The more people I meet the more selfishness I see. Everyone from animal rescuer to the religious types. They all go on about how they care about animals and/or people but in the end ultimately all they care about is themselves. I realize this is not true of all but it is true of way to many who supposedly care. I recently had the pleasure to meet a baby raccoon who put selfish humans to shame. I call him Big Brother because he was just that an amazing big brother to a very sick Baby Coon. When I fist met them Baby Coon was completely immobile and was terrified of everything and everybody with one exception she trusted her Big Brother. She was in this state because the distemper virus was killing her by destroying her brain. I'll never forget the first opportunity I had to feed Baby Coon and Big Brother. First I held her as I offered her lunch. Big Brother had been eating out of a dish for at least a couple weeks by this time. I then placed her back in their pet carrier and poured him his food. The first thing he did was dash for her to make sure she was alright. Baby Coon could not yet keep herself clean so he groomed her until she was clean all over. After he was satisfied that she was content he ran to his food bowl and scarfed down the entire bowl in a couple seconds. Since she had to remain where ever I put her as soon as he was done eating he returned to her side and cuddled up to her. They both fell asleep all snuggled up together. He was still a young child raccoon yet he loved his sister so much he put her needs before his own. I see so many people talking about their values yet never living up to them. Yet here is a raccoon that never said a word but rather let his actions speak for themselves. Over the couple of weeks that followed Big Brother grew and became much more active. His little sister remained immobile and very ill. At that point it was no longer safe to keep them together. Big Brother is now healthy and preparing to be self selfish raccoon in the wild when he is grown.
Baby Coon has since been treated with two medications that between the two of them have saved her life and given her a quality of life which keeps improving by the day. She's no longer scared of everything. In fact she craves attention from me. Baby Coon now shows me the same love Big Brother showed her. I've been sick lately and Baby Coon as stuck by my side and kept me well groomed. Seeing the difference Big Brother made in Baby Coon's life remind me of my neighbor who had a negative impact on her disabled little brother. Sandy is Richard's only family when he was a toddler abuse caused brain damage. He is a child in a mans body. Sandy's boy friends doesn't like Richard so she turned her little brother to the streets. He began prostituting himself for food and a place to stay. I wish Sandy had taken a lesson from Big Brother Raccoon and not abandon the only family she has over her own desire to have a live in boy friends. This story was not written to criticize Sandy or any other specific person but rather to make the point that we can all learn from special animals like Big Brother and Baby Coon.
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