Ahimsa means nonviolence to all living beings through compassion. It is a value prescribed in Hindu, Buddhism, and Jainism and although Americans may be unfamiliar with the word – the practice is not foreign. Many of us practice Ahimsa – nonviolence to all beings – through how we treat our fellow man, our pets, through our dietary choices and through our consumerism choices.
Ahimsa is practiced in every thought, action, and feeling at Luvin Arms. Ahimsa is front and center with our animal residents first, all of whom come from degrading and violent situations. Today, they live healthy and happy lives at the sanctuary.
The care we provide at our sanctuary is thoughtfully guided by the nonviolent principles of Ahimsa. Our exceptionally compassionate animal care team provides endless affection and tender care to each individual resident on a day-to-day basis. Our animal residents are given the same fundamental rights as all of us, with an abundant space where they can freely roam, play, and socialize with one another. In the evenings, we provide them with a secure shelter packed with clean bedding and a comfortably heated space, so they may sleep comfortably and are sheltered from the elements.
Although we have over 115 animal residents under our care, each dietary and health consideration is closely adhered to for each animal resident in order to prescribe them with the same health care standards that we would provide ourselves.
Every day, we closely monitor each resident for any changes in health and/or behavior, and if any change is observed, we promptly schedule a veterinary appointment without hesitation. Our animal care team attends to wounds, administers special dietary regimens, and implements all vet recommendations.
Like the unique individuals we are, all of our residents also have their own defined personalities with their own individual needs. Some residents demand endless hugs and physical affection, while others simply enjoy us respecting their space, so we continually meet each resident at their own particular level of comfort. We have to be mindful of their space, as our residents have arrived from pasts that involved neglectful and negative human interaction. For that reason, we provide our residents with cognitive enrichment activities through clicker play and animal behaviorists in order to help them in overcoming the trauma that lingers from their past as well as grow as individuals.
As observed in everything that we do, the Ahimsa continues as a guiding practice that defines the essence of our daily interactions and the care of all of our residents—everything that we do we do with purpose. For that reason, we are able to provide them with a safe haven, a place where they are free to be themselves and live without any fear of violence.
As we continue into the new year, we move forward with the optimism that our Ahimsa-guided care will inspire those beyond the gates of Luvin Arms. It is our hope that, through witnessing the work of our compassionate team and their deep connections to the residents, others will see the value in treating all non-human beings with the same level of compassion and respect.
If our message of Ahimsa reaches others around the globe, then we have the infinite potential for our message to resonate in the hearts of millions and lead them onto a path of empathy and non-violence.