The Days After - Yang

It feels odd to do my regular errands on a lovely day, just miles from the scene of the terrible explosion and fire in San Bruno. So huge and frightening and unexpected. The gas lines that powers the stove and hot water – I mean, that’s pretty personal.

As with any such crisis, there’s a pet angle, and I uneasily await news of missing animals. I was impressed with one woman interviewed, who calmly described getting out with her three dogs and a cat (the cat, of course, tried to run back inside) plus a supply of kibble and litter. If there’s any tiny thing to be pulled from this tragedy, it’s the pair of reminders to all of us: how precious our families – including out pets – are, and the importance of having an emergency plan and supplies lined up. Before the next earthquake or fire. And not to live in fear, but in relative calm, having simply thought through the grim possibilities.

There’s the normal flurry of activity at the start of Maddie’s public hours. A couple different lone adults with resident dogs, cats, and/or neighbor children are looking around. Not so good for our shyer kitties.

However, another lady specifically asks to meet Sweet Leaf, who’s adorable though quite timid. She makes up her mind to adopt her very quickly, which makes me a little nervous. But she just says she knows, and heads firmly toward the adoption desk.

I check in on Yang, a handsome, lanky, all black 12 year old "personal assistant." He’s friendly and rubs around eagerly, gazing lovingly into my eyes. He’s playful too, and seems smart. Here’s a cat who would do pretty well in an emergency. But he was surrendered in July, and I can only think his former people’s circumstances must have been dire.

There’s another solid black fellow I like, 7 year old Akiro. He’s more cautious, but affectionate and cuddly in a sweet, drooly way. He has striking green eyes and battle scarred ears, and clearly longs for a quiet home with plenty of lap time. It takes awhile for him to relax; sudden noises make him nervous.

Which brings me back to worrying about the poor shell shocked people left with just what they could grab running out the door. Talk about nerve wracking. I can only hope that they – and their animals – have good support from friends and strangers alike as they try to rebuild.