Economies of spiritual scale

Every year, millions of animals are euthanized in shelters across the country, hundreds per hour

by Kris Lecakes Haley — 

Recently, media reports of poisoned pet food and the resulting deaths led to a public outrage. An unusual form of rat poison, illegal in the U.S., was found in several brands of dog and cat food, a tragedy that resulted in the death by kidney failure of almost 20 animals. Reprehensible? Certainly. Horrible? Without question.

The wave of public outrage was palpable. Now, hold that thought for a moment and consider this. Every year, millions of animals are euthanized in shelters across the country, hundreds per hour — just as pointless and tragic as the food-related poisonings that recently made the news. But where is the outrage about these deaths? Why is our outrage so selective?

Perhaps it is that the numbers are so high they seem unreal. Perhaps it is because we, as a species, are adept at anesthetizing ourselves and finding a distant mental compartment in which to place such overwhelmingly distressing thoughts. Or perhaps it is just easier for us to feel outrage about things over which we can profess no control or contribution.

While there is little we can do to preempt the activities of those who would resort to poisoning innocent creatures, the fact is that we, as a society, fundamentally own the pet overpopulation problem, A to Z.

By definition, diseconomies of scale are the trends that inspire larger organizations to produce goods at increased per-unit costs. The small fortune paid for the purebred dogs found at pet stores or through breeders directly corresponds with that definition. Conversely, economies of scale are put in place when overproduction of an item leads to a reduced per-unit price for that item. For example, because there are so many of them, adopting a shelter animal is far less expensive.

Once again, our teachers arrive in the most unlikely disguises. And once again, they are the animals, here to gently guide us to a third definition — to economies of spiritual scale. In this definition, all diseconomies are dissolved by our choice to take the cosmic high road. Stepping fully into integrity, we make compassionate choices that reflect our interconnectedness with all of life and we release our apathy and disengagement.

Based on the masterful teachings offered by the animals with whom we share our world, one might think the tuition too lofty to afford. On the contrary, all students are welcome. The cost? To simply listen and be present to the lessons.

This is not a new message. Rather, it is a review and a refresher of something that is so much a part of us that ignoring it can only lead to discordance. If you are willing to step into the space where you truly express and experience the web of life, where we are all one, you will soon find your economies of spiritual scale perfectly balanced.

Kris Lecakes Haley is an internationally certified Bach Flower practitioner who works exclusively with animals and is the founder of CreaturePreachers. [email protected],  www.animalsynergy.com or 602-PET-3030.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 26, Number 3, June/July 2007.