My Loves

By now most of you know how I love animals. I can't eat them, and I can't think about leather being from an animal. Eventually I'll get rid of all my leather stuff.  But I'm not writing to talk about the evils of killing for gluttony or luxury.  I'm writing about my love of animals.  Now, as it is, I have three dogs. I really don't want three dogs...but I can't see me not having three.  It's truly like having kids, in all respects.  However, animals are a little easier but not a whole lot less expensive.



 I am dog sitting for my little grand dog Luke.  Luke is a 6 pound miniature poodle who is 16, going on 17 years old.  He has  a strong heart, still can see a little, not sure how much he hears, but has teeth worse than anything I've ever seen.  I took him to the vet today to see what I could do.  I can't stand to see suffering. I mean the poor little guy has to be uncomfortable, to say the least.  I was ready to pay up to $300 to have all of his teeth and plaque removed.  When I received an estimate of almost a thousand dollars I could have cried.  How freakin' absurd is that?  I saw the bill broken down to each item.  It was insanely ridiculous.  I told her I could not not afford this, nor could I afford the blood test to see if he could live through the procedure.  After waiting for a long time, the vet came in again to tell me she could put him on antibiotics and some pain meds.  Well, thank you very much. That's what I did.

I've cleaned Luke up, wiped away the stickiness from his eyes, and trimmed his beard and eye hair, then brushed his teeth and cleaned his mouth. It was followed by a spray that would clean his mouth a little to take away the horrible smell the bacteria was causing.

The third dog I've recently acquired is on Prozac. He had a very traumatic experience; his owner of four years gave him away for whatever reason.  He barks incessantly and we had to do something. It was driving everyone near him nuts.  Of course you can't yell, "be quiet" or anything else. To do that is just as crazy as the barking. It just doesn't work.  He barks because of severe anxiety.  FINALLY scientists are figuring out from observations and testing what I've known all of my life; dogs are a lot more intelligent than humans have given them credit for. DUH!!!

So, the beautiful Australian Shepherd is on Prozac and a pill from the health food store called Quiet Moments.  Don't laugh!  It works.



Being a doggie momma is a whole lot like being a baby momma. The guilt, the insecurities, the quirks, the questions, the joy, the pain.  It's not easy.  But to know that I'm giving these dogs a lot of love and good life is about as rewarding as it gets.












 Where the hell did I get such a messianic complex?

I love these guys.





They are sweet, innocent and subject to humans crappy ways we treat them and the earth in general.  I wish I would have been so vigilant when I was younger. In those days, people were much more valued than animals. We, the people who loved animals as much as humans, were looked at as crazy, almost as blasphemous.  Whatever....In those days I wasn't as secure with myself and my values as I am now.  The stupid people I put up with was mind boggling.  However, I can only blame myself and the times back then.

I'm glad we've come this far, but we have a long way to go. Let's keep going.