Recently I got to pet sit for a friend. I used to have pets, two cats, a brother and sister, Bonnie and Clyde. Unfortunately, both of them have been gone for a long time. I never realized what pets do for their owners until they were both gone. They add so much to our lives. Yes, some of them smell and shed and they get sick, costing thousands of dollars. But pets are always waiting for us to pay attention, and to love. I have read stories about animals that could smell cancer, sniff out bombs and even find lost people. I have heard people have conversations with their pets as though they could understand and answer them. Pets give us something that we are missing in our lives and allow us to enjoy them. Some of us need them to help us throughout our lives while others just want them. They add compassion and empathy but most of all love. They make us laugh and cry and fill up our phones with pictures. Whether they are service dogs, therapy dogs, or just a pet they are part of our family.
Bonniekins
Bonnie was my protector. Mom tells me a story about the day that I was born and it always includes Bonnie. When mom was in labor and she didn’t realize it, Bonnie would run up and down the stairs. First checking on mom then checking on dad, trying to figure out why he was in bed. She kept mom company while she talked to the doctors. When I came home from the hospital Bonnie watched over me and sometimes even slept with me. She would come running if she heard me crying. Bonnie would come when the treat can was shaken and loved to chase ladybugs. I loved Bonnie!
The family of pets
Everyone in my family except Nana and me has pets. They range from big bundles of goofy love to small weiner dogs in wheelchairs. Rabbits, chickens, dogs, cats, hamsters. gerbils and some fish. A whole menagerie of animals. No matter what the size they all offered the same thing. Unconditional love. Protection from the unknown. Keeper of secrets and ask for little in return. They enhance our lives more than we realize. Below are several photos of pets, some have passed on and some are still here. I am sure if given the chance this entire page would be filled with photos.
Gallery of pets from my family.
Comet toots
When I was little, my mom would take me out of my chair and put me on the floor so I could rub my aunt's dog's bellies. She had lots of dogs, this story is about her black lab, Comet. One day while I was on the floor patting his belly, he decided to let one rip. It smelt like meatballs. That's because my aunt put meatballs in his bowl along with his food for dinner that night. The meatball smell lingered with me for what seemed like weeks, I went to school and it was with me as it had somehow become embedded in my clothes. I had this pink fuzzy jacket that I wore everywhere and all I could smell were meatballs. There was no question the dog had passed gas and was the blame for that awful odor. We still laugh about it to this day.
Jetta saves me from mom
Then there was Jetta, the lovble rotwieller. Jetta was my protector. When I would go to Aunt Candi's house we would sleep on a blowup mattress in her living room. One morning after we woke up, mom needed to get me up off the bed and dressed. I know this may sound harsh but I assure you it isn't. To move me from the center of the bed mom grabs my legs and pulls, scoots, and maneuvers me so that my legs dangled off the side. Apparently, Jetta thought I was in danger and jumped up on the bed. She positioned herself between mom and my legs. We had to get Aunt Candi to move Jetta. I know she was protecting me, we were buddies.
Sounds like a pig
Pets give us unconditional love. They listen to our problems and don’t try to fix things. They love us just the way we are. They comfort us, they play with us and they take the blame for things they didn’t do. I go back to my pet sitting. Chase stayed with us for an extended period of time. He found comfort in my room and was always underfoot. He loved chasing the squirrels in the backyard and playing with his toy sheep that squeaked like a pig.
Video of Chase, chasing the sheep that sounds like a pig
Who tooted?
Everybody at one time or another wants to blame their animals or somebody else for their toots. Animals are the easiest ones to blame because they can't talk back or defend themselves. I tell you this story because instead of it being the dog's fault this time, it was actually my fault I could have blamed the dog but I didn't. Chase stay with us while Lisa went away. While he was staying with us, he would lie on the floor next to my bed while my mom and I watched TV every night.
Blame the dog
One night I had let one rip and it smelled pretty bad but the blanket was covering the smell. Mom noticed the odor first. She said, "Ewww, what is that smell? Who tooted? the dog?" I said "I don't know" Then the guilt got me, I said "mom I've got to tell you something" and she said "what?" "It wasn't the dog”. Mom said to me, "Allison the one time you could have blamed the dog and you didn’t.” I knew though all too well the truth would have been revealed when she ruffed the sheets
Any time animals are around, just blame it on them because they are smelly, stinky, and probably sleeping, to begin with. So next time animals are around and you happen to let one rip, don't make the same mistake I did, let the dog/cat/chicken take the blame and smile to yourself and let it be your little secret.
Thank you for reading until the end!
This is the view from my wheelchair, where miracles can make a difference. Always Strive for the Impossible. Come back next week to see what One Thing I would change and hear more about my experiences and The View From My Wheelchair.