Thanks to Jim Willis, author of Pieces of My Heart for this reminder that Valentines Day is not always a happy event. Just like our furfriends, we need to be aware of the people around us and note if there is a problem we can help them with.

I’ll be running Jim’s new story here on the blog tomorrow. Also, I did an extensive interview with Jim some time back and it looks like it will be ready for the blog very soon. Keep your nose in the air for that one!

You may know that I am the victim of a suicide, as are some of my friends. It is a life-changing event, it is life-guilt-producing. I am sorry to say that some who have turned to animals for the love that no human ever provided for them can be at risk. The holidays are always difficult for the abandoned, and the day that commerates love could be particularly painful. Please pay attention to your family, friends and neighbors who might display any disturbing signs (which might require you being informed on the topic)..And recognize the unconditional, incomparable love that a pet can provide for the lonely.

Don’t worry. My story has a happy ending.

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Do you notice the difference between how I would describe what is happening in Japan versus how the AP writer describes it? Why is it that the many in the media feels that its necessary to ridicule loving, caring actions towards non-humans? Are humans just so all around wonderful that we’re the only species that deserves to be loved and pampered? I think not!

Okay, I know some will say that there are humans suffering all over the world. And that’s terrrible. I don’t want to see unnecessary suffering among anyone, human or other species. But let’s get real. Just because a guy tries to help the dog who helped him get through hard times in his life have less pain in his own, shorter life, doesn’t mean that the human cares less about the unknown human in need. It means that the human caring for the dog or cat is a better person and making the world in general a better place. If we can care for the other species we share the world with, then we can make the world a better place for us all.

Let’s look at children. Children who learn empathy for other species go on to be better people. Who are the problem children? Those who never learn to care about other species. Those are the children who grow up being much less likely to care about other humans as well.

So how about it media folks? Let’s get off the, “oh how odd it is that someone would try to make their old dog feel good” bandwagon? Let’s remind people that when people or cultures begin to realize that they share common bonds with other species that’s a good thing. It shows that the people and the cultures are maturing and expanding in positive ways.

Thanks to the Seattle Times for this article.

Japanese owners indulge aging cats and dogs
By Hiroko Tabuchi
SHUJI KAJIYAMA / AP

TOKYO — Andy has sprouted white whiskers, suffers from lower back pain and no longer bounds up the stairs like he used to.

Still, the 11-year-old Siberian husky isn’t lying idle: every week he meets his personal trainer for a run on an underwater treadmill, does laps in a doggy pool to strengthen his hind legs and unwinds with a hot spa and massage session.

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At the risk of ticking off some folks, I’m weighing back into the Christmas puppy debate. Granted, there are many people who can responsibly get a Christmas puppy because, like many Dogsters, they know what they’re getting into and they have planned accordingly. To you folks, I say bravo and this next piece is NOT about you. It’s about those people who go about it all wrong.

I pulled this off a blog called I-luv-Eeyore’s Blog. When I read it I was furious. Now, if you’ve been reading this blog you know I don’t get furious very often. In fact, I tend to be pretty accepting of a lot of different viewpoints. This time it’s different because its not a viewpoint that’s different. This time a dog will probably die because a human made what appear to be a number of bad decisions.

I applaud the writer for being so honest but I want to point out that even in their honesty, they are in denial. They jumped up and got a puppy last Christmas because their older dog was lonely. Good for thinking of their dog, bad for rushing into adopting a puppy. Why? Because as you read through the piece you’ll see that they didn’t have a clue as to what they were doing. They didn’t realize how big the puppy might get. They didn’t understand how to socialize and train their obviously very smart and assertive young dog. They didn’t look for professional help when it became apparent that Frodo was probably a smarter dog than the family understood or could manage. And then they are either totally ignorant or lying to themselves that by dropping him off at the pound he will have a better life! And perhaps this is what boils my blood the most!

The writer is sitting there steeped in self-pity for missing the dog who is probably not far from death row at this moment. And she put him there! Here’s some words that Frodo can’t say to you because he’s in a steel jail waiting for his dose of death. Don’t give me this malarky about how bad I feel! Grow up and admit to yourself and the world that YOU put Frodo on death row. No one else. You abandoned Frodo! You signed his death warrant! Now you want to throw the guilt and shame onto someone else’s shoulders! You took a dog who you knew had already shown aggression to the pound. Well, guess what? The likelihood of Frodo getting a new home is just about zero. So don’t lie to me or yourself.

Do us all, dogs and humans who love dogs, a favor — Stop adopting dogs that you will break their hearts when they outgrow you and you drop them off to be killed. Just stop until you can grow into being a true dog guardian! If you learn how to love a dog responsibly, then you have earned the right to have a dog love you. For now, how about a nice stuffed dog that won’t cause problems and won’t feel it when you dump it in the garbage?

How could you have acted responsibly? YOU could have found Frodo a new home. YOU could have interviewed applicants. You could have made sure he had a new, better home.

