"First they ignore you;
Then they laugh at you;
Then they fight you;
Then you win!"
-- Mohandas K. GandhiIf you clicked to come to this page, something has happened inside you. It is commonly referred to as a random triggering effect that pushes someone over the line. For me it was the sight of 56 lynx awaiting slaughter in a fur farm that made me throw caution to the wind and bring them all home. My life changed forever that day. It is an internal event more so than an external one. It's not entirely about what you may see happen in the world, but rather about a strength you see inside yourself. The catalytic event is not learning something new about a problem, but rather learning something new about your own unique ability to contribute to it's solution.
Even without a lot of financial support, a small group of
committed people and a powerful idea can lead to big change. All successful
human endeavors begin with the assumption that change is possible. We all want
to live a life of value; to repair the world and to right the wrongs of the less
enlightened. This is the work of a heroic people. This is the work of people
like you who dared to see what you could do to get involved.
You see the problems of ozone depletion, rain forest destruction and extinction at frightening rates, but rather than looking into the television for answers, you have looked into the mirror of your soul and said, "What can I do?" For more info on self cultivation, scroll to the bottom of this page.
On the Donate tab at the top right of each page you can donate or there are lots for free ways listed to help.
Big Cat Rescue offers the following opportunities for having fun, while at the same time contributing to benefit our animals and animals world wide:
Virtual
Safari Gift Shop Big Cat Rescue has a gift shop offering
many interesting and unique items. Our shop can be visited through the
Internet and on location at the sanctuary.
- Adopt A Cat: Adopt-A-Cat: All of Big Cat Rescue's animals are available for sponsorship (adoption). Quarterly sponsorship fees go toward providing a higher standard of living.
- Membership Program Big Cat Rescue has a membership program with several levels of membership available, from Senior/Student at $30.00 annually, to a lifelong fellowship at $10,000.00. Each different level gives the member specific benefits and privileges.
- Take a Tour Spend a few hours or a few days and get to know the cats living at Big Cat Rescue while helping to support them and their cousins in the wild.
- Work With Animals Has it always been your goal to work with animals? Check out this page and learn all about it.
- Volunteer Program
This half hour video shows you the inner workings of Big Cat Rescue and what YOU could be doing if you are dedicated to making the world a better place for the cats.
Big Cat Rescue's Volunteer Program
Big Cat Rescue is a unique sanctuary dedicated to the care of abused, orphaned , abandoned and unwanted wild and exotic animals. The operation of this facility is very costly, and relies heavily on an active volunteer organization to help offset some of those costs, and allow us to provide more for the animals. Our volunteer program consists of 3 different levels as outlined further if you will click on the Volunteer button at the left under Save Cats.
THANK YOU for volunteering at Big Cat Rescue!
YOU REALLY DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE !
Big Cat Rescuers Wish you could volunteer, but live too far away or can't meet the time requirements? You can still make a difference, right from your own home!
OTHER WAYS TO HELP
Make Big Cat Rescue your home page and visit daily. The more you visit, the better our rankings with the search engines, which means more people are sent to our site and the message is spread.
E-mail us for simple instructions on how to make Big Cat Rescue your home page. This is a great way to remind yourself to check in each day, while spreading the word to others. MakeADifference@BigCatRescue.org
Tell potential sponsors about Big Cat Rescue.
Tell your friends and family about Big Cat Rescue.
By spreading the word, you'll help increase the number of visitors to Big Cat Rescue. Word of mouth -- telling 5 or 10 friends who tell 5 or 10 friends -- is a powerful way to help these defenseless animals.
Post a banner or link to Big Cat Rescue on your own Web site.
Include Big Cat Rescue URL in your outgoing emails.
A great way to help Big Cat Rescue is to include our URL in the signature block of your outgoing emails. You'll automatically spread the word with every message you send! Feel free to copy and paste the sample text below for use in your signature block:
Big Cat Rescue needs your help in caring for previously abandoned and abused exotic cats who are now living their lives in a protective sanctuary! Help save big cats at no cost to you. Visit http://www.BigCatRescue.org today!!!
Big Cat Rescue is proud to offer you these opportunities to help our important mission. Our programs allow you to make a difference in the quality of life for many animals. Please come visit us and see how your contributions can make a difference. Make a cat smile!
Mark us as a favourite and then I want to encourage you to visit Care2.com's Race for the Big Cats. It's an easy way to help protect vital Big Cat habitat and help make the planet a better place to live.
Just go to:
Each click generates a donation, paid by advertising sponsors, to the Wildlife Conservation Society's Big Cat programs. To date, over 40,000 people are participating in the Race and have helped protect nearly 2,000 square miles of vital Big Cat habitat.
