I do want to do an extended, immediate family "ode to my dogs" but that will require pic scanning and proper story telling so don't think that you won't get to meet them. But right now, I'm talking about one dog. The dog that was my best friend growing up. He came into my life when I was 10 and passed away not long after I turned 24 or 25. (can't remember, but he was quite old) Roller had lived the life of Reilly and knew, more than anything I'm sure, that he was loved. He was a pure-bred boxer (his mother, Tink was my family's first boxer) and exuded all the best traits of the breed (and some of the worst..boy was he a fart blossom!) He was my last dog and the desire to have another boxer has never left me.
Rescue shelters of all types are to be commended for the work they do. Watch this video that BRLA put together that tells about what they do, but more importantly, where their dogs come from. http://presentdaypictures.com/brla
What I guess I'm getting at for the rescue is, if you're thinking of getting a dog (or cat, or horse, or bird, etc) check out the pounds or if you're one of those who prefers a pure bred dog, Google these rescue centers with your preferred breed. They're out there and there are plenty of dogs, mutts and pure, that are great dogs and need good homes.
Now if you have a dog (or cat, or horse, or bird, etc) of your own, go find him/her and give them a big ole sloppy smoochie for me! (well, just wave at the cats for me, I'm allergic)
PS. The picture at the top of this post is a sweetie named Breezy. She is currently up for adoption at BRLA. I wanted to put a picture at the top of the blog post and the look on her face caught my eye immediately!
3 comments:
I would love to have another dog, but I feel I am not a good parent as I am too selfish and like to be gone too much.
I can't watch the damn ASPCA commercials without crying.
And the Mutts cartoon when they do the adoption stories---uggh! I'll bawl my little eyes out.
boy was he a fart blossom!
Oy, that doesn't even begin to cover it...RIP Roller...
Breezy's a cutie!! Once we get moved and settled, another dog is definitely on my wish list. My baby dog passed away at 13 a few years ago. After he died, our vet admitted that when Cubby was 8 he didn't think Cubby would live more than a year. In the year before that, Cub had been diagnosed with diabetes, an underactive thyroid, allergies, and finally Cushing's Disease. The vet had never seen a dog with diabetes last more than a couple years after diagnosis and never saw one with Cushings last more than a year after diagnosis. That Cub lasted more than 5 years was a testament to his love of life as well as to our commitment to him. He got his shots, his pills, and his chemo meds on a strict schedule and we kept him healthy and happy. I even devised a way to check his blood sugar regularly so I could adjust his insulin accordingly.
I grew up with animals as family members, not accessories, as well. We always had pets and took ridiculously good care of them. We had the most spoiled houserabbits you've ever seen, pampered cats, and beloved dogs, in addition to a variety of fish, rodents, and wildlife (to rehab - raccoons, squirrels, opossum, and more).
I also am allergic to cats. The secret is that you become immune to your own. Kind of like allergy shots provide regular exposure to an allergen to desensitize you, if you survive the first couple months with a cat you become immune to that cat. A new cat sends me into a tailspin, but then I'm okay. Something to keep in mind if you find Mr. Right and he's a cat lover.
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