The library filled with school kids
from third to eight grade, a teacher announced, “I’d like to introduce you to
Animal Activist Alma Febus.”
As if a spot light shone on her,
Alma began to dazzle the kids introducing them to Gucci, the Puerto Rican Chihuahua
in a dress and harness decorated with butterflies and flowers. On her signal,
Bambi, Alma's Rottweiler Service Dog, who had been snoozing, came to heel
position.
The kids ooow’ed and ah’ed when
Alma had the massive Bambi stand so she could put the tiny Gucci in a sit on
her back. Both dog’s black eyes shone with a desire to please Alma; the class
looked on with rapt attention. Kids jiggled up and down with excitement, hands
shook at Alma with questions, comments and “Can I pet the dog?”
Alma calmed the class with a short
movie about an abandoned dog, after which Alma seemed to have a sixth sense
about the children she selected to pet Bambi first. The first little girl’s
face barely controlled her excitement with an “I love this dog,” look she pet
so carefully, after which she danced back to her seat in bliss.
Alma’s experience showed as she
dismissed the kids that are always the center of attention and zeroed in on a
tiny boy, who bore the look of “I really
need to touch this dog” on his face. Alma guided the child to the side of
Bambi’s head, where she helped him stick out his hand to be sniffed before
petting. With the black fur in his hand,
his eyes lit up behind thick glasses.
In one day Alma Febus, Animal
Control Officer, Cruelty Investigator affected future attitudes of island
people by educating the young today. Thanks, Alma, for all you do for the
animals and the people, whose lives are enriched by the love of animals.
No comments:
Post a Comment