I've been dreaming of dogs lately. Mostly puppies, with a few kittens thrown in. Dead puppies, puppies and kittens in cages--nightmares, really. The reasons for these dreams are no mystery. I have dogs, I've lost a couple, and I have a new rescue. I also completely blame my two Facebook friends who incessantly post pictures of animals in shelters needing rescue. That's the primary reason we now have Murphy. I believe in saving lives--but just like with people, you can't save them all.
I think of myself as an animal lover since birth, but my mother always told me I was afraid of animals in my early years, wouldn't even look at them during a trip to the zoo. I don't remember that time. My memory begins with wanting pets and taking care of strays. We lived in lower income neighborhoods in Brooklyn and I would go outside, call "psspsspss" and cats would come running from all directions. I'm pretty sure I learned how to do this from my mother. We adopted two dogs, but both came to tragic ends (which in the interest of avoiding more nightmares, I will not detail here). I contented myself with the cats. They were always a part of our family. After my mother's death, my father tried to put up with the remaining cat but eventually turned it over to a no-kill shelter. This is one reason animals end up in shelters; an elderly person with diminished ability just can't care for it.
Throught much of my life I harbored a fantasy of having enough space to keep all animals I ever wanted. I primarily live in the country now, 12 miles from town, so this dream can have reality. I am thrilled to have doggie doors so they can also have their space and freedom. Of course, the reality is the more animals you have, the more money you spend. When I bring a new family member home, I plan on it being forever. Therefore, they also require time, attention, and medical maintenance. I once came close to adopting out a particularly annoying dog, but when it came right down to it, I knew there wasn't anyone else out there worthy of parenting him.
In this part of the world, it seems that many people view their animals as possessions, and not very valuable ones at that. I can vouch for the fact that there will never be a shortage of black labs. Very few people bother to spay and neuter; they throw out a bag of Jim Dandy (sometimes even opening it first) and close the door. Some consider themselves responsible if they keep them on chains or in an outdoor cage. Ask any local vet about some of the home grown cures people try to cure parasites (burnt motor oil, turpentine among others). Not trying to label all southerners--but if you're reading this, you're probably not one of them.
I remember reading about the singer/actress Doris Day having her own "dog ranch" and being devoting to rescuing as many as she could. I'm pretty sure Doris was pretty rich by then and had a lot of people working for her to clean up after them. For now, I'll keep my three and do whatever I can to promote the cause (well, maybe a little more than that).
I think of myself as an animal lover since birth, but my mother always told me I was afraid of animals in my early years, wouldn't even look at them during a trip to the zoo. I don't remember that time. My memory begins with wanting pets and taking care of strays. We lived in lower income neighborhoods in Brooklyn and I would go outside, call "psspsspss" and cats would come running from all directions. I'm pretty sure I learned how to do this from my mother. We adopted two dogs, but both came to tragic ends (which in the interest of avoiding more nightmares, I will not detail here). I contented myself with the cats. They were always a part of our family. After my mother's death, my father tried to put up with the remaining cat but eventually turned it over to a no-kill shelter. This is one reason animals end up in shelters; an elderly person with diminished ability just can't care for it.
Throught much of my life I harbored a fantasy of having enough space to keep all animals I ever wanted. I primarily live in the country now, 12 miles from town, so this dream can have reality. I am thrilled to have doggie doors so they can also have their space and freedom. Of course, the reality is the more animals you have, the more money you spend. When I bring a new family member home, I plan on it being forever. Therefore, they also require time, attention, and medical maintenance. I once came close to adopting out a particularly annoying dog, but when it came right down to it, I knew there wasn't anyone else out there worthy of parenting him.
In this part of the world, it seems that many people view their animals as possessions, and not very valuable ones at that. I can vouch for the fact that there will never be a shortage of black labs. Very few people bother to spay and neuter; they throw out a bag of Jim Dandy (sometimes even opening it first) and close the door. Some consider themselves responsible if they keep them on chains or in an outdoor cage. Ask any local vet about some of the home grown cures people try to cure parasites (burnt motor oil, turpentine among others). Not trying to label all southerners--but if you're reading this, you're probably not one of them.
My abbie is my world. She was scratching at the door during breakfast to come in and I stopped eating to let her in. Keith made the comment that I would never let my child cry itself to sleep. My response, "yeah I will I'll just tolerate the kid because you want it. Abbie is my world." Of course I was kidding but abbie is my world :)
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