  他们的愿望   It was 10pm when I first time dialed Duan Xiaomei’s cellphone, at the time she was busy taking Dami to a pet hospital. Dami is a 19-year old cat. Dami’s eight brothers and sisters lived with Duan since the day they were born. But out of all nine siblings, Dami remains the only one alive. 第一次拨通段晓梅的电话时是晚上十点多，她正在宠物医院陪“大咪”挂点滴。大咪是段姐自己养的猫，今年19岁，是最早跟在她身边的九只猫中的一员，现在其余八只都已相继离去。 For years now, the “granny cat” has suffered from renal failure making the pet hospital her second home. Beijing’s dropping temperature has once again brought Dami back to the vet. 这只相当于人类90岁高龄的奶奶猫，脏器已经开始衰竭，于是点滴看病便和喝水吃饭一样寻常。那晚北京刚下过场雪，天气湿冷。像对气候格外敏感的老人一样，大咪也不可避免地被再次送进了医院。 ▲Dami Dami is one of three hundred “kids” that concern Duan on a daily basis. Out of love and sympathy, Duan established Beijing Fangzhou (Ark) Animal Rescue in 2006. Back then, she had a full-time job working in a government office. Even then, she would take the daily trip from Beijing’s downtown core to its countryside to take care of her animals. After her retirement, Duan sold most of her Beijing property and settled down in her new countryside home for herself and her beloved animals. 让她操心的当然远不止大咪一个，还有三百多只狗儿猫女。和许多动物救助者一样，单纯因为对动物的喜爱，段晓梅在2006年创立了北京方舟关爱动物基地。那时她还尚未从国家机关退休，每天上班下班，城里城外两头跑。后来退了休，她便把家安在基地，把城里能卖的卖掉，加上多年积蓄，买下了一块城外的地，算是给几百口猫狗们和自己都安了新家。 “I didn’t sell my car. Delivering dogs’ food, taking cats to the vet…I do count on the old fellow (car),” Duan called her car her only luxury. “车我没卖。给他们看病拉粮，都得靠它呢！”段姐这样评价自己唯一的“奢侈品”。 When we officially met each other in the following afternoon, Duan was cleaning the doghouses. 隔天中午见到段姐时她刚清理完犬舍的积雪，在饭桌上就着酸辣汤吃了两碗饭。 Distinguished from average animal activists, Duan was not into hijacking dog boxes or searching for abandoned cats, at least not any more. 和当下的很多动保者不同，段姐已不再一腔热血地劫运狗车，或漫山遍野地寻找流浪猫，而是全身心致力于为保护动物立法。 “Legislation is what matters the most. Let animals be protected by law instead of people, that is what I’ve spent years fighting for,” said Duan. “让法律，而非仅仅是动保者，来保护动物的生命和权益，是我奋斗这些年的终极目标。” “Many people made huge efforts in trying to save animals but failed to take good care of them.” Avoiding secondary damages was another reason that stopped Duan from being too hot-blooded. 除此之外，避免对动物的“二次伤害”，也是她令不再”热血“的又一原因。
“Lack of responsibility on some level comes from bad hygiene condition, limited space and food, sick cats and dogs.” “很多救助者费尽心力救回猫狗，但安置所却早已经超负荷，动物们风餐露宿，卫生条件恶劣，还不断有更多的猫狗被带回来……这是个恶性循环。”
There was a snowfall the night before I met Duan. But it didn’t seem to last as snow was melting away, wetting the yard’s bare ground as we stepped into Fangzhou Rescue. Kuankuan and Tyson, two gentle country dogs gave us a warm welcome. 头天的积雪已经开始融化，基地门口变得湿漉漉。踩着泥水来迎接我们的是以“宽宽”，“泰森”为首的几只小土狗，举止温顺粘人。 “I named every single one of them.” It seemed that Duan could remember the 300 names with ease. “Some are based on their characteristics, while others might be named by the place where they were found. Like Kuankuan, he was saved at Kuangou.” “名字都是我给他们起的，有的是按特征，有的是按获救地点，比如宽宽就是在宽沟救的。” 段姐对每个名字如数家珍。
