DOGS

Dogs are people in that they have names, personalities and feelings. They’re members of our families, serve in the military and even beat us into space. Dogs are friendly, honest, empathetic and want to be helpful.  Some of the best people I know are dogs.  We don’t deserve them.

Dogs evolved with us for tens of thousands of years. They did stuff for us, like guard duty and assisting the hunt, and we did stuff for them. like provide food and protection. If your culture is from a cold climate, they also kept us warm in the freezing darkness, hence the expression and band Three Dog Night. They get their cues from reading us and believe loyalty is a two way street because that’s the way it’s been for thousands of years.

Like many Americans, I love dogs.  I grew up with a dog and then had my own in my 20s. I thought I knew all about dogs until I was 40, when I met my current wife, who is into dog rescue.  When you have a significant other into dog rescue it means that you will be into dog rescue.  It means dogs will become a much bigger deal in your life.

The first big event that happens when you date somebody involved in dog rescue is that you find yourself the guardian of a dog. I adopted a six-month old Boxer with a broken leg that had been sold to a couple that couldn’t care for her by a breeder. She’s a wonderful dog and I couldn’t believe somebody abandoned her.

People give up their dogs because they’re moving to a place that won’t allow pets or can’t handle taking care of the dog. That’s understandable but they shouldn’t have taken on the animal in the first place. It’s a living being that loves us. The least they could do is find another responsible person to adopt the dog. Unfortunately, many simply drop the dog off at a shelter. The dog will be killed in some shelters after ten days if no one adopts him/her.  The human has already moved on with his or her life, often guilt free. That’s how much some people value love.

My wife mainly adopts senior dogs – they are most in danger of not being adopted and therefore sentenced to death. We had seven dogs when we married.  That sounds crazy but old dogs don’t do much more than lay around the couch all day. If you want a dog that’s already house-trained, doesn’t rip apart the furniture and longs for kindness, shelters are full of elder dogs.

Animal shelters are full of elder dogs because many humans suck. They don’t want their dog now that it’s old so they dump it at the shelter, then go out and buy a puppy. Think about that. These humans take a member of their own family that loves them, then sentence them to days of emotional agony wondering why they’re alone in a cage before being (likely) put to death on a cold, metal table.  That’s what a lot of dogs get for their loyalty.

Humans also inflict a lot of needless suffering on their dogs. My wife rescued a mutt whose hind leg had been cut off by a human with a knife and left to wander the streets of L.A. for a week. Humans punch them, kick them, burn them and force them to fight each other. Those humans lack what the dogs and all “good” people have: empathy.

A dog is bound for rescue  when it winds up with a  human being that doesn’t value  love, shows no loyalty or lacks empathy.  The only thing that can save it is somebody who cares.  I’ll leave the America/Trump analogy there.

Show you care. Spay and neuter your pets. If you can handle the responsibility and value the love and friendship a dog can bring, please consider adopting from your local shelter or a dog rescue.  It will be the best decision you can ever make.