I get it: Where people are starving, children are suffering, medical care and clean water are minimal, animal cruelty is low on the list of things to alleviate.

Balance that with the utterly ludicrous amount of money spent on pets in many nations. The amount American spent THIS YEAR is about $157 billion, for veterinary care, food, boarding, treats. It’s absurd, how devoted we are to our pets here. I say that as a person who has a beloved dog and cat in my life.

I believe animals should be treated decently, whether they are beloved companions, sources of food, part of nature, or used in farming or tourism. Decent non-cruel treatment should be the norm.

Anyone who has visited Ethiopia has seen the complexity of life there: It is a beautiful, historic, warm culture; also there are mentally and physically ill people languishing in the streets, often treated with ridicule or worse. Mothers and children begging. People without shelter, without water, without basic standards of life we take for granted here.

You will also see horrible things happening to donkeys staggering under heavy loads and beaten mercilessly, dogs being whipped, cats being poisoned, dehydrated horses being hit repeatedly and left to die.

Yes, the needs of humans should come first. I’d like to think we could help the animals in some way too.

And many folks are. Take a look at The Blue Vet, the Ethiopian Veterinary Association, and Veterinary Service Addis.

Here’s an article about the “Official launch of the Ethiopian Veterinary Education National Action Plan for the 2020 Harmonized Curriculum (Ved-NAP), via Ohio State University (in the US) and the University of Gondar (Ethiopia) College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences. Here is the impressive Veterinary Education Action Plan for vets and veterinary students in Ethiopia.

I’ve advocated for many organizations in Ethiopia doing remarkable valuable and needed work for impoverished families, for vulnerable children. That work must be a priority.

Still, I am going to invite you today to support the work of two tiny organizations in Ethiopia that are making minuscule but important steps to changing attitudes toward and conditions of animals in Ethiopia.

One is EARS, Ethiopian Animal Rescue and Sanctuary. They are community-based, focusing on dogs, donkeys, and horses. They are working to provide a safe haven for suffering, injured, and abandoned animals, giving them medical care, food, and clean water. In Ethiopia, a relatively small amount of money can go a long way, so any and all donations will be deeply appreciated. They are constructing shelters for dogs and for the equine crowd (horses and donkeys), hiring staff and guards, and providing food to the animals: support is needed.

The other is Addis Animal Project-AAP, which is geared toward protecting animals and finding homes for cats and dogs.

Many people are fighting animal abuse in Ethiopia, from well-established veterinarians to folks who just believe animals shouldn’t be tortured.

EARS and AAP can use our help. Please donate. Please share their Facebook info. Keep the animals and their caregivers in your prayers. Cruelty is all too common these days, and this is one way to bring kindness to our world.