The newest victims of the nation’s foreclosure crisis are pets, which is extremely distressing to me. I love animals. I have 3 dogs myself – I actually have a kennel license in order to do so. I love them so much I couldn’t imagine my life without them. They are the first thing I think of when I wake up, the last thing before I go to bed.
Ralph’s fluffy black body lying next to my bed, sprawled out comfortably snoring on the fake mink bed I made for him. I made it white so that I wouldn’t step on him in the dark. He’s a big boy, and he snores all night, filling the bedroom with pleasing dog sounds and dog dreams. I can’t go to sleep until I hear his deeply drowsy final nightly sigh, the heaviness of sleep overtaking him. My middle girl dog, Bronwyn, curls up in a tight ball at the foot of the bed, looking like a Cinnabon fresh out of the oven, sweet and warm. Then there is my littlest one, Gudrun, my tiny Pomeranian-Chihuahua mix – or Pomchi for short. She sleeps right next to me. She really loves to find my warm spots, Knee back hollow, Tummy Lane, Underarm Pass. She finds the most heated areas and plops herself down for the night. Sometimes she is so tired from lengthy walks, playing with her brother and sister, chewing on her toys – such an intense life for such a little dog – she can’t even bring herself to find one of the warm spots. She just collapses where she is, tumbling down into dog slumber. My bedroom is a symphony of snoring – dog and human. There is no real conductor, and we all do solos. When the dogs have been playing a lot and not been bathed a lot, the whole room smells like Fritos. I love that corn chip dog paw smell. It is delicious and reassuring. It smells like love.
The thought of people abandoning their pets is a nightmare to me. I would’ve been one of those people in Hurricane Katrina refusing to leave my flooded house because they wouldn’t rescue my dogs along with me. I think it is really sad that when people lose their homes they kind of lose their minds too. I’m not trying to judge anyone. Financial hardship is overwhelming, but when we lose our love for our animals, we lose our humanity, which to me is a million times worse than losing our homes.
Can’t resist leaving another comment. 🙂
Cats smell lovely to me – warm and happy. Mmmmmm. And purring is such a beautiful sound. Our baby boy has one of the loudest motors around and just about anything sets it off.
I think my boyfriend and I are going to pass up the opportunity to work in Istanbul cos of our kiddens. There’d be quarantine issues trying to get them back into Australia and I wouldn’t dream of leaving them behind. Our angst confuses some people. 🙂
And just to complete the image of crazy cat woman: when we have both cats in bed with us, I call it a Kitten Kaboodle…. and it’s the best!!!
I TOTALLY know what you mean about the “Frito” doggy smell! I don’t have dogs anymore but I remember that nice smell all too well! I do have two cats, one very scaredy fat one (Maggie) who looks like 20 pounds of melted Snickers bars. And an orange one named Tobi-wan-kenobi who MUST lay his entire purring body on my neck while I’m sleeping. Plus he licks my neck constantly and furiously. I keep wondering if he’s going to vamp out like Dracula one of these days. Or suffocate me with his kitty belly. Such a sweetie.
I work for an animal shelter and Hurricane Katrina was terrible. We took in hundreds of Katrina dogs, even though we are in the Midwest. We had staff driving down to NOLA (and nearby) to pick up and take in whatever dogs they could find. Cats too, but they were harder to find. We reunited some with their owners but most couldn’t be reunited, sadly. But those who weren’t all got adopted!
I don’t understand why people leave animals behind (or give them to us) when they move. They always say “our new apartment doesn’t accept animals”. Well, there are a lot of inexpensive apartments that DO accept animals – if you really want to keep your pet, you can find one! I would NEVER leave my pets behind. No way.
Funny that you bring up the whole corn chip smell in doggy feet because I think human feet smells like that you when they have been wear shoes too long (not that I know from personal experience–haha!). I’m not sure about smelling like love, but in a weird sick twisted way I can see how that smell can be comforting if coming from someone (or dog(s)) you love. Hell, when I’m in love I look forward to dutchoven fromt he guy. It shows me they love me (wow, I think I might need help).
That’s lovely. Thanks very much. I love reading your prose.
I’ve always thought my dogs smell like peanuts. Dry-roasted ones. And every night, when the three of them and the one of me settle down for a night, I envy their contentment. And I’m proud to know that they are comfortable and unafraid and dreaming because I’ve helped secure that for them. And that makes me sleep well, every night. Makes me feel effective. Oh, they are Mike, Roger, and Emmet. Three jack russells on a mission to anyplace. While they snuffle and snore and shake their paws in a private run or chase, I feel infinitely reassured and calm and strong because they’re living/dreaming their selves under my protection. At least, that’s my delusion.
Best and warmest regards to you, Margaret.
ihate that people treat animals like commodities & dump them or turn them in to get ‘new’ puppies, etc… BUT …this Recession is actually a Depression for those of us in the lower-to-working classes (& below) >And when you lose your home or lease, there are FAR< FAR< FAR fewer places to live in and most of them do not allow pets. Especially if youre in debt, or had a bankruptcy, etc…youre choices aint that grand, so stop speaking from your fucking ivory towers about somethng you dont seem to know about. You gonna coop up 2 german shepards in a tiny tenement apt all day? And when they bark b/c theyre unsure & afraid & confused abt the new arraigments when youre gone & your neighbors complain & your landlord is threatenignt o throw you out…what then?? Theseare real hard choices that some people have to deal with , every fuvking day in american now.
Me? im deathly afraid that ill lose my job shortly, im living paycheck to paycheck, & then my house will follow… where do me & my dog go then? the im on the low-working end of the social strata right now, the only place for me to go further down is into a fucking crime ridden ghetto, complete with roaches & gunshots at night. walk my 15lb dog at all times of the day in that place? people have fuvking BARS on their doors & windows there.
Your blog is so informative … keep up the good work!!!!