Animals

George Orwell told us what happens when the animals take over the farm, but, hey, that was his story. Not theirs. So now comes the Theatrical Assembly of Self-Realized Animals to tell us what happened, in the animals' own, uh, words. Their show is Our Farm , and it is offbeat, funny, tense, and, in the end, a bit flagging, but what do you expect from a stage full of equines and pigs, dogs, and a raven - all of whom look suspiciously like humans? But then, so do some of the animals by the end of Orwell's Animal Farm , which is the point.

Ariel's dark eyes sparkle when she is talking about her favorite subject - animals. She loves them so much that she is determined to be a veterinarian some day. Ariel is especially fond of dolphins. When not playing with animals or thinking about them, this 12-year-old enjoys listening to music and dancing. Ariel is very artistic, and channels her abundant energy into painting and crafts. Although she is friendly and outgoing, Ariel's emotions and insecurities sometimes affect her reactions to her peers.

Four churches in the region will be among those celebrating the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi by holding services to bless animals. The feast day, which falls on Wednesday this year, honors St. Francis, who gave up his wealth as the son of an Italian cloth merchant to live a life of poverty in the service of poor people. In 1208, he founded the Franciscan order. "St. Francis has always been remembered most for his great love of animals, whom he called his brothers and sisters, and today, many of us understand and share those feelings of closeness with special animals in our lives," said Theresa Hoyt, a member of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Collingswood, which will hold its animal-blessing service at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow.

The Pocopson Township Board of Supervisors has adopted a zoning ordinance amendment that requires one acre of pasture for every horse or cow and provides other regulations for keeping domestic animals. The supervisors said the ordinance was amended because excessive numbers of domestic animals in residential areas had created problems with noise, odor, contaminated water and erosion in overcrowded pastures. Supervisors Vice Chairman H. William Sellers said the amendment was "designed really to deal with the worst cases.

A sympathetic soul, wilting under the hammer of yesterday's unspeakable heat, is Bill Donaldson, president of the Philadelphia Zoo. It's close to 100 degrees, Bill. How are the animals holding up? "I think they're worried about the people. " What? "Well, the animals know how to deal with the heat. They find a cool, shady place and lie down and think things over. And they watch the people. The people walk around, carry things, stand in the sun. I get the feeling the animals worry about them.

Owners love their pets with a passion that most humans would hunger for, and when the animals get sick, the veterinarian's office is the first stop. But healthy animals also are brought in, for checkups and other services to such treatment centers as the Willingboro Veterinary Clinic on Sidney Lane. There, three veterinarians see a steady stream of patients, most of whom are in no mood for being poked. Animals may have a higher threshold for pain than humans, but vets never forget that their patients come equipped with sharp teeth and claws.

"You get to pet the animals and take care of them," Farrakhan said, explaining why he wants to be a veterinarian when he grows up. Until then, the 9-year-old keeps busy with his many other interests, including baseball, basketball and football. He also likes watching cartoons and riding his bike. Although sometimes shy with strangers, he is very sociable when he gets to know you. A polite youngster, he has good manners and listens attentively to adults. He gets along well with the younger children in his foster home and takes great pride in being the big brother.

The word safari means journey, which describes our trip to Tanzania perfectly. It was an adventure of mind, body and soul. My husband, David, and I arrived at the Serena Mountain Lodge in Arusha late one dark night in October, but we were greeted the next morning by a breathtaking view of Lake Duluti. For 11 days, our group of 14 from England, Canada and the States became a family, led by Samson, Anicet and Jakob, who were fluent in Swahili and English. They were skilled drivers who entertained and educated us about Tanzanian life and history - and, of course, the animals.

About 10 members of the Chester County SPCA Large Animal Auxiliary, which formed in the fall of 1986, have resigned from the volunteer organization to incorporate their own nonprofit group, the Large Animal Protection Service, which wants to offer help to other SPCAs in caring for abused horses in several counties. "By being affiliated with one SPCA, it limits us," Jo Ann Mauger of Cochranville said. "There are a lot of SPCAs that can't deal with large animals. " The group, which is incorporating, intends to provide other humane societies with its services on a contract basis.

WHEN CHILDREN abuse animals, it's not a good sign. Not just for their safety, but for their character as well. And when they do so, they are going to get bitten. Plain and simple. It's the same as when they torture their parents. If a child was shooting paint balls at a parent, would they not scold him, hit him, or punish him? A dog's bite is his only defense. I'm sure Ozzy the German shepherd gave a warning by growling. Even after the incident, Frankie Lovello screamed at the dogs at the pound.