long but IMHO well worth the read

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Posted by Ig Chick on June 01, 2001 at 01:22:19:

Hi guys! First let me apologize for the length of this post. It's not often that I share such deep thoughts here on the Net. I just feel compelled tonight.

As many of you know, Mr D and I recently adopted a puppy from the local pound. Not unlike most of the iguanas we share our home with, Jack (the dog), was homeless, he actually followed my neighbor home from school one day. He sat at the pound for 7 days where they treated him for a severe case of worms, ear mites and malnutrition ... no one called to claim him. That turned out great for us as we fell in love with him the minute we laid eyes on him but it got me to wondering ... Jack is a great dog, he is a Jack Russel Terrier mix -predominantly JRT, which is not a cheap dog, even when a mix. Sure he has done some naughty things (like snag a 9x13 Pyrex (glass) pan of fresh cornbread off the table and eat 3/4 of it -I didn't know whether to be mad or proud -he somehow managed NOT to break the pan while getting it from the table to the floor lol) but he is a puppy and that is to be expected. I just can't fathom someone not missing this adorable little guy and suffering some degree of heartbreak from his absense.

Lately I have noticed another boom of people buying juvie iguanas or thinking about adding a second to their home -I have noticed this boom predominantly in the under 21 crowd. It has made my heart heavy because no matter how well intentioned these purchases might be, most of us know the sad reality that the majority of these aniamls will meet with a bad end, whether it be death from improper care or neglect, euthanasia, being released into the wild or being shuffled off to a rescue or foster home if the iguana in question is lucky. Sometimes I just sit at our computer in quiet astonishment as I reflect on our own green family and the places they have come from, it truely makes my heart ache that I know for every one iguana we, or others like us take in, hundreds more go uncared for.

So, earlier today, after Jack had eatten the buttons off of my favorite $75.00 shirt that I stuipdly left on the kitchen table for less than 2 minutes, I decided that I needed a time out. I had yelled at him, scareing the heck out of him and I felt like a big you know what. My day had just not been going well, Jimmie escaped from her house, Mel is still cranky from not feeling good and letting me know about it every chance she gets -my arms were raw and bloody with her claw marks ..... I sat down at the computer and jumped on the dog message forum I participate on thinking I would find a light chuckle.... the following is what I found.......

*****************************************
A man in Grand Rapids, Michigan took out a $7000 full page ad in the paper to present the following essay to the people of our community. It really touched my heart and I hope it will yours too.

HOW COULD YOU?
by Jim Willis 2001

When I was a puppy, I entertained you with my antics and made you laugh.You called me your child, and despite a number of chewed shoes and a coupleof murdered throw pillows, I became your best friend.Whenever I was "bad," you'd shake your finger at me and ask "How could you?"- but then you'd relent, and roll me over for a bellyrub.

My housebreaking took a little longer than expected, because you were terribly busy, but we worked on that together. I remember those nights of nuzzling you in bed and listening to your confidences and secret dreams, and I believed that life could not be any more perfect.We went for long walks and runs in the park, car rides, stops for ice cream (I only got the cone because "ice cream is bad for dogs," you said), and I took long naps in the sun waiting for you to come home at the end of the day.

Gradually, you began spending more time at work and on your career, and more time searching for a human mate. I waited for you patiently, comforted you through heartbreaks and disappointments, never chided you about bad decisions, and romped with glee at your homecomings, and when you fell in love.

She, now your wife, is not a "dog person" - still I welcomed her into our home, tried to show her affection, and obeyed her. I was happy because you were happy.

Then the human babies came along and I shared your excitement. I was fascinated by their pinkness, how they smelled, and I wanted to mother them, too. Only she and you worried that I might hurt them, and I spent most of my time banished to another room, or to a dog crate. Oh, how I wanted to love them, but I became a "prisoner of love."

As they began to grow, I became their friend. They clung to my fur and pulled themselves up on wobbly legs, poked fingers in my eyes, investigated my ears, and gave me kisses on my nose. I loved everything about them and their touch - because your touch was now so infrequent - and I would have defended them with my life if need be. I would sneak into their beds and listen to their worries and secret dreams, and together we waited for the sound of your car in the driveway.

There had been a time, when others asked you if you had a dog, that you produced a photo of me from your wallet and told them stories about me. These past few years, you just answered "yes" and changed the subject. I had gone from being "your dog" to "just a dog,"and you resented every expenditure on my behalf.

