Adoption Option

ADOPTION OPTION

Meet Bernice

Welcome to Adoption Option, a partnership with the Worcester Animal Rescue League highlighting their adoptable pets. Check this space often to meet all of the great pets at WARL in need of homes. WARL is open seven days a week, noon-4 p.m., 139 Holden St. Check them out online at Worcesterarl.org, or call at (508) 853-0030.

Bernice has an extraordinary will to live. She is a wonderful cat who accepts whatever life throws at her. She is always happy and gets along with animals and kids — except when the cats in the adjoining room meow too loud, then she yells at them to shut up. Animal Control brought Bernice to WARL back in December. She was ill and on antibiotics for weeks. She ended up with an overgrowth of bacteria, which was treated. She, also, has skin allergies. After trial-and-error, we found that Bernice does well eating Royal Canin GI Fiber Response dry food and Friskies canned food. Bernice qualifies for our Senior-for-Senior Program. However, she is a cat who will need to see a veterinarian when her symptoms flair.

WARL COVID-19 Procedures

As of Nov. 9, 2020

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, we want to share with you some changes we have implemented so that we can continue to serve the pets and people of our community while keeping our team protected. • ADOPTIONS: At this time, adoptions are being held BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. If you are interested in adoption, please visit our website worcesterarl.org/ adopt/ to learn more about our available animals then call us at (508) 853-0030 ext.0 or email us at info@worcesterarl. org to

Bernice is available through WARL’s animal adoption program.

PHOTO COURTESY EAST DOUGLAS PHOTO

schedule an appointment. • CASUAL VISITS TO THE SHELTER are prohibited. We will strictly enforce this in order to keep our animal care team protected while still maintaining the most essential function of our operation ... finding homes for animals in need. • ANIMAL SURRENDERS: Our business practice for surrendering a pet remains the same. All pet owners must contact WARL in advance of surrendering a pet. Please call (508) 853-0030. • SPAY/NEUTER CLINICS: All scheduled appointments will be honored. If you have a scheduled appointment, we will be contacting you to discuss changes to our drop off/ pick up procedures. • DONATIONS ACCEPTED except for open bags of food. • Pet food, cat litter, and other shelter supplies will be essential in continuing to provide for our animals and to assist community members in need. To avoid unnecessary travel and exposure, items can be purchased online from our Amazon Wishlist - https:// www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/3AX342JIL73M0 • Weekly training classes are going on for adopters. • The WARL Volunteer Program is temporarily suspended. All regular volunteer shifts are on hold. We look forward to welcoming you back as soon as we can. We have many animals in our care who depend on us to stay healthy and well. The above measures help to protect our staff and community from the spread of COVID - 19 by minimizing face-toface interactions while continuing to operate only core essential services. Please continue to follow our Facebook page for additional updates. Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact the shelter at (508) 853-0030 or info@ worcesterarl.org.

Devil Love

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For no change/For no pleasure,” sings Buzzelle, then shifting tone and singing, “Where we were before/Was so much better/I can’t give you That lost our way/Treat us more.” kindly/I can’t explain, but/No The sentiment continues one owes you anything/and into the garage band-influYou’re not to blame.” The al- enced “I Won't Go Down Withbum's gaze here has shifted out A Fight,” which finds a couhere. He could be singing ple at the center of the narraabout a relationship, or he tive on a California vacation, could be singing about a coun- but nothing is resolved. The try. In the end, it's all the same, looser rock style here aids the and the compassion he brings sense of dissolution, and when to the song is deeply resonant. Buzzelle sings, “We won’t beIt's certainly clear gin if we die/I’m that the listener is not telling you being asked to goodbye/I still beview the charac- lieve/All we got to ters in the album's do is try,” it's hard narrative gently. not to wonder if

In “The Owl,” the battle's already for instance, Buz- lost. zelle sets up a The penulticounterpart to the mate song, “Blue earlier “We Can “Broken Things,” by Devils,” finds the Leave,” singing, “I Devil Love album's persona don’t want to go/If PROMOTIONAL IMAGE burning with fever you don’t want to and hallucinating, stay/Please show me how/To being chased by his own dekeep the words we say.” There mons. It's hard to tell if this is is love here, certainly, and des- an illness or a bad drug trip, peration, but this time the but the metaphor is crystal conflict is wanting different clear: No matter how much you things. The song has an an- run, your demons will find you. themic feel, a sense of rising in Which puts the discussion of the music, even as the persona staying or leaving in earlier seems to be sinking: “I don’t songs into a sort of relief. How want to be packed in/Ice and much were the couple in questhe snow/I’m gonna live this tion ever REALLY able to eslife/Until I’m sold.” cape where they were. Clearly,

The persona chooses to be the whole album is haunted by fully alive, but With “Soul Clin- something. ic Bible School (Redux),” it be- The album ends with “Carecomes clear that there's a price lessly Comfort,” which finds for that choice: “Find some- the couple in a sort of stasis. thing better/Than we had be- “You’re built to depart … You’re fore/Find something better/ careless in your comfort/ReckSomething more/I’m sending lessly taking what you need.” a message to you/Return to It's actually the first note of me.” There's something about real bitterness in the album, the way the drums punctuate and it comes right at the end. each segment of the song that “You were never free,” sings creates a feeling of riptide, of Buzzelle, “a ghost in time.” It's the listener being pulled into an ashen sort of realization, the ocean. The feeling of dis- but the struggle that's come solution and friction con- beforehand transforms it into tinues into the next song, “Bet- a gut punch. When the music ter Better,” a flat-out rocker fades, the listener is left wonwhere the persona tries to ad- dering if there was ever anydress the conflict in the rela- thing there at all. Indeed, the tionship: “We fight and/Bang question lingers longer than our heads/Against the wall/ one would think.