Our family has always had dogs and cats and I believe that our children are better men and woman because of those wonderful, loving little pets. As adults, with their own families, they own pets and spend considerable time with them as families, enjoying them and loving them. They are members of their families. When they are sick they take them to the doctor. When they pass away, they have funerals and bury them nearby while shedding crocodile tears. Our daughter’s family, at one time, had a rabbit, a hamster, a goldfish, a dog and a cat. Her youngest son said, “If we get one more animal we’ll be a farm.” When we are together as family: grandma, grandpa, mothers, fathers, kids, grandkids and, in some cases, great grand kids, we will often hear the word: “Do you remember when (one of our pets) did this or that?” We don’t forget the things we love and loved.
I was eleven years old (64 years ago) when I brought my first pet home. I remember him just as if it were yesterday. He was a sorry looking little mongrel, having been running around the streets of Spokane, Washington. He was dirty, hungry, scared and looking for love. I was just a little boy selling papers on the street corner after school and probably looked a little ragged, a little dirty, and I, too, was looking for love. We found each other and it was like we had known each other in the pre-existence, instant buddies. I named him ‘Jeep’ because it was during the second world war and I loved the army vehicle named Jeep. Actually, it was officially called a G.P.V. General Purpose Vehicle but the vehicle’s name was quickly shortened to Jeep. While doodling in school I was either drawing airplanes or army jeeps. Jeep and I slept together, ate together and everywhere we went, we went together. Yes, I had friends, but Jeep was my number one friend. I never put a leash on him, nor would I. After school was out, he would be there waiting for me, he would jump on me and then away we would go. Did I care if he had muddy feet or stunk, Heck No! In those days I don’t believe they even had pet stores; I never saw any. I never got a bath more than once a week, whether I needed it or not. If he was dirty and I didn’t care. I would pick him up and love him and he would lick me and together we had each other and that was all we needed. However, we would both be cleaner after a good rain storm. To me families are only partial families without a pet or two. The love from pets knows no bounds and everyone needs love. If family members don’t get enough love from parents or siblings, they know where they can get some more, that’s right, from a pet. There is love aplenty for everyone, when pets are around.