Everywhere in the world,
we can observe
and be touched
by acts of kindness.
People from all walks of
life, faiths, and cultures
extend themselves
beyond the call of duty
to help others
unconditionally.
Through their noble deeds,
humanity as a whole
is elevated.
To commend
virtuous actions and
encourage more people
to be inspired
by their examples,
Supreme Master
Ching Hai
has lovingly created
a series of awards,
including the Shining
World Leadership
Award, Shining World
Compassion Award,
Shining World Hero and
Heroine Awards, Shining
World Honesty Award,
Shining World Protection
Award, Shining World
Intelligence Award,
and Shining World
Inventor Award,
to recognize some
of the most exemplary,
generous, caring,
and courageous people
who walk amongst us.
The Animal Rights
and Rescue Group,
an Australian non-profit
organization founded by
Barbara Steffensen
in 1995, seeks to
rescue homeless, abused,
abandoned and unwanted
animal companions
and place them
with foster carers until
they can be taken in
by a suitable home.
It is the only
no-kill rescue group
in the Northern Rivers
region in the state of
New South Wales.
No-kill means that no
animal is ever euthanized
unless they are
so seriously injured or ill
that they cannot be saved.
This is Omega.
Every year
about November,
the summer breeding season
starts and sadly within
a month there are many
mother cats pregnant
and cats with litters.
And then as it gets into
December, January lots
of kittens are abandoned.
So Omega was abandoned
with four kittens.
Because they were
abandoned and frightened
and left underneath
a house, possibly people
frightening them off,
their mum becomes
very defensive and
often passes that on
to the kittens that humans
aren't their friends.
And it does take a while
to settle them in.
Obviously they're defensive;
they don't trust anymore.
So, they stay with us until
they've got the confidence
back and it's a matter of
putting a lot of effort
into re-homing them
and the shy ones do get
a little bit left behind.
And our foster carers
are kept very busy for
about four, five months.
Until a suitable home
can be found, the Group
lovingly allows
the rescued animal
to continue their stay
at their center.
We got what we call
the “long termers,” and
it just means that
every animal that
we rescue, we take them
unconditionally.
Once they are in,
they stay with us and
they will be re-homed
depending on what
they need; they may be
considered as a
“special need pet,”
that’s how we refer to them.
When we’re re-homing
them and on our website
we will state clearly
what they need.
They may need lots of
patience and love
and time to settle in,
in the initial period.
It may mean that
they need a home
with no small children
because they’ve been
overwhelmed
and frightened.
So they might be here
for three or four years.
There isn’t a time;
we don’t think
in terms of timeframe.
It’s a whole life and
they will be with us until
they find a home,
and that’s the non- kill
movement and we don’t
see the need to explain
or put a timeframe
on the animal.
Let’s now meet Boy,
a resident
at the Group’s center.
He’s actually called
“Boy” while he’s been
with us, but he was
known as “Phantom.”
He was a case
that was reported to us
from Byron Bay.
He was a local on beaches
at Suffolk Park
near Byron Bay.
He is a dingo or possibly
a dingo cross, but was
a well known character
that used to wander
the beaches, and he
used to survive off
the barbeque areas and
didn’t really cause
any trouble at all.
But a few residents
noticed he was getting ill
and losing a lot of weight
and they were concerned.
They were taking food
regularly there;
he wouldn’t take it from
them but he’d come
fairly close.
So we went up to
have a look and yes, he
was in a pretty bad way.
So we eventually got him,
and he went off
for vet work, and
this is in 2000, and then
he came to live at my home
and was there until we
moved on to the center.
He loves the other dogs.
He’s never been aggressive;
he used to treat all
the puppies and animals
that came into my home
as his. He used
to supervise them all.
And he and I have had
a great relationship
and I learned from him.
Ursula is his carer here.
Ursula is the lady that
stays on the premises
here and he transferred
his trust onto Ursula.
Fleur is his housemate;
Fleur’s been in care for
about 14 years, obviously
she’s permanent here,
because she was
badly abused.
And Ursula walks them
every day and cares
for them and they have a
good life here and they’re
happy and well loved.
And they’re safe,
they’ll stay here,
for the rest of their days.
We’ll take care of them.
Please stay tuned to
Supreme Master
Television.
When we return we will
feature the presentation
of the Shining World
Compassion Award
to Barbara Steffensen.
Welcome back to
the Shining World
Compassion Award series
on Supreme Master
Television.
To increase the chances
of an animal being taken
in by a loving family,
the Group occasionally
hosts an adoption day.
We do have adoption days
at the center.
That’s the beauty of
having a center of course
because we can bring
the public in here.
Obviously
the more people come,
the more chance we’ve
got of meeting the people
we want for our adoptions.
And it is easier
for the public because
they can look at
a number (of animals)
at one spot, and also
we get the chance
to talk to the public.
Even if they don’t adopt
from us, they can come
and talk to us about what
adoption is about, what
it means to have a pet,
the responsibilities,
and the (pet) laws
that affect them.
Hi, I’m Adelaide and
I‘m a volunteer at
Animal Rights and Rescue.
I have been here
for about six months and
I have adopted two and
they are called
Alice and Jock.
And they are doing really
well at our place but
I’ve got little Ash here.
She was dumped
at our gate with
her brothers and sisters.
There was five of them,
and hopefully they will
get adopted and have
a nice fulfilling life.
Why is it better to adopt
an animal companion
from a shelter rather than
purchasing one at a pet
store or from a breeder?
Well adopting from
shelters and rescue groups
is a really good place
to go because there is
such beautiful animals
waiting there and you’ll
get a lot of advice.
Most rescue groups will
already include the
vaccination and de-sexing.
Let's just
do the right thing,
buy them at shelters
and pounds, and we need
everybody's help to get to
that day where we see
zero animals killed
in shelters and pounds.
For Ms. Steffensen’s
years of benevolent work
on behalf of
the animals,
Supreme Master Ching Hai
recently honored her
with the Shining World
Compassion Award.
The following is
an excerpt from
a warm letter
she received from
Supreme Master Ching Hai:
Dear Barbara,
It is with great pleasure
and gratitude that
we present to you
the “Shining World
Compassion Award.”
This Award is presented
in recognition of the
caring love you extend
to all beings, for your
selfless spirit of service
to the community and for
your outstanding efforts
to create a humane world
through
your benevolent passion
to save innocent animals.
As a vegan,
you have embodied
the true meaning of
compassion, living it
every day of your life
and now, with ever loving
care, you are a vessel
of safe passage for these
noble creatures who
have found solace and
a second chance at life
under your attentive
care and protection.
Thank you for caring for
the animals and acting
as their voice - people
are starting to listen!
For uplifting our world
with your inspirational
example of unconditional
love in action,
for your empathy,
kindness and
heartfelt generosity,
and for being a dedicated
and noble role model,
we hereby applaud
and celebrate the great
compassionate deeds of
Ms. Barbara Steffensen,
Founder of
the Animal Rights
and Rescue Group.
Ms. Steffensen was
presented with a beautiful
crystal Award plaque,
which reads as follows:
In Recognition of
Exceptional
Humane Concern,
Kindness and Dedication,
Devotedly Protecting
our Precious Pet Companions
And for showing
Your Love in Action
With Compliments
and Gratitude,
For Your Inspirational
Sacrifice and Compassion,
Lovingly Caring
for the needs of animals
It’s a great privilege;
an honor to be given
this award.
The volunteers are
a hard-working band.
They need this kind of
boost and recognition.
To support Animal Rights
and Rescue Group’s
selfless mission
of protecting
vulnerable animals,
Supreme Master Ching Hai
also made
a kind contribution
in the form of a check
for US$10,000.
Thank you so much,
Master Ching Hai
for recognizing our work
and for your
generous support.
This comes at a vital time
for the organization.
This will really help us
help so many more
animals and also give us
the moral boost to our
spirit that we really need.
A number of
Supreme Master Ching Hai’s
books and CDs
including the #1
international bestsellers,
“The Birds in My Life,”
“The Dogs in My Life,”
and “The Noble Wilds”
were also given
to Ms. Steffensen.
To close,
Barbara Steffensen
has the following
message for
Supreme Master Ching Hai.
We thank you for
all the work you do
for the animals
around the world and
for saving our planet.
You’re an inspiration to
many people and you’re
certainly an inspiration
to us and this is
such a great honor.
Thank you very much!
And also can I thank
Supreme Master
Television for giving us
this opportunity to
tell the world what we do
and what the animals
need from all of us.
And we totally admire
everything you do.
Thank you so much.
We offer our
heartfelt thanks to
Ms. Barbara Steffensen
and the volunteer staff
of Animal Rights
and Rescue Group
for their wonderful care
of so many animals.
May Heaven continue to
bless to their altruistic
efforts to secure
a better future
for our animal friends.
I’d like to say,
"Be Veg,
Go Green,
and Save the Planet!"
For more details on
the Animal Rights and
Rescue Group,
please visit
www.AnimalRights.org.au
Gracious viewers,
thank you for joining us
for this edition of
the Shining World
Compassion Award series.
Up next is
Enlightening Entertainment
after Noteworthy News
here on
Supreme Master Television.
May peace be upon you.
In honor of International
Women’s Day celebrated
on March 8 each year,
Healthy Living
will explore health issues
important to women –
from preventing
osteoporosis to keeping
one’s brain cells young.
So getting out there and
getting some fresh air,
the vitamin D that we get
from the sunshine affects
the health of the brain,
affects the immune
system of the body.
So it’s a package;
to have a healthy brain
means having
a healthy lifestyle.
Please watch “In Honor
of International
Women’s Day 2010:
Women’s Health,”
this Monday, March 8
on Healthy Living.