Responsibility - Precious Paw Patrons

Some people may wonder why I founded a non-profit organisation for animal rescue in Turkey and why on earth I wanted to do this as a full-time job…
(You can read about the story of Precious Paw Patrons here.)

At this point, I would like to share some thoughts about responsibility. I am not wealthy, but still, I consider myself a privileged person. I was born and raised in Germany; therefore, I had the opportunity to attend school and university, read a lot, learn foreign languages and also practice them. With a lot of hard work and effort and just the necessary amount of luck, I was able to do my dream job in my previous professional life as a ballet dancer.

During my stay in Turkey (for about 13 years), I witnessed so many people struggling with financial and social difficulties. I have seen animals who suffer, and all those horrible pictures of the ones who get tortured and killed.
At the same time, there are a lot of amazing and strong people who have dedicated themselves to rescuing animals in the most loving and caring way. They have grown up with far fewer privileges than I did and live in much worse conditions than I ever lived in. Yet, they never hesitated to help those who cannot help themselves for one minute.

I think with all the luck and possibilities I had, comes a responsibility – not only for myself and the animals, who need help, but also for the people who were not as fortunate as I was: the ones, who might not be able to pay for the treatment and food and who might have problems communicating with the rest of the world and making them understand what they are going through. I admire them for never giving up on these poor animals and for still trying to save lives against all odds.
I like the idea of building a bridge between animal lovers in Turkey and animal lovers all over the world. Together, with a lot of love and devotion, we might be able to create a better life for animals in need.

For my part, I am determined to run this organisation with empathy, understanding and compassion. It takes more time and effort than you might imagine; there are setbacks, various difficulties, and, unfortunately, I have seen people who pursue only their own profit.

As a mother, I want to show my child that this life is not only about personal gain, but that we are in this boat we call Earth all together. I think we have to work hand in hand to create a world worth living in: a world that is driven by love and empathy and not ruled by money, greed and hate.
I don’t want my child to live in a world where people refuse to take responsibility and only look after themselves. I believe true happiness does not evolve from selfishness; at the end of the day, we all have to be able to look into the mirror and face ourselves.
I was lucky to be born in a privileged country. That was not my achievement—it was a gift. The least I can do is try to give something back to the ones who were born into less fortunate surroundings. That is one of the responsibilities I gladly accept.

I get a lot of appreciative and heartwarming feedback from people I try to help, even though some may not receive any donations. I also get appreciative and warm messages from people who donate. They make me smile and motivate me every single time.
Helping those people and every animal we can save fills my heart with happiness and gratitude. It makes all my work worthwhile.

So many people love and appreciate their pets, and I noticed how important their pets are to them; I am moved by all their affection.
Every animal in this world deserves to be loved, seen and appreciated. I know that many people think like I do and they support animals, each in their own unique way.

Isn’t it our responsibility, as adults, to protect the children and animals on this planet, for they are innocent and pure, yet the most fragile and vulnerable among us?