▲Kuankuan Zhuangzhuang (Strong) was one of the oldest dogs here. He’s been with Duan for more than 10 years, just like Dami the cat. Old Zhuangzhuang has been deaf for years. He paced quietly, and every now and then he would keep an eye on Duan just to double check if his master was calling out his name. “壮壮”是这里的”元老“之一，和大咪一样，在段姐身边一待就是十几年。年迈的他耳朵已经聋了，总是安静地在周围踱步，时不时抬眼看看段姐，大概生怕错过了主人的挥手召唤。
▲Zhuangzhuang Zhuangzhuang’s roommate, Waiwai, was also an aged lady. Though she looked quite cozy and comfortable napping on her old cushion, the granny dog’s tongue was numb due to severe epilepsy. 和壮壮同住的另一元老”歪歪“，当年因为癫痫而歪了嘴巴，使得半条舌头常年耷拉在嘴外面，此刻在软垫上昏昏欲睡。
▲Waiwai and Kuankuan Adopters come and go every month, taking away their new family members, most of which are young and healthy. I thought Waiwai and Zhuangzhuang were not welcomed among adopters because of illness and oldness, but Duan gave out her own explanation. 方舟基地每月都会有来自不同国家的领养人，我一度以为年老体衰是歪歪、壮壮被剩下的原因，答案却并不尽然。 “I personally would like people to adopt the younger ones. It will be a brand new start for both the adopter and the animal,” said Duan. “Honestly I could not leave the aged ones to anyone else but myself. I’m glad this place could serve as a nursing home as well.” “我希望他们把年轻的领走，对领养人和猫狗来说都是全新的开始。”段姐这样解释，“老弱病残给别人我也不放心，就留它们在这儿养老了。”
It was lunch time, and all residents were getting excited. Every room accommodates two to four dogs based on their tempers, which means not all roommates get along with each other. 参观犬舍时恰逢开饭，狗狗们都倾巢而出，一派欢闹。房间是按脾气性格分配的，每间二到五只，能当”室友“的都是互相“聊得来的”。
Ordinary dog food mixed with corn flour and sliced chicken is on the dogs’ daily menu, and the cook is in charge of cooking as well as feeding. The entire animal hospital only carries four people on staff, including Duan herself. 伙食是普通狗粮加玉米面和炖熟的鸡头，且从准备到喂食都由一位师傅操办。加上早上帮忙清扫的两个人，偌大的基地也不过只有四个工作人员。 “My work here starts early in the morning and ends late at night. I can’t help myself taking but to care of all matters here.” “每天基本从早干到晚。“段姐也坦言有些力不从心，”我这人就这样，事事都得自己把关。“
The very central part of the rescue center was supposed to be another dog house, but a lack in funding turned it into a corn field.“In winter, the place costs even more. The heating fee takes up a big amount of our budget. So I have to leave it like this. ”Apparently Duan was not fond of this season. 基地的正中央是一片收割过的玉米地，因为天气清冷而显得更加空旷。段姐说本该在那里也盖上犬舍，但无奈资金不足，只好暂时搁置。”冬天开销大，光烧煤取暖就五六万，只能先等等了……”
After lunch, the whole place returned to its original tranquility. Duan went back to her own room to get a can of tuna for Dami, who just finished her nap. Duan looked reassuring as Dami slowly started eating. 午餐时间结束，犬舍的喧嚣逐渐褪去，多数猫咪也照例还在酣睡。整个基地静下来，享受落日前片刻的安宁。段姐回屋给大病初愈的大咪新开了盒罐头加餐，看到她开始小口吞咽不禁满脸欣慰。
▲Dami “She has been with me for 19 years. She is my daughter,”said Duan. “It’s a tough winter for her and Waiwai. And I don’t think they can get through it,” Duan sighed. “The only thing good might be, I mean if it really happens, there will be room for more poor dogs and cats. ” “I keep telling myself that to make the whole thing a little easier to accept.” “她陪了我19年，像我亲闺女一样。” 大咪嚼得很慢，不知是因为上了年纪牙齿不好，还是因为她也在默默听着段姐的念叨。 “这个冬天，她够呛能挺过去，歪歪也是。它们若是走了，就有位置腾出来给新的流浪猫狗。” “这样想多少能好受点吧。”
 拍卖结束后，所得款项我们承诺将会根据微信转发量来分配捐款，并捐献给这三个慈善组织，购买他们需要的物品。所以，如果你希望这个故事里的流浪猫狗得到更多的捐款，请把这则故事转发到你的朋友圈。 |
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