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A boy, his dog and a ukulele
18 May 2008
[indent]Dogs. I've always liked dogs. I like their company. Dogs are, unlike most people, always happy, uncritical, accepting, loyal and affectionate. Dogs are lifetime friends.
I've never understood people who get dogs and abandon them to live outside, miserable lives tied to short chains. I've never understood people who treat dogs - or indeed any pets - like belongings instead of sentient beings. I've always felt dogs and cats should be part of the family, sharing our existence, not exiled from it to some garage or back yard. People who force their dogs to live on the end of a chain should be charged with cruelty to animals.
I personally feel that both a culture's development and an individual's evolution can be measured by how it/they/he/she treats companion animals. And we can measure our collective worth as a compassionate community by how we support and cherish our humane society (in council's case, mene mene tekel upharsin as they say...). I digress...
We've had several dogs in our lives, most of which have had good lives with us and passed away from illness or age. It's always been heart-breaking to lose one. Losing a dog - indeed losing any loved pet - is like losing a child. A few of them have been the dogs from hell - like some former employees or politicians I have known - but the ones we remember most are those who made our lives brighter.
We both remember fondly our former Sheltie, Wellington, and his best friend, our long-haired Chihuahua, Pico. They were so close to us, such wonderful companions. We plan to buy a brick for the new Humane Society shelter in their names.
Yes, we also have had cats and ferrets. I loved each one as much as any of the others. We have four cats now - two fostered from the Humane Society but face it they're with us for life. I'll have cats until I die: they are essential for any house to have a pedigree as a home, as Mark Twain remarked.
But dogs just have a different relationship with humans. Cats and ferrets are more independent, co-voyagers rather than dependents, affectionate but sometimes aloof, more critical of our behaviour in their company. Dogs are more like forgiving buddies. Dogs walk with you in the rain and snow, stay by you when you're feeling blue, snuggle when you're cold and are always ready to run and play. Dogs are more accepting of our faults. If cats are the Zen masters of the animal world, dogs are the Dalai Lama.
Dogs have also been described as the second most intelligent species on the planet. There are times I think they're the first. Just take a look at council most meetings and compare...
Our last dog, Katy - a Papillon - passed away a couple of years ago after a serious stroke that left her blind, deaf and unable to walk. It was hard on us because it happened in the middle of the night and we had to rush her to the emergency vet clinic, only to have her put to sleep. I wanted to get another dog shortly after, but Susan said no. We travel, we're busy, we don't have time or space for a dog. And I agreed. Reluctantly, but accepting the practical. Susan is so much more practical than I am.
And then, just over a week ago, Susan called me at work. "There's a Sheltie in the pound," she said. "You have to go check it out. Now."
Something had happened that changed her mind. Susan has resisted every effort of mine over the past few years to get her interested in another dog. I've steered her towards puppies, shelter dogs, Mexican street dogs... she has remained steadfastly cool towards to dogs, no matter how cute or needy. But she loved our Sheltie, Wellie. And when she heard the pound had a Shetland Sheepdog - abandoned by its owners when they moved - something just changed. She grabbed the phone and called me. I responded with alacrity, figuring I had to seize the moment before she recovered her senses.
I called the town's Animal Control Officer, Michelle - a wonderful, caring individual - and arranged to see the dog. I found a five-year-old dog badly in need of grooming, shy, scared and nervous, unsure. I was unsure, too. How would she fit into a household with four cats? Four adult cats, a house with stairs, people with old habits?
I called Susan. Susan was still resolute. She arranged to meet us later that day, after work. I expected her to back off, become cautious and practical. But Susan took one look at the dog and the dog was ours. No hesitation.
Susan may be practical, but she has such a big heart. And that's why I love her.
After a trip to the vet and the obligatory licence paid for, the dog came home with me. And what a delight she has been. We were initially worried about training, housebreaking, her reaction to the cats (and the cats' reaction to her), her shyness, and just having another dog after so many years. But she surprised us. She is gentle, affectionate, doesn't bother the cats, is housebroken and although not well trained, is smart and willing to learn. And she is a constant companion, glued to my side. She noses my arm at the keyboard when I work on my computer, she wakes me up by poking her face over the edge of the bed close to mine, she comes to work and sits by my chair as I work on the computer. She walks with me, frequently turning her head to make sure I'm still there and keeping up.
We call her Sophie. She was named Holly, but we decided (Susan decided...) to change it so she could start a new life with us from the name up. She doesn't respond very well to the new name, but it's just a matter of time.
How could anyone abandon a dog like this?
I can't understand people some times; they are so cruel and malicious. Some people get animals and treat them like disposible property, thrown away when they lose interest, can't live up to the responsibilities of feeding and training, or just want another toy. The humane society struggles with more than 300 cats - many like Sophie, abandoned by people who moved or simply stopped caring for them. Dumped on a roadside, or left behind.
A boy and his dog... Sophie on the front deck, not entirely happy with the camera pointing at her.