The Cathedral Within
It's the title of a book that is very helpful for those of us in the non profit sector. It's a concept that all of us in the animal industry can share. When I think of a cathedral I think of something that was built to last. I think of all the artisans and all the hard work that has resulted in this magnificent creation that I now stand before. I am moved by their dedication and am humbled in the afterglow of their presence.
As founder of Big Cat Rescue, I was talking with our President recently and asked, "Can you think of any wildlife refuge that has outlived it's original founder by any measure of time?" She couldn't think of any, nor could I. Can you? Why is that?
I've pondered these questions a lot and have done a considerable amount of research to find the answers. I found the answer in my own attitude. I have been quoted as saying, "My ultimate goal is that places like Big Cat Rescue don't NEED to exist." I've said it because I believe that before you can achieve success, you must be able to visualize it. To state it out loud is to commit to the achievement.
That's all well and good, but I was hoping for an answer that would eliminate my involvement. I had put a lot of faith in the government regulating the animal industry into one that is kind and caring toward the creatures in it's charge. I had dreamed that I would become good enough at writing grants and soliciting big business that the financial burdens would be shifted away from me and to those who were better able to sustain a living, breathing sanctuary. I had been looking all around me for the answer but didn't find it until I looked in the mirror.
If I am going to change the world, I will have to commit to the task at hand with the clear understanding that this is a life long endeavor. There won't be a finished cathedral in my lifetime. I must build upon the stones that were laid in place before I came and continue to shape the future. Although I may never live to see a perfect world, I still can enjoy every moment of working toward that goal because to do so gives my life more meaning.
Virtually all animal life shares one common drive. We all want to leave our "mark". We want others to know that we were here and that we made a difference. Most animals, and an awful lot of humans, can only leave behind offspring as their legacy. People would do more, if they knew how, but have never had the training or the leadership to take them to a level of greatness that they could never find on their own.
Great leaders aren't just born. They are cultivated and the best are "self made". Great leaders don't think like the rest. If you are reading articles in this publication, my guess is that most people find you pretty unorthodox. There is always a turning point that isn't so much a revelation to us about something we have seen, but rather when we recognize our unique ability to do something about it. This is the day that our whole life changes. This is the day when we begin to realize that there is no real pleasure in money or fame and we start to make our lives count.
Think back on when that happened for you. It was an epiphany of incalculable measure when you saw what the future could be. The long hours, the seemingly thankless tasks, the challenges and the hurdles seem a small price to pay for the knowledge that you are working toward your dream. The temporary set backs, even the most painful ones, can be taken in stride when you are focused on the end result. I wouldn't trade my life for anyone else's . I wouldn't even trade it for my old life and that was really good..
I get dozens of letters every day from people who have just reached that turning point. They know that they are special and that they have something valuable to offer, but it's a new revelation to them and they aren't sure where it is going yet. Their enthusiasm, while contagious, is often dismissed as ignorance of the path on which they wish to embark. They contact an Internet full of sources such as ours only to be told that they should send a donation if they want to make a difference. By being short sighted we are losing out on our most precious resources: A planet full of people who are designed to want to make their "mark".
Real change is always started by a handful of committed individuals with a noble plan, but it becomes reality when the vast majority buys into the plan and makes it their own. The promise of immortality has seduced us all from the very beginning. We have that to offer any person who is willing to devote their time and strengths to conservation. What greater super hero could ever be imagined than the one who could save the planet? Each hero in our organization is limited only by their own attitude. We can all reach our fullest potential thorough self cultivation and take what we learn to help those around us who are really trying. We all need to work together.
One of the easiest traps to fall into is to be so caught up in the daily chores that we don't dedicate the time needed to learning how to be more effective. We have to manage our time wisely. No excuses. Budget your day so that there is always time to devote to the projects that will give the most long term return on the investment. Make yourself do it and the dividends will soon make it worth the effort.
Training volunteers was about the last thing in the world that I wanted to do when there were cats to be fed, cages to be cleaned and funds to be raised, but I did. Now the volunteers train volunteers and there are more than 50 of them in our operation. They put together benefits, educational programs, books, videos, web sites and so much more than I could do alone. They were an investment into the future that has already paid huge rewards. We are building a Big Cat Rescuer taskforce now for those who cannot be on the property because there are so many talented people, with so much to offer.
What is your strongest talent? What would you do for free every day if you didn't have to work? Now the hard part: Find a way to utilize that gift you have to make the world a better place. It's not work when you love what you do. Think about what matters to you. Is it clean air, clean water, rain forests, animals, social reform? We all have different passions and by discovering our strengths and dedicating our lives we all work together for the greater good. Once we develop the cathedral within, we can become the cornerstones of the better life we have envisioned.
8/10/00
Suggested Reading to enhance your self discovery:
The Cathedral Within
The Aladdin Factor
How to Win Friends and Influence People
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Psycho-Cybernetics
The Power of Positive Thinking
The Bible
You can help us save cats: