Dog Day

The Rocker is an animal lover and it breaks my hardened whiskey filled heart to know that often they are treated as property, not a living being.  Yes, people come first, but owning a pet is a long term commitment.  You cannot throw them out like yesterday's trash when things get rough, or don't work out as anticipated.  Don't even get me started on people who buy bunnies and chickies on Easter only to abandon them when they are not so small and cute, or those who ran out to buy a Dalmatian or Nemo when the movies came out only to realize that maybe it wasn't the best type pet for their situation.  Then still others dive into pet ownership with no clue how to care for the animal they've chosen.  Really?  It only takes a few minutes on the internet to do some research.  

Let me back up.  Admittedly,  I was among those who impulsively made an animal purchase.  No, the hell you say!  Yes.  {bows head in shame}  Maaany years ago while shopping in the Garment District in LA, I stumbled across a vendor selling baby everythings.  Birds, hamsters, lizards, rats and turtles.  That's how I spotted Speck, my Red Eared Slider.  Just the size of a quarter then, he was absolutely the cutest thing I'd ever seen.  Didn't know a thing about turtles and feared this was highly illegal, but I wanted one.  Guess what?  I still have him.  I committed myself to caring for him no matter what, and let me tell you it's a fricking pain in the arse and very not cheap!   I even took him to the vet when he was little because he was sick, and gave him shots every day for a week.  Yeah.  I do, however, regret perpetuating the cycle of illegal animal sales by making a purchase from this man.  My only solace is that I know that Speck will be well taken care of with me, even though he might out live me.  They can live 40 years you know.

Here's my big boy, of whom I should perhaps rename Blob:

I have begun volunteering at a dog rescue and was shocked to see how many animals they have that need homes.  This is just one rescue out of hundreds.  I worked with several dogs this day but these two in particular (below) are from a litter of 4 that need socialization and a patient owner who will take the time to train them.  The female pictured below, was adopted but came back just two weeks later because she was "untrainable".  Bullsh*t.

I spent an hour with this dog and although she was a bit of a handful, she really wasn't that much of a problem.  I had only minor issues on our walk and am confident that she just needs consistency, making her a great pet in no time.  In this day of instant gratification, perhaps no one realizes the rewards of working at something for more than 5 minutes.

The boy pictured here (above) is the sweetest dog I have run across in a while.  He was a dream to walk and mostly wanted to roll around the grass and cuddle on my lap.  I had him sitting and and staying in no time.  He was very smart.  I'm in love.  I can tell he'd be a loyal, faithful and forever grateful if he was taken out of his situation.  {sigh}