Critters

How many people in the United States have animal companions?  I can't even imagine such a number.  In my own home, I house 2 dogs (both rescued), a 19-year-old cockatiel, and 2 huge goldfish.  My husband and I often wonder how dull life would be without our critters to make us smile and laugh.  As I write, the two curs are passed out in their favorite afternoon sleeping spots - one on the couch, the other curled up in a leather chair with the throw artfully arranged around her body.  Makes me smile just to watch them sleep.

Nobody can tell me that animals are not sentient, thinking, self-aware beings.  It isn't hard to see, particularly with dogs and their soulful eyes.  So can someone explain to me why so many people think it is acceptable to abuse, injure, neglect, and otherwise harm them?  What kind of sociopath thinks such treatment can be condoned in a supposedly civilized society?  I know a few people who truly believe animals don't feel pain.  HUH?  I remember childhood playmates who thought it was fun to torture puppies, kittens, and wildlife.  Who are these people and where do they come from?  Why is animal abuse still tolerated?  Ah, someday when I am Queen....  :-)

In the 27 years I have lived in the same neighborhood, the culture has changed, and not for the better.  We are overrun with illegal aliens who have no intention of melting into the supposed American melting pot.  Seeing animals as replaceable, expendable objects is part of that new culture.  Dogs and cats are not vaccinated.  The incidence of feline HIV has gone up considerably.  Animals are not spayed or neutered.  In many cases, they are rarely fed on a regular basis, with the attitude that they are supposed to fend for themselves.  We now have roaming packs of feral dogs in the nearby federal reservoir, which was something unheard of until recent years.  Our shelters are bursting at the seams with more and more animals being euthanized.  Oh, a few new laws have been passed, but not nearly enough.  I am no fan of government regulation, but I would dearly love to see the backyard breeder put out of business, and animal abusers given more than a fine and a slap on the wrist.  Don't even get me started on the burgeoning dog-fighting pits now in operation.

Taking a pet into one's home demands the same kind of responsibility as having a child.  Domesticated animals depend on us for their survival.  They were not bred to sustain themselves in the wild.  They were bred to assist humans, and consequently depend on them.  If you can't afford basic veterinary care, you shouldn't have a pet.  They will get sick eventually, so how will you handle it when the bills mount up?  Simply put the animal down and go get another one?  What is your limit on the amount of money you will spend on pet care?  Will the animal be a part of your family, or an outside toy that will be ignored for years until it finally dies?  If you can't devote yourself to an animal in the same way you would your own child, you shouldn't have one.  

End of rant.  :-)