Saturday, March 21, 2009

We are what we dog


   Are our dogs a reflection of us? Like our kids? 

   We bathe them, feed them, shelter them. Some of us even clothe them. We love them, scold them and yes even send them to school. Our dogs are treated like family. 

   I was walking Louis today (the other two didn't want to come, really, they didn't) and as we walked by a house in our neighborhood a dog came running at us. Soon followed by a girl about 11 years old. It was a small dog but that's not the point. Poor Louis was so surprised that he let out a blood curdling yelp. He wasn't hurt, just startled. I yelled at the girl "Get your dog out of here!" She started to apologize left, right and center. I, being the adult that I am, gave her a glare that would have turned anyone to stone, grabbed Louis and stomped off like I was injured. I can hear it now, "Mommy, who was that grumpy old man?"

   Our pets are our lives. I'm not telling you animal lovers anything new. I have lived on my own since I was 17 and my first pet outside of my parents home was Austin, a cat from the North Hollywood pound. He lived until the age of 19. I finally had to put him down and I don't think I had ever felt such pain.  I had experienced lost before, grandparents, friends. But this was different. I'm not going to say it was a worse pain then losing a grandparent or friend, that would be cold, right? But it was a different kind of loss. With in 2 months of Austin's passing I got the girls, Ursula and Squeaky, two feral cats from Park La Brea. They are now 10 (and living happily with our 3 dogs). 

   When I finally got a house of my own I made a trip to the city pound, even before Home Depot. I could not bare a house without a dog. Thank goodness my partner was on the same page. Sometimes I think he is even nuttier them I am when it comes to the boys. We even fight over how they should be "disciplined".

   We as pets owners take offence when someone says our dog is fat, ugly or stupid. We REALLY do. I have had heated arguments about Bruce's' weight. For the record ... he's just right for a basset and all comments to the contrary will be deleted. What have these beast's done that we have taken them into our homes and lavished upon them all that we have to offer? 

   I'll tell you. They protect us, love us, humor us, depend on us and worship us. They make us laugh and cry. They are waiting for us at the end of the day when everyone has gotten on our last nerve ... they are the one waiting at the door to lavished upon us unconditional love. 

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