Okay, so there's no ukulele in this post. I know that's confusing but I'm playing a lot of ukulele lately, so I thought I'd throw in a plug for it. Sometime later I'll post about ukuleles and my recent passion for them. But this one is just for the dog. [/indent]
I've never understood people who get dogs and abandon them to live outside, miserable lives tied to short chains. I've never understood people who treat dogs - or indeed any pets - like belongings instead of sentient beings. I've always felt dogs and cats should be part of the family, sharing our existence, not exiled from it to some garage or back yard. People who force their dogs to live on the end of a chain should be charged with cruelty to animals.
I personally feel that both a culture's development and an individual's evolution can be measured by how it/they/he/she treats companion animals. And we can measure our collective worth as a compassionate community by how we support and cherish our humane society (in council's case, mene mene tekel upharsin as they say...). I digress...
We've had several dogs in our lives, most of which have had good lives with us and passed away from illness or age. It's always been heart-breaking to lose one. Losing a dog - indeed losing any loved pet - is like losing a child. A few of them have been the dogs from hell - like some former employees or politicians I have known - but the ones we remember most are those who made our lives brighter.
We both remember fondly our former Sheltie, Wellington, and his best friend, our long-haired Chihuahua, Pico. They were so close to us, such wonderful companions. We plan to buy a brick for the new Humane Society shelter in their names.
Yes, we also have had cats and ferrets. I loved each one as much as any of the others. We have four cats now - two fostered from the Humane Society but face it they're with us for life. I'll have cats until I die: they are essential for any house to have a pedigree as a home, as Mark Twain remarked.
But dogs just have a different relationship with humans. Cats and ferrets are more independent, co-voyagers rather than dependents, affectionate but sometimes aloof, more critical of our behaviour in their company. Dogs are more like forgiving buddies. Dogs walk with you in the rain and snow, stay by you when you're feeling blue, snuggle when you're cold and are always ready to run and play. Dogs are more accepting of our faults. If cats are the Zen masters of the animal world, dogs are the Dalai Lama.
Dogs have also been described as the second most intelligent species on the planet. There are times I think they're the first. Just take a look at council most meetings and compare...
Our last dog, Katy - a Papillon - passed away a couple of years ago after a serious stroke that left her blind, deaf and unable to walk. It was hard on us because it happened in the middle of the night and we had to rush her to the emergency vet clinic, only to have her put to sleep. I wanted to get another dog shortly after, but Susan said no. We travel, we're busy, we don't have time or space for a dog. And I agreed. Reluctantly, but accepting the practical. Susan is so much more practical than I am.
And then, just over a week ago, Susan called me at work. "There's a Sheltie in the pound," she said. "You have to go check it out. Now."
Something had happened that changed her mind. Susan has resisted every effort of mine over the past few years to get her interested in another dog. I've steered her towards puppies, shelter dogs, Mexican street dogs... she has remained steadfastly cool towards to dogs, no matter how cute or needy. But she loved our Sheltie, Wellie. And when she heard the pound had a Shetland Sheepdog - abandoned by its owners when they moved - something just changed. She grabbed the phone and called me. I responded with alacrity, figuring I had to seize the moment before she recovered her senses.
I called the town's Animal Control Officer, Michelle - a wonderful, caring individual - and arranged to see the dog. I found a five-year-old dog badly in need of grooming, shy, scared and nervous, unsure. I was unsure, too. How would she fit into a household with four cats? Four adult cats, a house with stairs, people with old habits?
I called Susan. Susan was still resolute. She arranged to meet us later that day, after work. I expected her to back off, become cautious and practical. But Susan took one look at the dog and the dog was ours. No hesitation.
Susan may be practical, but she has such a big heart. And that's why I love her.
After a trip to the vet and the obligatory licence paid for, the dog came home with me. And what a delight she has been. We were initially worried about training, housebreaking, her reaction to the cats (and the cats' reaction to her), her shyness, and just having another dog after so many years. But she surprised us. She is gentle, affectionate, doesn't bother the cats, is housebroken and although not well trained, is smart and willing to learn. And she is a constant companion, glued to my side. She noses my arm at the keyboard when I work on my computer, she wakes me up by poking her face over the edge of the bed close to mine, she comes to work and sits by my chair as I work on the computer. She walks with me, frequently turning her head to make sure I'm still there and keeping up.
We call her Sophie. She was named Holly, but we decided (Susan decided...) to change it so she could start a new life with us from the name up. She doesn't respond very well to the new name, but it's just a matter of time.
How could anyone abandon a dog like this?
I can't understand people some times; they are so cruel and malicious. Some people get animals and treat them like disposible property, thrown away when they lose interest, can't live up to the responsibilities of feeding and training, or just want another toy. The humane society struggles with more than 300 cats - many like Sophie, abandoned by people who moved or simply stopped caring for them. Dumped on a roadside, or left behind.
A boy and his dog... Sophie on the front deck, not entirely happy with the camera pointing at her.
Okay, so there's no ukulele in this post. I know that's confusing but I'm playing a lot of ukulele lately, so I thought I'd throw in a plug for it. Sometime later I'll post about ukuleles and my recent passion for them. But this one is just for the dog. [/indent]