As it is, you’re sitting there crying for a dog who is probably already dead or will be soon because you are too weak to do the right things for a being for which you took responsibility a year ago. Now its just too hard or too inconvenient or too whatever. But don’t ask for sympathy from me or any other dog lover who realizes the wrong you’ve done Frodo. All my sympathy and tears are for Frodo. May in his next life may he find someone who deserves his love.

Dogs and heartache

October 2005 our dog; Pappy, died in his sleep. Pappy was older than Tigger. Tigger took the loss pretty hard and started campaigning for a new dog/puppy almost right away. We didn’t like be an only dog household either, so we adopted a puppy from the local pound and gave him to Tigger for Christmas last year. I got the best hug ever that morning and Tigger was so happy he was in tears.

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I don’t know if this is really from the Cherokee or not but its a great thought. If you know the author, please bark in!

Thanks to Tom P. for sending this on over!

Two Wolves

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, “My son, the battle is between two “wolves” inside us all.

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Notice the title on this piece? It blames the inmate’s arrest on the dogs. Wrong! If you read the article from the Cleburne Times-Review its actually the kids who gave her up.

So why am I focusing on this article? Because it illustrates the problem with many articles. If there’s a dog involved anywhere in the story, it becomes the dog’s fault for whatever happened. Like this one. Sure, the dogs got out but I doubt they got out by themselves. Hey, I’ve been a kid and I’ve let dogs out at the wrong time. It happens. So why blame the dogs instead of the kid who stupidly announced that “Aunt Ann” was in the house?

I don’t have an answer; just the question. How about you? Want to make a suggestion as to why its dogs and not kids that seem to catch the blame? Bark in!

Loose dogs reveal loose inmate in Godley family’s home

By Kyle P. Whitecotton/Staff Writer

A Godley woman who escaped from police in Mansfield tried to keep a low profile while she was on the lam. But a family member’s slip of the tongue and two misbehaving dogs blew her cover to Godley police.

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Lest after you read the title of this posting that you think I’m depressed or any of my pack are in poor health, don’t worry. Everybody is fine and doing well (though I do appreciate your concern!). I know Dogsters are sensitive, kind folks who care about others so let’s set that aside right now.

I got to thinking about Death the other day, maybe because it was a gorgeous day and everybody was bouncing around having a great time mouth-wrestling and tugging on toys and even barking at the kids walking in the alley. Okay, I know it sounds kind of odd to think about Death when everything is going well and He doesn’t seem to be anywhere around. (Being a HUGE Terry Pratchett fan I really like the idea of Death as a kind of friendly guy in black walking around speaking in UPPER CASE LETTERS so it seems natural to talk about HIM as well, a HIM.) It was just one of those moments that feel so good it reminds you that there are the other times, and death is the ultimate bad time.

But to the point. Dogs have taught me not to fear Death. Its something that is with us all the time and that we will meet at the end of the road. As I watched Sol and the rest playing it occurred to me that we two-legged types worry about it way too much. So much so, that it colors everything else leading up to it, which, for most of us is about 60+ years. That’s a long time to fear something that may actually be a friend in the end.

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How many kinds of bad is this? 1) having breed specific legislation (BSL) in place. 2) Ditto CAME FROM another shelter that verified he was NOT a Pit. 3) acording to at least one Dogster who saw news video, Ditto looked nothing like a Pit. 4) The family had been warned before that the Shelter was watching Ditto since he had been seen running loose around the neighborhood. 5) The next door neighbor actually CALLED in apparently Kill-hungry Champaign County Animal Warden Mandy Randall to come get Ditto! What’s up with that? She or he couldn’t simply walk over and tell the Hupps their dog was in his or her yard? I bet they felt REALLY threatened with a one and a half-year-old Boxer! I wouldn’t want to be THAT neighbor now. How many kids did they say this family has? If it had been my neighbor I sure wouldn’t let this go by without some massive payback. Nothing deadly but a whole lot of trouble! 6) According to the various news articles, Randall (who claims to have 14 years of experience but somebody needs to be doing a reference check about now!) seems to not know a Pit mix from a Boxer!!!!! Who hired this person? 7)Instead of following due process which would have allowed for time to prove Ditto NOT to be a pit, the family reports that Randall intimidated them. What a gem of an animal control officer!

To add insult to injury, the original shelter, the Ohio Clark County Shelter, gives Ditto’s family another dog as if dog’s are interchangeable items. What insensitivity and stupidity! Also, if the family had shown itself unable to care for Ditto because they can’t seem to keep their pets at home or on leash, why in the world would you give them another chance with a dog until they had proven they have learned something in all this. I understand the crying kids and all that but shouldn’t a shelter have the DOG’s welfare uppermost in mind, not assuaging the family’s feelings of guilt?

Thanks Dakota for letting us all know about this shameful situation!

Dakota wrote:
Innocent Boxer accused of being a Pit Bull was executed.

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Cindy Wolff, the Pet Reporter for the Memphis Commercial Appeal, brought up in her blog “Pets on My Mind” that age-old question that seems to get even the nicest dog lover up out of their chair and hitting the blog keys — should people be breeding dogs (even responsibly) while there is such an overabundance of great dogs waiting to be and needing to be adopted?

So I’ll throw this out to Dogsters. What do you think? Bark in!

