Here’s a surprise. Politicians across the country — including both presumptive presidential nominees — have spent the better part of this week exploiting a national tragedy in order to advance their own agendas.

I don’t know about you, but frankly I find that sickening. I’m not kidding. It makes me want to puke.

On the other hand, there are plenty of people whose selflessness and generosity in the aftermath of the Pulse Orlando nightclub shooting is almost enough to restore my faith in humanity.

Judy Charuhas is one of them.

Helping The Pulse Orlando Shooting Victims’ Pets

According to an article in the Orlando Sentinel, Charuhas is in charge of a “local lost pets group.” In the wake of the mass shooting that reportedly left 49 dead and more than 50 injured early Sunday morning, she launched an effort to help the victims’ pets.

The Sentinel article details how she began by posting a message on the Winter Park Lost Pets page on Facebook. In it, she informed followers that the organization is “compiling a list of rescuers/services/people willing to hold/foster/adopt pets for victims and survivors of the Pulse Orlando shooting,” and encouraged people interested in helping to comment.

Not surprisingly, tons of people responded.

“I’ve got a huge list of resources,” Charuhas told the Sentinel. “We’re basically vetting them out and making sure these people can do what they say they can do. If anyone is willing to step forward, I’ll add them to my list.”

If you live in the Orlando area and you are interested in helping, click the link to the story above to find out how you can contact Charuhas directly. You can also visit the Winter Park Lost Pets page on Facebook for more information.

Friends and relatives of the shooting victims are also encouraged to contact local authorities, animal welfare and rescue groups about any pets in need.

Something Else To Think About

Whether it is the result of a natural disaster, a catastrophic accident or an horrific act of violence like the one that happened at Pulse Orlando, a tremendous loss of life is something that shakes us to the very core of our being. When it is sudden and unexpected, it is a stark reminder of both our vulnerability and our mortality. Anyway you look at it, it is something most of us would rather not think about, much less confront.

Nevertheless, most of us do make provisions for our loved ones in the event that something happens to us. We get life insurance policies. We make wills.

On the other hand, making provisions to ensure that our pets are cared for if we are critically injured or killed  is something that may not cross our minds. That doesn’t mean that it’s something we shouldn’t think about, or that there’s nothing we can do. You can learn more about the issue here.

As you can see, there are plenty of options. So whatever you do, please plan ahead. We owe it to ourselves — and our pets.