Category Archives: Opinion

“LET’S DISCUSS” SERIES #1: PART 2

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Thank you to all who took the time to fill out the questionnaire on my first post in this series. I want to take a few minutes to explain a little more why I am doing this. I am not doing this for me. I am not doing this to get more likes or followers. I am not doing this to add more content to my blog. I am doing this for animals. How do I mean? Well here is an example. I made a comment on a social media post about the treatment of farm animals and that I do not believe God would approve. Someone respectfully (which is very appreciated) asked me in reply “what about the sacrifices of animals in the bible?” I was thrilled to have someone ask me this (again…respectfully asked). Dialogue is what I want. Dialogue is how we all learn from each other. THAT is why I am doing this series! 😊

So let’s get on to Part 2 of “Feelings & Emotions.”

Here is the link to the second questionnaire: Let’s Discuss Series: “Feelings & Emotions” Part 2. It will take less than a minute to fill out but will make a huge impact! Thank you in advance!

“LET’S DISCUSS” SERIES #1

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Hello all. I am starting a series called “Let’s Discuss.” In each post I will have a link to a Google Doc where it will take you two minutes to fill out but will make a huge impact.

The first topic/questionnaire is “Feelings & Emotions.” Here is the link: https://forms.gle/FXMj6tikiPxsJbRE9. Thank you in advance! ❤️

World Mental Health Day

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Today is World Mental Health Day. With everything going on in the world, research is showing there is a lot more mental health issues than ever.

If you have a pet you know they can be a great antidepressant.

Here is what the Mental Health Foundation says…

Caring for a pet can help our mental health in many ways, including:

  • increasing your physical activity. Dog owners are likely to take their pet out every day for a walk or run. This can be a fun way to fit exercise into your routine
  • providing companionship. Pets can give you a sense of security and someone to share the day with. Caring for them can help you feel wanted and needed. This can be especially valuable for older people or those who live alone
  • reducing anxiety. The companionship of a pet can help to ease your anxiety
  • boosting self-confidence. Pets can be great listeners, offer unconditional love and won’t criticise you. This can help your self-confidence, especially if you feel isolated or misunderstood
  • helping you meet new people. Dog owners often stop and chat to each other on walks. But other pets can be a way to meet people too: in pet shops, training classes or online groups, for example
  • adding structure to your day. Having to feed, exercise and care for a pet can help you keep to a daily routine, which can help you feel more grounded and focused. It can give your day purpose and a sense of achievement.

I would love to hear about a pet in your life (past or present) and how they help(ed) your mental health.

Take care!

Sunday Pause (Paws): Happy Mother’s Day 2021

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It’s Sunday and it’s Mother’s Day!

Let’s look at what a mom does. They care for their child by making sure they have a roof over their head. That they have food and water. They care for them when they are sick. They protect them. They love them! Well…..this sounds just like what a pet mom does too!

You feed them when they’re hungry
Make sure they have water in their dish
That they have lots of toys to play with
And almost anything they wish

Taking care of them when they’re sick
Always making sure they’re alright
You may not have given birth to them
But you knew they were yours at first sight

You care for them on a daily basis
For their whole life this is what you do
If you have a pet, you’re a mom
So Happy Mothers Day to you too!

copyright LeeAnn Johnston/Animals Are Feeling Beings Too

Happy Sunday and Happy Mother’s Day to all of the human and pet moms! 🐱🐶🐰🐭

Sunday Pause (Paws): Word Search Fun On Love

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It’s Sunday! Time to kick back and take a pause.

Puzzles are a great way to relax and my favorite kind are Word Search Puzzles. I created another one to share with you.

The message in the puzzle is centered around love. Love for all but focused on animals because Animals Are Feeling Beings Too.

I‘ve been feeling the love today for my birthday with many messages, texts, and phone calls from family & friends. It’s a rough year due to the pandemic and my injured ankle but I am feeling the love. 🙂

Well I hope you enjoy my Word Search Puzzle. Unfortunately, it is not an interactive online one. You can print it out or just do it on the screen. The puzzle can be clicked on so that you can enlarge it if needed. The answers/completed puzzle can be found in the link below the puzzle.

Let me know how it goes. Feedback is appreciated! Continue reading →

Sunday Pause (Paws): Come Together

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It’s Sunday! Time to kick back & relax and seriously you all we need to pray. Turning on each other is not the answer.

There is just too much going on in the world (in our country) to even try to fully write about right now.

There is hate, there is violence, there is illness, there is financial worry, and so much more. Aside of these recent global and local battles there has always been abuse. Abuse of animals and abuse of people. I’m afraid with all of the stresses these days this has most likely heightened. So many different challenges people are going through. Just this past week I have heard of two people committing suicide (too close to home). This is one thing that deeply breaks my heart. Thinking that someone felt that much despair that they saw no way out and chose to end their life is such an absolute heartbreaking thing.

A world with no more hate
For that day we can hardly wait
Until then love is what we’ll portray
And on our knees we’ll continue to pray

©LeeAnn Johnston/Animals Are Feeling Beings Too

Not sure what you’re going through but my prayer is you can have a Happy Sunday!

It’s Not Enough

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You know it really gets to me when someone says all a pet needs is some food & water and they’re fine. Although it is true that they will most likely will be fine physically what people forget to think about is how they feel. To know how they feel all we have to do is listen.

That’s really the whole point of animal advocacy, animal empathy, and love for animals. It’s putting yourself in their shoes and paying attention to what they are trying to communicate. I think if everyone took the time to do that we would see that just throwing some food & water at them is not enough.

Animals are living, breathing beings just as we are. They, as we do, have a life and that life is Continue reading →

Goodbye 2020, Hello 2021

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Well Jack certainly is expressing exactly how we all feel! I just LOVE this picture and it is so appropriate. Everyone is so excited and anxious to say goodbye to 2020.

I am not one who makes resolutions but if I were it would be more of a wish this year. A wish that we start letting go of the hatred. With that in mind, I wrote the following poem to say goodbye to 2020 and hello to 2021.

LET ALL OF THE HATRED BE DONE

There has been so much happening
It has all been so very maddening
I blame you, you blame me, we blame them
Rather than love, it’s been easier to condemn
Yes, this year has been a tough one
Everyone is surely glad to see it done
But when the mask comes off what will we see? Continue reading →

It Isn’t “Normal” To Everyone

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From the day we are born we learn about our world by our surroundings. We learn from those around us; our family, friends, peers, teachers, etc. We pick up habits, traditions, and even beliefs from others. But one day we hopefully figure out who we want to be, think for ourselves (not necessarily just following the crowd), and that means we may come to see some things differently than what others may see as “normal.”

Because certain things in our surroundings/society are seen as “normal”, people don’t necessarily think about what they say, assuming everyone feels the same as they do.

An example of this is recently a delivery person who was bringing supplies to my place of employment started talking to me about how he was recently out bear hunting. I immediately tensed up. He went on to give me details about how it wasn’t easy but he got him. He explained how he set the traps and had to travel quite far to pursue him. He was so proud of this. All the while he is telling me this I am thinking “do I tell him I do not want to hear this?” and  “do I tell him that I am an animal advocate and that I care about all living beings?”

Black Bear, Woods, Wild, Wildlife, Outdoors, NatureImage taken from Pixabay

Continue reading →