Up close in Ravenna

Detail of mosaics in Basilica di San Vitale, Ravenna. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

From Dante’s tomb in Ravenna, Italy. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Mosaic in Basilica di Sant'Apollinare in Classe, near Ravenna. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Detail from the ceiling of the Arian Baptistery, Ravenna. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Detail from the ceiling of the Arian Baptistery, Ravenna. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Decoration inside Basilica di San Francesco, Ravenna. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Detail from the ceiling of the Arian Baptistery, Ravenna. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Off-topic: COVID-19 and animal shelters

And now for something completely different.

A shelter kitten at the Oshkosh Area Humane Society. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

I know many of us are hurting financially right now or are using what extra income we do have to help local businesses hit hardest by the COVID-19 crisis. Both are more than understandable. But for those who are still fiscally stable and/or looking for some other way to make a difference in our struggling world, I wanted to take a moment to draw attention to a group with a high need that has so far garnered very little media coverage: animal shelters.

Handsome Dorian, a neighborhood-cat-turned-foster with the aid of Watching Over Whiskers in Springfield, MO. Dorian is currently with us and available for adoption. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

While we are all aware of stores running out of toilet paper and cleaning supplies, hoarding has also extended to items like cat litter and pet food, which has put even more pressure on pet rescues.

At the same time, widespread quarantines have caused many shelters to close to the public, making it significantly harder for pets to find homes. This, in turn, also makes it harder for shelters to make room for new animals in need.

Shelter cat at the Oshkosh Area Humane Society. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Still further complicating matters is the fact that spring is always a high-volume time for rescues, as they begin to take in as many kittens and pregnant cats as they can.

Combine all these factors, and it becomes clear the upcoming months will be extremely difficult for homeless animals and their caretakers.

So if you are at home right now, bored or lonely or generally feeling helpless, may I suggest volunteering to foster? You would literally be saving a life, and it may very well make your own life a little brighter.

Carlos and Lora, former foster kittens from PAWS Chicago. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz.

Or, if fostering is out of the question, you could also relieve some of the pressure on your local shelters by donating either money or goods. Many organizations even have wishlists of their most in-need products, which you can order and have shipped from the comfort and safety of your home. (I’ll link to a few places I can personally vouch for, down below).

And if none of these are possible for you, it’s okay. Maybe just pass along the information to the other animal lovers in your life.

Karen, once a foster and now a permanent part of our family. Photo by Joshua Albers.

Wishlists and fostering opportunities

The following are rescues I would recommend either because I have volunteered with them and know them to be great organizations (OAHS and PAWS), or because I have consistently had positive experiences with them as a member of their community (C.A.R.E).

C.A.R.E. Animal Rescue, Springfield, MO: https://www.carerescue.org/wishlist

Oshkosh Area Humane Society (OAHS), Oshkosh, WI: https://www.oahs.org/

PAWS Chicago: http://www.pawschicago.org/how-to-help/foster/pets-available-for-fostering/