are healthier, stronger, and better able to show compassion to others.
4: Be positive about trying again
We don’t need to forget to let it go. We can just choose to have hope that things will not always end badly. In fact, we can think about the many times when we were indeed successful and the outcome was wonderful. Keeping a positive outlook will help us to face the next case in the best position to achieve the best outcomes.
5: Be realistic
We can’t do everything, but we can do something. Many people feel overwhelmed about the enormity of the situation, and choose instead to do nothing. Which means a lot less good can be done. Be the person who understands we can’t do it all and can accept that whatever we can do is at least a step in the right direction.
We remember Kisa and Stitch, as kitties who were loved. We are grateful for the kindhearted and dedicated people who came together to try to help them. They should not have had to endure the suffering that they did, and we are determined to keep fighting to reduce the suffering of others.