The Army of Good has helped to rack up another very meaningful victory in the long march – okay, struggle –  ahead. We are not arguing, we are doing good.  The gofundme project for Piper has surpassed its goal. We raised $3,640 as of 3 p.m. Tuesday.

People are so good, given the chance, I loved seeing the small donations pile up, one after another. Piper will get her much needed surgery in Pennsylvania.

Piper, a glorious and hard-working draft horse at Blue Star Equiculture, the draft horse sanctuary and farming center, needs an emergency tooth extraction, he is in great pain, and her tooth is a time bomb.

There people who fight and complain about what is happening in our country now (and people who are happy about it, also), but for me, and clearly for many of you, the task is not to argue, but to do good and support our values.

As social media and all media demonstrate every day, talk is, in fact, quite cheap. You all speak with your hearts and souls. Money too, I have to say, it makes so many things possible.

Everyone has the right to their own values, and we are  demonstrating ours almost every day – in support for animals, for the refugees and their children, for the residents of the Mansion, for the poor and oppressed, for the idea of America as a compassionate, welcoming and generous nation.

I thank you again, as I find myself doing a lot these days. Today, I’m off to Albany with Maria this afternoon to meet with three refugees, hopefully take some photos and earn some trust. I’m bring a big box of Rachel Barlow’s art kits with us, and thanks for your support of her as well.

If the fund should exceed its goal, I can assure you, the money will be put to good use. There are many needs there.

In the meantime, Piper’s surgery is set for Sunday at the George D. Widener Large Animal Hospital in Pennsylvania, where the famed racehorse Barbaro had his surgery in an ultimately unsuccessful effort to save his life. Pamela Richenback of Blue Star scheduled the surgery late Monday, when she felt certain that her gofundme project would be successful.

You are amazing people, I saw so many of your names on the donor list.

Blue Star is important, they are one of the great hopes for the future of domesticated animals, they are the Third Way For Animals, they exist in between the emotionalizing of pets and and the angry and failing ideology of the animal rights movement in the age of animal extinction. That sadly disconnected movement has no real agenda other than to drive animals away from people. Blue Star works every day to keep them with us.

Blue Star is all about giving working animals a role in our greed and amoral world, and also treating animals and the people who love them with dignity and respect. They save these wonderful working animals (they recently rescued an injured Providence, R.I., police horse) and they save people. You can donate here or join their herd.

Thanks so much for helping Piper get healthy and ease her pain.