The creatures of Haiti

Amidst the dust, turmoil, and rubble of Haiti, animal life goes on, oblivious to the earthquake and its fallout. A huge tarantula was discovered at the medical clinic yesterday; the 3rd grade teacher wants to catch it for her classroom! Goats stand on piles of rubbish, digging for a nugget of food. Bony horses and cows walk aimlessly in the countryside, hoping to find a mound of grass to nibble. Rubbery black worms wiggle out of the compost bin...a species I've never seen before. A red-winged insect buzzes like a tiny airplane around the plants on the rooftop patio. Roosters, chickens, and baby chicks appear on the dusty roads out of nowhere, pecking at any little speck that could be nourishment.

Starving dogs of the Haitian breed roam the streets, abused by people, never knowing the luxury lavished on the average American pet. One such puppy was recently rescued by an American while local Haitians yelled that he must buy her (though she was not owned). Susette the dog-lover picked over 100 fleas and ticks off of her, bathed and fed her, and we named her Bijou (“Jewel” in French). She looks like a tiny deer and is so afraid and docile. I want to bring her home.

I ponder the responsibility that God has given us to care for the animals. In a land where even the humans don't have enough food, it's no wonder that the animals are completely left to fend for themselves. The very idea of a dog-grooming business or a pet store full of toys---TOYS---for dogs and cats is utterly ludicrous in Haiti. Children don't even have toys here...just dirt clods, rocks, and filthy discarded plastic bags. They fashion them into kites and run laughing down the barren streets, so precious in their innocence, so unaware of their American counterpart with a closet overstuffed with toys and games and gadgets. Why, Lord, are the Haitian children laughing and the American children yawning with boredom and screaming for more?