In the Name of Love
Last week I splurged and bought all the kids new name tags from pettags4less.com. They arrived today in all of their multicolored splendor. As I attached the tags to each collar, it occurred to me that each of the five dogs in our current pack have only lived in this one place with us. The cabin has been their only residence since each of them has joined our family.
That's a weird feeling. Ten years ago when we moved to the cabin, we came with six dogs and four cats. (yes, we did have cats, too!) Over the course of the past decade, we lost each of those beloved pets. Five of them were ancient at 19 and 20 years old. As we lost some, we gained others…until we ended up with the complete pack turnover we have today.
That made me count back to figure out how many times each of our pets of the last twenty-six years had moved with us from one house to another. Tally was the most mobile, having moved nine times with me during the course of his life. Pippin had moved six times, Angee five, and Gypsy, four.
Our own statistics made me think about how many pets don't get that chance. About how many owners dump their pets when they move, citing reasons like "I can't have pets in my new place". About the increasing incidence of people just abandoning their pets in their empty homes when they move out. I don't know what's wrong with people. Do they think their abandoned pets can order-in pizza or turn on the faucet for water? Hundreds of pets die every week in homes where they were left behind.
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If we couldn't take our pets where we wanted to move, then we crossed that place off and we kept looking until we found a place that would let us have our pets.
People give up too easily, and it's the pets that suffer. Your pet would live in a refrigerator box with you, no questions, no criticism. If only people would aspire to that level of love and devotion.
In honor of all of the pets I have loved and lost, here is a special offer for readers of Up on the Woof. Click the link to the left to get a copy of my book: Born Without a Tail for $8.50. FREE SHIPPING. Supply is limited, so place your order today.
