I’m actually allergic to dog dander, and bird dander. (the bird dander horror story will come later.) Whenever I visit someone who has a dog, the dog is as attracted to me as a paperclip is to a magnet. It’s as though the pheromones of terror are giving out “you can do anything you want to this one; she’s paralyzed with fear” and the dog is on me like that same dog on leftover pot roast. I do not find it cute when a dog humps my leg or drools on me. I would rather not have your dog in my lap, thank you. I have never met a dog that didn’t smell bad. Anklebiters that yip, yip, yip around my feet make me nervous. I do not find it amusing when your dog jumps into my car. I am simply not interested in having a large hairy animal in my house, nor am I interested in giving anything that doesn’t call me “Mommy” a bath. (Exceptions may be made for George Clooney, who is, I understand, a large hairy animal who likes to take baths.)
I would do all of those things for a child, but not for an animal. Now you know, and all of the PETA volunteers and dog-lovers can band together and throw eggs at my car.
I do love my cats. They’re loving and affectionate; when they jump on me I don’t fall down; they smell like. . . nothing; they’re independent and cocky; they come around when they feel like it and take off for the woods when they feel like it and I can’t hear them eating from every room in the house. They give themselves baths, and they poop only in designated areas. I can leave for a week and know the cats are fine in the house, with several bowls of dry food and a LOT of water at their disposal.
I know several people who dress their dogs in seasonal clothing and take them to a sitter every morning. To which I say, what a sissy dog! there are an awful lot of little children who have no proper seasonal clothing and who spend a lot of days alone because the family can’t afford a sitter. I have trouble rationalizing buying luxuries for an animal when there are children who are desperately in need.
The holiday season still has a week or so to go before it attacks us on all sides, but soon those big pet stores will be putting up their “mitten trees,” and while I adore my cats, I can not even imagine someone who would ask for a gift for a dog when there are children in need.
Yes, dogs are wonderful companions for the lonely and the elderly. Dogs are fantastic service animals. Dogs are loyal and loving and can pull your child out of the raging rapids. Dogs teach children about responsibility and caring for a living thing.
But as someone with very little money who loves to pull a mitten off the holiday Mitten Tree and make Christmas for a child in need, I will tell you up front that choosing between a dog and a child would not take more than, oh, a millionth of a second. A child needs mittens and warm socks and a dolly to love, far more than a dog needs a bag of expensive designer chow and those socks that keep the ice from forming between its toes and a chew toy.
And frankly, when I see those big pet stores put up those big Charity Trees for dogs, something in me kind of snaps. It’s nice to take good care of a dog, but, but. . . there are so many children who could use a helping hand out there, too. . . . And oh, if you paint your dog’s toenails, you’re nuts, plain and simple. “Best in Show” crazy.
I don’t think people who haven’t worked in schools can really grasp the extent of the need teachers see every day. As long as there are little children with no winter coat and shoes held together with tape and paper clips, charities should focus on them, not on a ‘nice china bowl for a small dog.’
But that’s just me. If somebody prefers to spend their money on knitted sweaters for sheared poodles, that’s certainly their own business.
And, naturally, anything a school or agency gives a child then belongs to that child. Period.
I deleted the rest of this post, which was just another rant about bad parents and innocent children who would greatly benefit from being removed from such homes, but you’ve all heard me go on and on about this subject before.
To sum up: I love cats. Your dog stinks. Some dogs are heroes. If you have money to spare this Christmas, spend it on a child, not a dog. Some people don’t deserve to have children. There are children in dire need every single day. I like animals, but not as much as children. Call your local school and ask if there is a child in need that you could sponsor. Take good care of your pets, but spend your excess money on a child. Pet your cats a lot. It’s hot outside; be sure your pets have plenty of fresh water. Please don’t let your dog jump on me; not everybody thinks his humping is cute.
Now I need to call my cats in, because it’s dark outside and I don’t want the dog packs to dine on another of my babies.
P.S. I haven’t seen “Mamma Mia” yet but the soundtrack cd is great.
My dog cured my son from his Aspergers. What more can I ask for? Sold. I am officially a dog person.
That said, one thing my two-year experience with my dog has taught me is that dogs do NOT need their needs put in front of the needs of humans. Dogs do NOT need cute clothes, nail polish, Christmas presents or birthday party. Dogs are here to serve, and thrive when given the opportunity to serve. A happy dog is a humble dog. (It’s right there in the Bible; little dogs eating crumbs that fall from the children’s table – it’s all true!) I agree that so many people these days have it all backwards in that regard.
