Teach Your Children

What is your choice of a pet saying to the next generation?

I was recently in a Petsmart store picking up kibble, when a woman approached me about the dog who was shyly creeping alongside my left ankle. I explained to her that this was a rescued dog from a puppymill, and that he was unused to the bustle around him. "Oh", she replied, "we've had rescue dogs before. But my grandson wanted a puppy so we thought we'd get him a good dog this time." Off she went with the two year-old and a Golden Retriever puppy for which she had undoubtedly paid several hundred dollars. I fumed, knowing that this shallow woman's idea of animal's as trophies in conspicuous consumption land would likely be passed on to the empty-headed child she dragged alongside her. I decided then to try to design a web page that would make people think about what their choices regarding pets are saying to the next generation. One day we'll all be old. Many of us will have infirmities, some may be blind, some may not be as mobile as we had been in our youth. Will we have raised a sensitive, caring generation of humans who will still value us? Shouldn't that be our goal as a society?

Gandhi said we should judge a nation of people by the way they treat their animals. Jesus cautioned us, "what you do to the least of these, you do to me also".  Still, few people adopt animals in need. And almost no people adopt "special needs" pets. No - rather than adopt an animal who is "imperfect", they take their kids out and get them the "best money can buy".  The irony is, most of these parents haven't a clue how to select a well-bred puppy. They think the more it costs, the better it is.

On this site you will find a very special and wonderful minority. Truly, these are some exceptional parents. These parents chose to adopt a pet who would also be a teacher for their family. Each pet here was either elderly or handicapped in some way - certainly most people would have passed by them without a second thought. Yet these astute adopters saw an opportunity here for their children to learn that a dog in it's twilight years is just as deserving of unconditional love as a perfect puppy. Their fortunate children have learned that, not only does blindness NOT diminish the capacity for love, watching a blind dog maneuver is like watching a Jedi using the Force - marvelous and amazing! In no case was the pet these families chose the easiest option, so from this their children learned perseverance and commitment. Most importantly, all the folks here possess a level of compassion that I wish with all my heart were not so rare or remarkable.

Baby (Blind)

Baby came to IMR as a totally blind puppy. She had had a terrible life, being passed round from person to person and kept outdoors before she got lucky. The young lady who adopted Baby had never thought about adopting a blind dog but, to her credit, she was open to the idea. She asked her vet about it and he accurately informed her that he "doubted she'd be able to tell the difference".

Adopting a blind dog was a great experience for the whole family, said Chris. Especially fascinating was Baby's navigation system of ever-widening circles. Of course, once Baby learned her home layout, there was no need to circle her way around. Baby's new family adores her! She fits right in with all the kids and with two sighted dogs, too. Each time Chris and I talk, she tells me something new Baby has done or learned.