In Praise of Interspecies Harmony

 

Animals and People Change Each Other’s Lives

We Said That This Was The Last Time

Earlier this year our beloved border collie Bonnie died. She was an old girl with a long list of medical problems; it was time to let her rest. Knowing that is the right decision at the right time does not make it any easier. We take it hard when we lose a pet. Everyone grieves in their own way; for us time is a requirement. We think a lot about such a loss for many months.

Given that we have gone through this more times than one would wish over the years and our own advancing age, we decided this was the last time we would put ourselves in position to take such a loss.

Funny how plans take a hit from reality. This was not meant to be our last time with a pet after all.

Animals In Our Life

From our earliest days as a couple, we have always had pets. We received a puppy as a wedding gift. Over about the first half of our time together, we mostly had both dogs and cats together at the same time. In more recent years, we focused in on having just a dog. Along the way, there were a few intermittent periods with an aquarium. I should write about the fish sometime. They are amazingly fun to watch and have personalities like any other creature. But that is another story for another time. Today, let us speak of dogs.

As we decorated for the holidays this Winter, we were struck how much emptier it all seemed not having a curious dog help unpack all those decorations, not to have a stocking hung on the mantle for the dog, and not having a tree ornament with the dog’s image on it. Too much was missing. Maybe we could adopt one more dog after all.

The Search Was Launched

And so, we began outreach to rescue shelters locally and online. We found a couple that looked promising. One turned out to live in Maryland – a bit far for a meet and greet drive, and one was adopted the day before we contacted the shelter. Our loss, but always good news when a dog is rescued. The search continued.

Late one night last week we found someone that looked like a potential good match. She was in a Humane Society run shelter about an hour from our home and seemed to be a good match with what we hoped to find. So, off we went for a meet and greet. All three of us liked each other and so we adopted Remi. That is Remi’s picture at the start of this post.

She is listed as a labrador retriever and generally fits that look and personality. There seems to be a few extra, stray genes in the mix, so we have sent in a DNA swab to see what combination we have. By the way, there is a lot of evidence that mixed breed dogs tend to be healthier than pure breeds – the variety of genes gives extra protection. Fingers crossed for Remi.

Settling In With The Dog In The Family Effect

Remi seemed to have figured out she was with her new family right from the start. She happily said goodbye to the staff at the terrific facility where she had been living and easily jumped into our car. Upon arriving home, she set out to sniff every square inch of the house (same with the neighborhood over the following days).

As of this writing she has been with us for four days but seems like she has always been here. She is very playful and observant, already knows a lot of basic commands, and settled in for a good night’s sleep on the first day.  We are reminded that a dog is an amazing creature, one with intelligence and distinct personalities. As we get to know her, we are adapting some of our routines to better suit her and working on some skills and manners we would like to grow with her. It is a partnership in the best sense of the term.

The Effects Of Dogs On People

Not everyone, of course, is warm towards dogs, but most people are. It is fascinating to watch the effect of just a dog’s presence on people. They pet or rub the dog, and you can see the pleasure and relaxation on both the person and the dog. We had our Border Collie trained as a therapy dog and so got to see this wonderful interspecies effect often. It is a beautiful thing. Once Remi gets fully settled in and we know her personality more fully, we likely will let her work as a therapy dog as well.

Animals Can Make Us Happy – And Humble

I never cease to enjoy interaction with all the critters I encounter, but dogs surely lead the roster. It is no coincidence that my favorite hat is the one you see in my picture at the end of this post. If we are even minimally wise, we understand that animals in general, and dogs in particular, offer us a lot of wisdom in how live. They also remind us that we should be humble in our role as the dominant species on this planet. So many animals live well or not, depending on what people choose to do, to allow, to support.

Let us start the New Year with pledges to do right by the animals and to rejoice in the power of their examples and their acceptance of us. Ask yourself: if a dog could talk, would he call you a good boy/girl?  I hope so.

Now, go find an animal and do something nice for it.

Bill Clontz

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