You know you’re welcome to my house anytime, but I warn you, it may turn you into a big-time dog person. Everyone who met my dog now wants one just like him; except for one little boy who actually wants my dog for Christmas! (Needless to say he’s not getting the gift he wants, heh heh.) My dog is a very shy Sheltie, so he won’t drool or hump; he will probably run and hide, if anything.
Sorry, cannot say much about cats, Mr. Goldie is very allergic to them. I am sure they are magnificent animals, we’re just not allowed to have any, sorry!
My dog cured my son from his Aspergers. What more can I ask for? Sold. I am officially a dog person.
That said, one thing my two-year experience with my dog has taught me is that dogs do NOT need their needs put in front of the needs of humans. Dogs do NOT need cute clothes, nail polish, Christmas presents or birthday party. Dogs are here to serve, and thrive when given the opportunity to serve. A happy dog is a humble dog. (It’s right there in the Bible; little dogs eating crumbs that fall from the children’s table – it’s all true!) I agree that so many people these days have it all backwards in that regard.
You know you’re welcome to my house anytime, but I warn you, it may turn you into a big-time dog person. Everyone who met my dog now wants one just like him; except for one little boy who actually wants my dog for Christmas! (Needless to say he’s not getting the gift he wants, heh heh.) My dog is a very shy Sheltie, so he won’t drool or hump; he will probably run and hide, if anything.
Sorry, cannot say much about cats, Mr. Goldie is very allergic to them. I am sure they are magnificent animals, we’re just not allowed to have any, sorry!
I’m a dog lover, and not so into cats. I’m ‘owned’ by a Husky and a German Shepherd. I still agree with you about the humping/paw-prints/slobber thing. Both of my dogs are trained NOT to do that kind of thing unless given specific permission. (They also will go away, and lay down upon command, so people aren’t harassed by them.) It’s just good manners. I’ve often said that a well-trained dog is like a well trained two-year-old child – a joy to be around. The opposite is also true. A poorly trained dog is like a poorly trained child – everyone hates them, though they may be too polite to say so to your face! (The fact that most people don’t bother to train their little dogs is the main reason I *really* don’t like most dogs under about 45lbs. If it’s not cute in a 100lb dog, it’s not cute in a 10lb dog. Period.)
As for the excess re: dogs… not my thing. My dogs get some toys, because that’s part of taking proper care of them. They need the exercise and mental stimulation. They don’t get a whole lot of extras, and their clothing is limited to: ONE plain leather flat collar to hold their tags (per dog); ONE plain leather leash (per dog); ONE training collar (one per dog – prong because choke chains are not effective); a pulling harness (Husky); and a mesh muzzle (GSD – left over from when she was fear aggressive when I got her as an unsocialized rescue. She doesn’t need it anymore.) My charity money is generally split between the local kids who need it, and our local non-kill shelter.
After all, it’s not really the poor critter’s faults that they were dumped by jerks. (Also, especially in times of disaster, the abandoned animal population jumps b/c emergency shelters will NOT take in animals. I can understand why, but… kinda hard on the poor critters.)
I’m a dog lover, and not so into cats. I’m ‘owned’ by a Husky and a German Shepherd. I still agree with you about the humping/paw-prints/slobber thing. Both of my dogs are trained NOT to do that kind of thing unless given specific permission. (They also will go away, and lay down upon command, so people aren’t harassed by them.) It’s just good manners. I’ve often said that a well-trained dog is like a well trained two-year-old child – a joy to be around. The opposite is also true. A poorly trained dog is like a poorly trained child – everyone hates them, though they may be too polite to say so to your face! (The fact that most people don’t bother to train their little dogs is the main reason I *really* don’t like most dogs under about 45lbs. If it’s not cute in a 100lb dog, it’s not cute in a 10lb dog. Period.)
As for the excess re: dogs… not my thing. My dogs get some toys, because that’s part of taking proper care of them. They need the exercise and mental stimulation. They don’t get a whole lot of extras, and their clothing is limited to: ONE plain leather flat collar to hold their tags (per dog); ONE plain leather leash (per dog); ONE training collar (one per dog – prong because choke chains are not effective); a pulling harness (Husky); and a mesh muzzle (GSD – left over from when she was fear aggressive when I got her as an unsocialized rescue. She doesn’t need it anymore.) My charity money is generally split between the local kids who need it, and our local non-kill shelter.
