Our prodigal basset hound, Morgan Dog, has returned.
The other day the front gate got left unlatched, so sometime in the evening Morgan escaped. Larry and I went driving all over town looking for her, to no avail. Fortunately, by the next morning, the beast was back, none the worse for her adventures.
Her brief absence gave me time to think about the role of pets in our lives, and to consider what it would have meant to me if she never came back.
Over the years when I was growing up, our family had all sorts of critters. In addition to the usual cats and dogs, our menagerie included a vile tempered donkey that once bit me on the leg, a couple of goats, a pony, some rabbits, chickens, various birds, three monkeys, a sheep and even a pig. We did not live on a farm, or even out in the country. We simply had a large enough yard to accommodate our ever changing cast of critters and indulgent parents who went along with our whims. This was long before zoning ordinances began forbidding having such animals in the middle of town.
I still remember the heartache I felt when Terpie (a little white dog) got hit by a car or the fear and worry we all went through when a later dog, Gulliver, got bit by a rattlesnake. (Gulliver survived, Terpie did not).
In one of the online classes I am currently teaching, “Sociology of the Family,” my students have been having a discussion as to whether or not pets should be considered as actual members of a family or as possessions of the family. They have had some interesting comments on both sides, talking about how much expense or sacrifice it is reasonable to make for an animal and why dogs may or may not deserve more grief at their passing than do goldfish.
I have no illusions that we “own” Morgan Dog. We participate in a relationship with this canine. We have accepted certain responsibilities for her wellbeing. I enjoy this animal immensely. But there are limits to the bond. I would have been sad, but not devastated had she disappeared for keeps. I’m willing to pay her vet bills and food bills and buy her the occasional squeaky toy. I would not, however, go into debt for thousands of dollars for elaborate medical procedures to prolong her life as I would for a child. Her first birthday is coming up on April 16 and while I will get her some special doggie treat, I doubt we will throw her a party or keep a photo album of the event. (although I know people who have done that too!)
What animals do you share your world with? What do you think it is reasonable to do or not do for them? What pets do you have special memories of from the past?
3 comments:
We currently serve three cats: Lou, Sam, and Millie. All are your basic domestic shorthairs. Millie and Sam are variations on the tabby theme. Lou is all black (well really she's mostly dark brown, with the ocassional random white hair, and some black in her coat as well). Sam is our old man, at about 10 years old, Lou is the old lady at around the same age. Millie is the youngun at about 7 years old. They all have very unique and distinct catanalities.
At our peak we served five cats, a rabbit, a turtle, and an ocassional chicken (when the high winds would blow it into our yard every few months). We can't imagine not sharing our lives with animal friends. Some of my greatest bonds have been with animals. We tend toward cats and rabbits ourselves. Dogs are great, but require a bit more maintenance. Cats and bunnies have very specific needs, but they are a bit more casual with scheduling the meeting of those needs. We had such a long procession of cats that we catered to in my family growing up that I can't even name them all probably. I have amazing memories of my childhood dog, Zera, and the cat who stuck with us the longest, Calcutta, but each animal that has shared time with me has made an immense contribution to my happiness and mental welfare. My bunny buddy, Buster, was probably the animal that I formed the strongest bond with though. I still miss him daily.
Good Lord Lynda! This could take a while to document!
We currently have:
3 canines - 2 Irish Wolfhounds, Ozma Liadan the most sensitive adoring dog ever, Gale forced Wynde who is as fine a speciman of the breed as you will ever see and as confident as Ozma is sensitive, one senior German Shephard named Jed that I rescued from the Cottonwood humane society about 8 yrs ago that still worries not very silently about the abuses he incurred before I found him.
3 Felines - Sammy, and old tortoise bitch that cast me aside like yesterday's news when Randy moved in, Pippin, a sweet calico that like to sleep curled up in my hair on the pillow behind me, and Farley, a gray mass of fur found in the middle of the road.
