Every now and then I find myself thinking that I am going to swear off dogs. I’ll see the three I currently have through to the end of their lives and then that’s it. No more dogs. This usually occurs when I am speeding to the emergency clinic, often after hours, a dog with a snout full of porcupine quills complaining in the backseat, or when I’m paying the bill for an ACL repair so my dog can continue to enjoy his romps in the woods, or when I’m sobbing myself to sleep grieving the loss of a special canine friend. Most recently I said it while I drove the dirt roads shouting for one of my dogs who took himself on a 6 hour walkabout. That’s it. Never again.
But it won’t happen. Sure I’d enjoy the freedom of leaving the house for days and not worrying about what to do about the dogs. I could buy one of those pretty down comforters and not worry about muddy paw prints and blood from a marrow bone destroying it. I might even have a retirement account that was actually a retirement account and not an emergency fund for dogs. But it won’t happen, I enjoy their company too much.
I may not always do enough for my dogs. Not enough time together, not enough play and training, not enough bones. What I have done is make a pledge to each of my dogs. The pledge I make to my own dogs is that I will try to give them a life worth living and when it’s ending I will do what I can to minimize any pain and suffering. To each of my foster dogs I pledge to find them a home as good or better than the home they are currently in, mine.
Do you make any pledges or promises to your dogs?
This post was written for Blog-a-thon 2011 to help raise money for homeless animals at the Nebraska Humane Society. Click here to donate! All donations are tax deductible and will be matched.
