A Rescuer's Creed

I shall be a believer of all that is good in man
and of all that is deserving in animals.

I shall plead for their lives, campaign for their safety
and uphold their right to a natural death.

I shall seek out the injured and the maimed,
the unloved and the abandoned,
and tend to them in their last days.

I shall not forget their place in the hierarchy of life,
nor that we walk in each other's paths.

I shall bear witness to the wonder they bring into our lives
and to the beauty they bestow upon our souls.

I shall renew their spirits when they are waning,
bind their wounds when they bleed,
cradle them when they whimper,
and comfort them when they mourn.

I shall be near them in their hour of greatest need
-a companion and a friend when the time has come.

I shall watch over them and console them
and ask that the angels gather them in their arms.

From the creatures of the earth
I shall learn the fruits of compassion and undying love,
and I shall be called the beloved of God.

In their company,
I shall indeed be blessed.

~ Susan M Pearson ~