4 Equines - Inana Dee Bar Fly, my 21 y/o dun quarterhorse mare I got as a baby that became lame about 6 months ago and now lives as a pasture ornament and runs the show. Epic the burro, that was given to me by Don Goddard to keep Inana company when I took her of a ranch and she wasn't adjusting to being a single equine. Taylor (named for the cabin) a bay appendix Quarterhorse that will never grow up, and lastly LeRoi a grullo gelding I got recently when it became apparent that Inana's riding days were over, and the one one of the bunch that works as a kids horse.
Together they are a collective we refer to as "our nines".
There is no way to list all of the animals I have had over the years unless I take a week off to write this. Every one of them was family, every one of them is missed (admittedly some more than others) and every one of them left me enriched for sharing some space in time with them. I cannot be trusted not to take in any animal in need. Randy lives in fear and occassionly requires a no-puppy promise of something of the sort from me to reduce his anxiety. Those of you that attended Andy's wedding know that we are very committed to our 'kids' as we bought a camper simply so we could take them along on road trips. My dogs have been all over Arizona, Utah, Idaho, California, and the wolfhounds have even been to Ontario Canada and back, which is where Gale came from.
Growing up, my horses ate many boxes of spoiled apples from the Pendley homestead.
I will never live without animals in my life. It hurts so bad to lose one, but life without them would be empty indeed.
Chuck grew up in the city and never had any pets or animals. I, on the other hand, grew up having a dog and have always loved them. After some persuading, Dad (Chuck) gave in and we got our kids a dog when Scott was 8 and Jan was 9. However, we (the family) were not about to spend any "big" money to buy some animal! So me and the kids trotted off to the humaine society in Spokane where we purchased a cute little Beagle in 1978 for $7.50. We had a completely fenced back yard so we thought that would be ideal for a little dog. He had not been in the yard more than a few minutes when low and behold he ran and bounded up and over the chainlink fence by putting his paws in the links. He was off and away and down the street with Scott and Jan giving chase. We soon found that we had to keep him chained in the yard or he would continually run off.
This became a nuisance after a while but, what to do? - the kids had become attached to him and eventually even Chuck became attached to him as he had "personality plus" despite his wandering nature. We soon educated ourselves that Beagles follow their noses.
The kids named the pooch Sparky. There are numerous tales to tell of Sparky and how he would lay on Mom and Dad's bed on his back with his feet straight in the air taking a nap. No matter how quiet the kids tried to take the lid off the cookie jar to get a cookie, Sparky could hear it and come running for a bite. When we had ice cream we always set our bowls down for him to lick them out. (I know... some of you are saying Yuck!) And to this day, after we have steak and I'm getting ready to discard the bones I think, "Boy, Sparky would sure love this bone." And he's been gone for 23 years.
Because of his getting loose Chuck spent a lot of money and had a kennel built in the back yard in Spokane. When we moved to Wenatchee, Chuck spent MORE money to have another kennel built in the yard. So hundred of dollars were spent on kennels for the $7.50 Beagle!
When we worked in the yard we often kept him on a chain around us insted of in the kennel - so he could be with us. Sometimes we let him loose and he would stay with us, but more times than not he would take off and the kids would go after him - sometimes chasing him for miles. Sometimes we would just let him go and he would eventually come back on his own.
One eventful day in April 1983... we were working in the yard and I (Pat) unchained him. He took off. We let him go. A while later someone from up on the busy street near our house (Crawford) came and told us our dog had been hit by a car. The kids and I rushed to him, loaded him in the car and took him to the vet who told us there was no chance to save him so we had him put to sleep.
We all cried and cried. I especially felt bad as I was the one who had let him loose that day.
However, I have used this story of our dog as an analogy in teaching our teenagers and in teaching youth classes. The moral.... If the dog had stayed within the bounds of the yard, he could have been free to run around all he wanted without being restricted by the kennel or the chain. But, because he chose to exceed the bounds he put himself in danger and ended up being hit by the car.
So, if the kids stay within the rules of the family, etc. they will be given a lot more freedom to do what they like than if they break the rules and destroy their parental trust.
So, that's my doggie story.
Pat Butcherit
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