Is That Pawprints I See On Your Back?

It seems I have noticed an increase in the pet subject lately and it got me to thinking about how we view our pets in society today. Pets are no longer just tamed animals we play with and love on these days. More and more people are becoming just as emotionally attatched to their pets as we do a family member. So much so that insurance companies are beginning to offer pet health insurance, accident insurance and so on.

What I often wonder, though is whether or not we truly own our pets or if our pets own us? For example, do you make sure that you feed your pet before you sit down to eat? Do you have more pet beds scattered through your house to insure their comfort than you do comfortable surroundings for yourself? When you go to bed at night, do you position yourself around them once they are comfy so that you don't have to disturb them?

I am guilty and will be the first to admit that. I know there are many others and you know who you are but will you admit to it? Many think it shows weakness. In my opinion, it shows heart!

This hub will feature a few of the beloved animals that are in or have been in my life and the story behind each one. I would love to see other hubbers writing feature hubs on their animals and telling us their stories!

I will begin with Pete. He passed away in the summer of 2007 at the ripe old age of 16, which calculates to 112 human years! He was considered part of the family, not just by me, but by the entire family. He was half Pekingese and half Daschound, thus refered to as a peek-a-weenie. He was a very quiet, lovable guy that seemed to live to be with Mama and Daddy. He spent 6 years over-the-road in the big truck with us and dearly loved it.

He rarely ever barked at anything but was very protective when he needed to be, especially of children! He loved babies of any kind, be it human or animal. He once helped a mama cat raise a litter of kittens inside a walk-in closet! Every time she went outside to attend "business" he would go to the closet and snuggle up to the babies, keeping them warm and clean while she was away. He would even bathe them just like their mama. He was a total joy and we feel a part of our family is missing. We will remember him always!

Enter Mr. Pugs, or Pug as we call him. You guessed it! He is a full blood Pug and about as rotten as a year old tater in the sunshine! Not just by appearance sake but completely to the bone!

When he came into our lives, I did NOT want another animal at all. I told my husband that I would never find another dog that was as good as Pete. He had me as spoiled as I had him so I wasn't looking for another relationship to have to deal with the heartache of losing later.

Fortunately, God sees beyond our wants and attends to our needs. When we found Pug in the middle of a country road, we were afraid someone may come flying through and hit him. We picked him up so that we could get him back to his owner. We searched every house within miles. Nobody knew of him. We made phone calls to everyone even remotely close to the area and nobody even knew anyone that had one. We put up flyers all over town with our phone number, listed him on the radio lost and found show with our number. Nobody called.

It was as if Pug had been dropped from the Heavens for us to find and take in. For several months we tried and to no avail. We were stuck with him! Of course, by this time, he had began to grow on us like an unwanted fungus! It was as if he knew he was supposed to be there and was determined to make us fall in love with him whether we wanted to or not.

It was about 6 months later when Pete got ill and we knew we would not have him much longer. He did live another year and a half after he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure but the disease finally took control of his aging body. After he was buried (yes, we built him a casket and even bought a tombstone for his grave), Pug seemed to know how much of a void was in our lives and worked constantly to help ease our pain. While there is nothing that could ever replace Pete, Pug has been a blessing from God that has kept me from completely going insane. Now, he is our sole survivor and growing older day by day. I will cherish whatever time God allows us to be together!

Mya is an American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT). She was the very first Pit that I ever touched or even let myself get close to if I could prevent it! Yes, at one time, I WAS one of the haters! Not so much out of hatred of the animal but out of fear. I had heard all the horror stories that go along with the Pit breed and at that time, had done no research at all on my own to find the true facts behind the breed.

This is what makes Mya so special. She was the sole reason that I became more interested in truth than fear reports. She was fully grown when my daughter, Jenny and her husband, Chris, got her and was a very gentle and loving pet. She lived outside in her own pen and was very content. Shortly after they got Mya, we all moved in together. Jenny worked in retail at that time and Chris had shoulder surgery. My husband also worked so that left only me at home to take care of Chris and Mya.

The first time I entered the pen with her to feed her, I think she knew how terrified I was of her. But that only seemed to strengthen her determination to prove she was not a monster. When I started to walk toward the gate, she walked over to me, turned sideways with her ribcage against my legs and began to push me away from the gate. All the while, she was looking up at me with her loving eyes as if to say, "Just love me! I won't eat you!"

Finally, I gave in and slightly touched her on top of the head and it was at that point that she knew she had won her battle! Her tail started wagging and she got really excited and I started laughing at her. The more I laughed, the more I began to love and understand her. She is truly a master at winning people's hearts and mine was just one of the first! She is still with Jenny and Chris today and she knows she is Grammy and Paw's girl!

After several miscarriages and a lost litter, Mya had her last litter of puppies in which she had Rambo, or Bo as we call him. All of the other puppies had died from this litter so she ate them as animals do their sick and dying young. They were advised to get Bo away from her in case he was slightly ill. They did, so that left them having to raise Bo on a bottle. He was the most adorable creature you had ever seen! His tiny face was so wrinkled that we called him old man for several months.

Now, it is hard to think back to the time when this 100 lb block of solid muscle was ever so tiny and helpless! He is so spoiled it is just rediculous. And no, I had nothing to do with it! (If you believe that, I'll sell you a million dollar penny I have at home!) The only thing with Bo is the fact that when he is happy, we hurt! Yes, you read that right. See, they docked his ears but not his tail! That thing is like a steel rod and when he is happy, he will give you a whipping like your grandpa never had!

The next worse thing is the fact that, since we all lived together as he was growing up and it was nothing for him to stay in our lap all the time, he is no longer that tiny little wrinkle -faced pup that you could hold in one hand. However, Bo does not understand the concept that Grammy's lap did not grow with him! Now I find myself sitting with Bo in my lap as I am trying to look around this huge white wall in front of my face! The thing is, I wouldn't have it any other way!

I will leave it at this for now. These are some of the most important D-O-G-S that have entered into my life. Please do not let any of them hear you say that word as none of them have a clue as to the fact that they are of this species. They are all under the impression that they are simply humans that happened to be born with four legs and I would prefer to keep it that way. After all, humans rarely hike on the furniture where this species may if they have reason to be upset!

So who leaves pawprints on your heart? As you can see, I have pawprints on my back, front, side and underneath so the heart is not protected territory!