Why I Love Animals: The Funny Ferret
By Michelle Mantor as published in Houston PetTalk, March 2019, Photography By Prudence Is this little fuzzy girl not the cutest thing? You may agree or you might say “ick, how could you hold that critter?” Which, oddly enough, is what my mom would say! Depending on your “animal gene” as I like to call it, you may fall anywhere on the spectrum from seeing the value in ALL animals and their relevance in the ecosystem to having no respect for animals at all. If you are like me, you’re fascinated by all creatures and the brilliance of their design both in respect to their physical being as well as their intended “job’ in the universe. However, I have to qualify this statement by saying, although I find all creatures interesting, I still get squeamish...
Read MoreWhy I LOVE Animals: Beautiful Parrots
Why I Love Animals is a monthly column published by Michelle Mantor in Houston PetTalk Magazine. Each column focuses on a different species, their value to our environment and what makes them unique in hopes that their future’s are preserved. Photo by Photography By Prudence What I love about animals is how they instill WONDER in me. I can’t really explain the reason why and I’m satisfied not to – I’m ok with just embracing the fact that God gave me a passion and I’m fortunate to have found it after years of searching. Some of my earliest childhood memories were of my dogs and cats and the feeling that I needed to help them and somehow protect them from the many harms that could (and did) come their way. It was a compulsion in a sense that made me...
Read MoreRespect
Respect – as published in December 2018 Issue of Houston PetTalk: Photo by Evin Thayer; LB provided by Mini Pig Rescue of Houston Being a part of humanity is filled with questions – Why are we here? What are we trying to accomplish? What is God’s plan? Why is there evil and pain? The list could go on and on with the BIG questions that drive us crazy because the answers are arbitrary and typically not provable, thus reducing the answers to a matter of faith. We are barraged with information, hatred, love, cruelty, injustice, good-hearted people, freedom of choice, suppression, abuse, jealousy, heroism and more in this big black cauldron being stirred together in a soup called LIFE. As a people, we have to navigate through it, digest it all and make...
Read MoreMy Rescue Horse Freedom: Our Journey of the Heart
After a year and a half, I finally saw my dream of a Horse issue for PetTalk come true featuring my rescue horse Freedom and our journey together. Many people were instrumental in helping me save him and I hope our story inspires others to rescue any species their hear desires! Read our story in the digital issue of Houston PetTalk Jan. 2018. http://editiondigital.net/publication/?i=464970&ver=html5&p=24
Read MoreEssay: Vulnerability
Michelle Mantor with Jeda as published in December 2016 Issue of Houston PetTalk Magazine. Photos by Evin Thayer. We live in a world that values strength, power, and toughness. Whether it’s a movie with a powerful main character or a parent teaching their young boy to “be tough” with his emotions or the images of muscled bodies in magazine ads, there’s no denying that our culture rewards the idea of strength. Which, in turn, is why it’s so hard for us to be vulnerable. Opening ourselves up to needing something or someone is a scary prospect. If we think about the many lessons we are taught in life, quite a few of them are centered around the theme of self-reliance. Think back to the values that your parents and other teachers have worked hard to ingrain in you...
Read MoreEssay: Friendship
Michelle Mantor with Jeda as published in December 2015 Issue of Houston PetTalk Magazine. Photos by Evin Thayer. Meet my new friend, Jeda. As many of you know, I lost my Briard and long-time friend of 15 years, Remy, in 2011. I still miss her and think of her often. Life’s journey offers us hilltops with great highs and valleys with great lows and Remy was steadfastly there for the ride. But once she was gone, daily life just wasn’t as rich. Enter Jeda. Also a Briard, Jeda is quite a character and has carved out her own little piece of my heart. I’m happy to say that we’ve built trust between us and have become friends. That’s what friends do – they make our lives more fulfilled. Can you imagine your life without friends? I’m not referring to acquaintances...
Read MoreWelcome
Michelle Mantor's Collected Works“The earth does not belong to us. We belong to the earth.Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons and daughters of the earth. We did not weave the web of life, we are merely strands in it. Whatever we do to the web we do to ourselves."
- Chief Seattle
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