After all, it’s not really the poor critter’s faults that they were dumped by jerks. (Also, especially in times of disaster, the abandoned animal population jumps b/c emergency shelters will NOT take in animals. I can understand why, but… kinda hard on the poor critters.)
I agree that children in need should be a priority in terms of giving – of energy both intellectual and physical, of money, of time – and I also believe that pets who have been rescued from abuse deserve our help, too. They are defenseless and unable to understand why their tummies ache from hunger and I enjoy donating a bag of kitty kibble to the charity bin once a month when I buy the same thing for my (very spoiled) cats. I realize that I am blessed with the ability to do this at a time when many people cannot afford food for their human families and, believe me, I am aware of how lucky I am. My donations to foster care charities are unaffected by the small amount I give to needy cats and I hope I never have to make a decision between the two.
p.s. The foster kids I work with love dropping the extra bag of cat food into the bin just as much as they do putting our change into the bin at the Jack in the Box drive-thru that goes toward funding adoption programs in San Diego. Our capacity for giving is developed (or not) at a very early age…I’m proud to be able to nurture it in these five kids.
I agree that children in need should be a priority in terms of giving – of energy both intellectual and physical, of money, of time – and I also believe that pets who have been rescued from abuse deserve our help, too. They are defenseless and unable to understand why their tummies ache from hunger and I enjoy donating a bag of kitty kibble to the charity bin once a month when I buy the same thing for my (very spoiled) cats. I realize that I am blessed with the ability to do this at a time when many people cannot afford food for their human families and, believe me, I am aware of how lucky I am. My donations to foster care charities are unaffected by the small amount I give to needy cats and I hope I never have to make a decision between the two.
p.s. The foster kids I work with love dropping the extra bag of cat food into the bin just as much as they do putting our change into the bin at the Jack in the Box drive-thru that goes toward funding adoption programs in San Diego. Our capacity for giving is developed (or not) at a very early age…I’m proud to be able to nurture it in these five kids.
I’m with you! I do not like dogs. Especially their paw prints and slobber smear on my slacks. Gross. I like cats, but I’m allergic to them. So, in general, I don’t like your pets. I might like your children, but again, I don’t like the slobber and “paw” prints so much–unless it’s from one of my darling nieces or grandbaby, and then it would be a welcomed initiation.
Yes, yes, yes to helping poor children in your communities before helping the poor animals! It’s kind of a no-brainer, isn’t it?
I’m with you! I do not like dogs. Especially their paw prints and slobber smear on my slacks. Gross. I like cats, but I’m allergic to them. So, in general, I don’t like your pets. I might like your children, but again, I don’t like the slobber and “paw” prints so much–unless it’s from one of my darling nieces or grandbaby, and then it would be a welcomed initiation.
Yes, yes, yes to helping poor children in your communities before helping the poor animals! It’s kind of a no-brainer, isn’t it?
I agree about the excesses: dogs are not children. Furthermore, they don’t need all sorts of fancy stuff.
However, as the owner of four beautiful canine creatures (all from the streets of the Bronx), I want to point out that they too are God’s creatures and should be treated as such.
Found you at Shrinkwrapped’s blogroll. Thought I’d have a look. This is my first and last visit here.
I agree about the excesses: dogs are not children. Furthermore, they don’t need all sorts of fancy stuff.
However, as the owner of four beautiful canine creatures (all from the streets of the Bronx), I want to point out that they too are God’s creatures and should be treated as such.
Found you at Shrinkwrapped’s blogroll. Thought I’d have a look. This is my first and last visit here.
I just returned from a vacation, and one of our stops was one of those little artsy (and wealthy) enclaves on the California coast. My son found a shop for very spoiled dogs–the place was bigger than our condo and stuffed to the gills with rhinestone-studded everything, handmade and decorated treats, etc. We joked that they probably had doggie life jackets, and guess what? I got a picture of my son holding a blue polka-dotted one. my thoughts were exactly the same as what you’ve written here.
Disgusting, the excess, when there are children in need.
I just returned from a vacation, and one of our stops was one of those little artsy (and wealthy) enclaves on the California coast. My son found a shop for very spoiled dogs–the place was bigger than our condo and stuffed to the gills with rhinestone-studded everything, handmade and decorated treats, etc. We joked that they probably had doggie life jackets, and guess what? I got a picture of my son holding a blue polka-dotted one. my thoughts were exactly the same as what you’ve written here.
Disgusting, the excess, when there are children in need.