My sweet friends,
Lockdown trudges on. The time seems to fly by and stand still at the same time. It is an experience that I have both resented and cherished. You see, this is one of the most difficult letters I've ever had to write...
Almost 16 years ago, I rescued a little 4-week old kitten from a trailer in my hometown, Clifton Forge, Virginia. He was lucky to survive--his twin did not and his mother went "missing" a week after (likely hit by a car). He was covered in fleas.
But what a spirit! I named him Keeley (a bit embarrassingly, he was named after the lead singer of a local band I loved at the time. But, hey, their music stands the test of time, I think. It's still good).
There have been many close calls with Keeley over the years. There were a couple of Great Escapes, two hernias, and, most devastatingly, something happened in 2012 (we still don't know what exactly) which nearly killed him. His organs went into failure. He dropped to 2 pounds. Multiple veterinary tests showed nothing. Whatever it was, he had difficulty digesting and keeping food down. The vet told me to prepare.
He lived, obviously, by some miracle. But, in February or March of this year, it seems that the disorder of mysterious origin has flared up and gotten the best of him. He's been in the slow descent to the end of his life since lockdown began. As many of you probably understand, the grieving for his impending departure has been excruciating. It only makes it worse that so many of those in my support network see "pets" as just accessories in our life. In a speciesist, lockdown world, my loss is a solitary one.
Despite what others may think, Keeley is no thing...he is a person, my partner. He is no less than one of the greatest loves of my life. And what will that life be like without him? When he's not there in the morning to wake me up for cuddles? When he's not there in the evening to yell at me in the shower to share some water to drink? Such a weird habit. Boy, has he got me trained.
I've loved these days as I've been able to spend them completely and wholeheartedly with him. I've hated them just the same because they are fleeting and filled with pain. The minutes drag into hours as I can only keep checking that he is still breathing. There's not much else I can do.
Like yourself, I assume, it is the bond we have with the nonhumans in our lives that sustains our commitment to anti-speciesism in a world that seems hellbent on their total destruction. I've been trying to repackage my devastation into determination.
I've got the usual allotment of new research, blogs, interviews, etc. in this newsletter, but what I'm most proud to highlight is a new project I began with my dear colleague Zoei Sutton (co-convener of the animals section of the Australian Sociological Association). We've decided that it's about damn time that sociology started to take Nonhuman Animals seriously. The sociological discipline continues to drag its heels even in the midst of this zoonotic pandemic that has brought the world to its knees. What is sociology waiting for? The time for vegan sociology is now. We have to be the change we want to see. Check out the International Association of Vegan Sociologists, our response to sociology's bizarre discrimination against society's most vulnerable. We're kicking it off with a virtual conference in August. Hopefully, we can begin to legitimize vegan sociology and nudge our discipline in the direction of total animal liberation. Will you join us?
Anyway...hang in there folks. The animals need us. Keep your head up. I'm trying to do the same. Not always successfully, but I'm doing the best I can.
With so much love,
P.S. For urban dwellers, please don't forget the pigeons, gulls, stray dogs and cats, etc. who depend on busy streets for sustenance. Provide refuge, food, and water as you are able. No matter where you live, vegan sanctuaries and charities are experiencing funding drops; if you can afford to, please donate. Lastly, I have seen shelters asking folks to make the best of the isolation period and consider fostering companion animals. Open your home if you can.
Be kind to all kinds <3
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