The streets are unusually quiet. All but ‘essential’ shops, such as grocery stores and pharmacies, are closed.

This window display in a small animal charity store captured my attention, and I found my eye drawn to a cute black and white pottery figure of a cat.

Animal charities are struggling in Lockdown. Not only are they losing valuable income from closed shops, they are dealing with a surge in animals which have been abandoned during Lockdown and which need food, shelter, vet care and rehoming.

Heartbreak and happy endings go hand in hand.

I uttered a quiet Budddhist prayer for those charities struggling to support abandoned animals, and for those having to take the heartbreaking decision to ‘re-home’ a family pet because of lost income or through bereavement.