My love for animals truly started at a very young age, after witnessing the love my great-grandmother Marion showed her own rescue animals. I, of course, didn’t realize it at the time, but it was the foundation for the development of my compassion for others. Modeling kind and empathic behavior in front of children too often goes overlooked and is underestimated. I vividly remember one interaction that changed the course of my life. Marion took me into her closet and showed me a belt. She told me that when she found Puddin, her beloved and cherished, and quite chunky mini poodle, that she had that belt wrapped around her neck. Puddin had noticed my great-grandmother in her front yard and cautiously made her way over to her, emaciated and clearly abused, she must have sensed the profound love and gentleness that my great-grandmother always exuded. Marion took her inside where she removed the belt and spent the rest of Puddin’s life showing her nothing but love and kindness. This story was difficult to hear as a child, but what made it so impactful were the two very important questions that followed. After showing me the belt, she got down on my level and asked me, “Can you imagine how scared you would be if that happened to you?” As my eyes filled with tears thinking about how terrifying that would be, she then asked, “Can you imagine how scared Puddin was?” And in that moment, my empathy shifted from being focused on myself and my own feelings to being fully connected with how those same feelings would have been experienced by Puddin. I remember looking at Puddin differently after that. I was more gentle. I spent more time with her. I looked into her eyes. I sat with her.

My journey in animal rescue started 16 years ago, and I have never looked back. Kind In The Making is the result of my first-hand experience working and volunteering at animal shelters around the country, working with children for 20 years, and shaped by that early experience with my great-grandmother.

If you think of every negative occurrence in our world – what we do to ourselves, each other, animals, and our planet – they could all be nearly eradicated if we gave our children a solid foundation in empathy. At Kind In The Making, that is exactly what we are doing – instilling true, lasting compassion into the next generation through animal care and rehabilitation. When children get to participate in a rescue and assist in caring for a living, breathing animal, it changes something in them. Their hearts grow in capacity to care for others, and the result is nothing short of amazing. As animals are cared for, these children grow in empathy, and they grow up and make our world more understanding and more loving. It’s a beautiful thing to see. Will you join me?