Wedding Day Controversy

There’s some snapping and snarling among the animal community about a fund-raiser for the Memphis-Shelby County Humane Society last April where two giant schnauzers were wed in a lavish celebration.

The nuptials didn’t raise the hackles as much as the union’s production of nine puppies. Some people in the rescue community question how a group charged with taking care of unwanted and abused animals would do anything that in any way promoted breeding since so many animals are killed every year simply because they are homeless.

Good point. I wonder where the rest of you stand on this, especially in this age of limited resources and limited fund-raising dollars.

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It was one of those nights last night when you’re mind gets going and it occured to me that I’ve never really blogged about what I’ve learned from dogs, mine and others. So I’m going to start a short weekly (or so) post about that topic. It’s funny considering Haint, (the novel mentioned at the bottom on the right). The title character is Haint, named after a dog in my past. So you would think I would have done this sooner. But oh well…

Look at the REAL, not the illusion.

Dogs don’t have the greatest vision (nothing like ours and definitely not as good as your average hawk). We depend so much on sight but they don’t. They can’t. They use their other senses and spirits to look past the illusion, the outside, the REAL underneath.

So what has that taught me? It’s taught me to look below the surface to what lies below. It could be another human, a dog, a situation, whatever, but dogs don’t glance at someone and say to themselves, “That person has on nice khaki pants and a nice watch. I can trust them to be a good person.” Nope, dogs look beneath all that to the person below the $50 pants and the $30 haircut. They know its all window-dressing. What they want to know is who is this person?

Maybe it takes closing my eyes and just listening to the person’s voice or watching how they interact with the rest of the world (yes, I know that’s a seeing thing but it’s actually looking for clues, not just a surface scan of appearances.). Maybe it’s listening for a laugh at the right time. Whatever it takes to push myself past the sight level, that’s what the dogs have taught me.

Let me give you an example. A long time ago when I was much younger, I dated a guy who seemed nice enough. Polite, fairly attractive and intelligent. Oh and he bore a passing resemblance to the actor who played the original Luke Skywalker, Mark Hamill. Like every other straight female of my generation, that was one of the hallmarks of good looking. Everybody liked this guy, except Sam.

Sam was an amazing Weimaraner who my mother had rescued, sort of. He had been an alpha with a human family of oh, omegas, and had started running their house. To shorten the story, my mother took him and their bond was such that I doubt she ever felt the same way about another dog.

Sam met this guy I’m telling you about and he never threatened him (that would not have been allowed) but Sam made a point of sitting between me and the guy every chance he got. Any time he could, Sam tried to let me know how he felt. And he was right!

Later, the guy proved to be a total cad and Sam proved to be a great judge of character. But he didn’t see it on the surface. He looked below to see the REAL person and didn’t like what he saw. And by learning from Sam and the other dogs in my life, I hope I’ve become better at that kind of SEEING.

Thank you Sam!

Next week, another lesson I’ve learned from dogs.

We talk about dogs being “fear biters” but does it seem to you that maybe more humans are becoming “fear biters?” Unfortunately, they aren’t biting other humans, they’re hurting the ones who can’t really “bite” back — dogs, cats and other furred innocents.

I know we’ve always had more than enough inhumane and cruel humans to cause problems but as I travel around the country the one thing that stands out is the fear I see and hear expressed at all levels of American society. Whether its terrorists or bad politicians or scary weather or just whatever, there’s an awful lot more fear than I’ve ever seen in my forty+ years. Maybe it was this fearful a time briefly during the Cuban Missile crisis or even at periods during the 1960’s when the atom bomb seemed to hang over everyone’s heads. Much of that fear seaped into the popular culture.

Nowadays everyone seems so afraid of this or that. Sometimes the fear has moved so far into the groundwater of their souls that they aren’t even consciously aware of just how much fear rules their lives until it becomes a point of contention.

So why do I bring this up on the Dog Blog? Because although I don’t report it here, there has been what seems to be an increase in really crazy kinds of animal abuse. And not just in this country. It’s all over. I just wonder if the animal abuse is not another symptom that many of our social systems are out of whack. Maybe we need to rethink why our societies function the way that they do and maybe, just maybe, we need to rethink those same societies. Could it be that we need to rework our societies and our governments to make them more humane? Could it be that the inhumanity we see towards the weakest and most vulnerable — dogs and cats– is the fear biting that would be redirected towards other humans if given the chance?

If that’s the case, that as Randy Grim so aptly pointed out in his recent interview, we have to look for ways to help the most desperate of our human populations if we are to make life better for our canine and feline companions on this planet. We have to find a way to soothe the fear and help our fellow humans find avenues to move past the fears. We can’t be everywhere to stop the abuse but every time we help another human move past the fears, and the fear-biting, that rules their lives, we save a score of innocent dogs and cats from becoming victims.

How can we do this, prevent animal abuse by changing the world around us? I don’t have any easy answers. Do you have suggestions on how we as a group or individuals make our world less fearful? How can we change the future of children who are on the path to fear-biting and dog abuse? I know there isn’t one or two quick answers but if you have something to suggest bark it in. Who knows? Someone who can use it might be listening.