Animal Guardianship

Mon, 20 Dec 2021 17:36:55 -0800

About 3 times a year I send money to different dog and cat rescue groups to pull dogs and cats from high kill shelters, especially those who are still gassing former pets to death. It’s pretty awful to see these once beloved animals turned over to shelters for such frivolous excuses as: “we just had a baby and don’t have time to care for our cat”, or “we are now working longer hours and it is a shame to crate our poor dog all day long”. The list of reasons for dumping pets is endless.

When you look into the eyes of these used up pets it’s obvious they are in great distress. Many cats are hiding in corners while dogs are cowering in corners. Others are jumping up and barking at every human that passes by their prison cell begging for attention and to be set free. These dogs and cats did nothing to deserve such blatant disrespect and lack of care from their previous owners. I use the word owner because that is all these animals were to most; simply property to be disposed of when no longer needed or wanted.

Many of these pets were obtained for birthday presents, Christmas gifts or just bought on a whim. I think it’s time that before anyone is allowed to take an animal into their home they should have to take a test and have a background check. Now I realize this seems unreasonable since shelters are over-flowing all year round and millions of healthy animals are killed every day, but too many animals are being abused and neglected due to irresponsible people adopting them. Many shelters are too eager to give these animals to people to make room for more strays, and throwaways.

I was recently at one of our own shelters and I noticed a beautiful female dog named Ella. I asked why she keeps getting returned. The volunteer I was talking with said this dog was so traumatized that they would be very particular to who she would go to the next time. Seems each time she was adopted out, she was brought back because those she went home with didn’t realize how much work and responsibility a dog was.

Why were they even allowed to adopt her in the first place? Animals are not inanimate objects devoid of feeling to be bounced around from home to home, often times ending up killed.

So I suggest people adopting any animal be made to take a written test and if they have animals provide vet records and references as well having an interview. This should not be difficult. I myself would be more than willing to submit to a test and bring records as well as references.

It’s just too easy to get a pet on a whim and dump that pet when tired of the responsibility. The same would go for pet stores (although it should be illegal for pet stores to sell animals) and we would finally see more guardians and less owners.

Animals in our homes should be considered family members and a life time comittment, given the love and care they deserve.

Animals in the Vernacular

Mon, 20 Dec 2021 17:36:55 -0800

While driving to work one day, out of frustration I heard myself say aloud to another driver “you’re driving like a turtle”, “move along little doggie”. It bothers me to drive slowly since there are many other places I prefer to be than in a car.

What bothered me more that day was that in one sentence I used animals as similies twice. It occurred to me how many times I have said: he works like a horse, who let the cat out of the bag, eats like a pig, like water off a duck’s back, he’s a little ham, scaredy cat, and feeling sheepish. Most of us have grown up with language that uses animals as analogies, similies and metaphors and have not given much notice to how demoralizing it is to use animals in a negative context.

Since I prefer animals to people, I thought it is about time I start to think before I speak. I used to sing a ditty that goes:

you can tell a man who boozes by the company he chooses, so the pig got up and slowly walked away

I think that is a compliment to the pig, but just the same inappropriate.

It’s alright to call a cowardly human a coward, but certainly not a weasel as I personally have done. My own brother, Kevin, who is deaf told me yesterday when I called him silly, that he is a wise owl. How many times have we heard that someone has a memory like an elephant or that a doting mother is like a mother hen? Is it okay to show animals such as a hen in a positive light when comparing her to a good human mother or praise an elephants memory? Last time I was with my granddaughter I accused her of having ants in her pants because she was showing impatience. When she was dressed up I said she was the cat’s meow.

I never realized how often I use animals while speaking until I made a concerted effort to censor my speech: sly as a fox, a slithering snake, a bird in the hand, dumb as an ox, smells a little fishy, stop beating a dead horse, silly goose, a horse of a different color, stubborn as a mule, on a wild goose chase, walking on eggs, and referring to animals crammed into trucks to be taken to slaughter as packed like sardines. There’s more than one way to skin a cat, takes the cake! I have not used all of these phrases, especially the last, but have used my share.

It is really amazing how conditioned many of us are and how difficult it can be to strive for change, even little changes. Alec Baldwin, who is a vegan and animal activist, had his phone message left for his daughter, calling her a selfish little piggy, smeared all over the world by the media and put on youtube. It seemed shocking to hear an activist refer to his daughter as a selfish piggy, but, I’m sure he did not think of what he was saying while speaking from frustration.

I don’t like profanity, vulgarity or slang, and I especially don’t like animals being referred to in a negative way. What’s the saying? “so soon we get old, so late we get smart”. I think that is appropriate, but better late than never.

Tricia on Towards Freedom

Animal Guardianship

Animals in the Vernacular