Now, you have a new career opportunity in another city, and you and they will be moving to an apartment that does not allow pets. You've made the right decision for your "family," but there was a time when I was your only family. I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the animal shelter. It smelled of dogs and cats, of fear, of hopelessness. You filled out the paperwork and said "I know you will find a good home for her." They shrugged and gave you a pained look. They understand the realities facing a middle-aged dog, even one with "papers." You had to pry your son's fingers loose from my collar as he screamed "No, Daddy! Please don't let them take my dog!" And I worried for him, and what lessons you had just taught him about friendship and loyalty, about love and responsibility, and about respect for all life. You gave me a goodbye pat on the head, avoided my eyes, and politely refused to take my collar and leash with you. You had a deadline to meet and now I have one, too. After you left, the two nice ladies said you probably knew about your upcoming move months ago and made no attempt to find me another good home.
They shook their heads and asked "How could you?"

They are as attentive to us here in the shelter as their busy schedules allow.

They feed us, of course, but I lost my appetite days ago.

At first, whenever anyone passed my pen, I rushed to the front, hoping it was you - that you had changed your mind - that this was all a bad dream...or I hoped it would at least be someone who cared, anyone who might save me. When I realized I could not compete with the frolicking for attention of happy puppies, oblivious to their own fate,I retreated to a far corner and waited.

I heard her footsteps as she came for me at the end of the day, and I padded along the aisle after her to a separate room. A blissfully quiet room. She placed me on the table and rubbed my ears, and told me not to worry. My heart pounded in anticipation of what was to come, but there was also a sense of relief. The prisoner of love had run out of days. As is my nature, I was more concerned about her.
The burden which she bears weighs heavily on her, and I know that, the same way I knew your every mood. She gently placed a tourniquet around my foreleg as a tear ran down her cheek. I licked her hand in the same way I used to comfort you so many years ago.
She expertly slid the hypodermic needle into my vein. As I felt the sting and the cool liquid coursing through my body, I lay down sleepily, looked into her kind eyes and murmured "How could you?"
Perhaps because she understood my dogspeak, she said "I'm so sorry." She hugged me, and hurriedly explained it was her job to make sure I went to a better place, where I wouldn't be ignored or abused or abandoned, or have to fend for myself - a place of love and light so very different from this earthly place. And with my last bit of energy, I tried to convey to her with a thump of my tail that my "How could you?" was not directed at her. It was you, My Beloved Master, I was thinking of. I will think of you and wait for you forever.
May everyone in your life continue to show you so much loyalty.

The End

A note from the author:
If "How Could You?" brought tears to your eyes as you read it, as it did to mine as I wrote it, it is because it is the composite story of the millions of formerly owned pets who die each year in Americaan and Canadian animal shelters. Anyone is welcome to distribute the essay for a non-commercial purpose, as long as it is properly attributed with the copyright notice.
Please use it to help educate, on your websites, in newsletters, on animal shelter and vet office bulletin boards. Tell the public that the decision to add a pet to the family is an important one for life, that animals deserve our love and sensible care, that finding another appropriate home for your animal is your responsibility and any local humane society or animal welfare league can offer
you good advice, and that all life is precious. Please do your part to stop the killing, and encourage all spay & neuter campaigns in order to prevent unwanted animals.
******************************

Needless to say, I spent the next hour or so in tears and just as I thought I had gotten my act together, in comes Jack who puts his paws on my lap and licks my face... the tears came all over again. I looked around our office, Dharma in her house, Robin in his/hers -turned to the kitchen to see Jimmie, our one eyed wonder contemplating her next escape, she's come such a long way from the frail little iggy that tailwhipped everyone to the warm, wonderful family member she is today and it really hit me ... even though the essay had been written with warm and fuzzy critters in mind, it really applies to animals being sold as pets. I wish someone had or would write something similar about our green friends, something to try to make people see that these animals are not disposable. These are living creatures and should be treated with the utmost respect and care. We, as the humans who bring them into our homes, are responcible for their care and wellbeing. They can not be left in some corner and be expected to thrive. They deserve more than that.

I know that many times there are people on the forums who become irritated by those of us who "preach" responcibility. I understand that not everyone may share my feelings or commitment towards the preservation of life, but I must admitt that it irks me when people make light of the responcibility it is to care for another living creature, whether it be warm and fuzzy or green and scaley.

I implore those of you who don't see the wisdom in "preaching" responcibilty, adoption over purchase and those of us who try to disuade younger children from purchasing exotics as pets, to re-read the above essay and then take a trip to your local animal shelter. Talk to the people there, ask them just how many reptile calls they get a month, how many they have been forced to turn away because their is no facility and no availalbe foster homes, how many they have had to euthanise for the same reasons when the owner decides they are no longer a beloved pet and now a burden. I have a feeling that it might give you a better understanding of where I and others like me are comming from.

I'll wrap this up. Again, sorry for the length. Thank you for giving me your time and indulging me tonight.

I.C.

The Iguana Spot

Follow Ups:

Runs for the tissue box Tmom 06/02/01 (0)
No mascara left after reading that! Diana 06/01/01 (0)
Re: long but IMHO well worth the read Tif 06/01/01 (0)
Re: long but IMHO well worth the read Donna 06/01/01 (0)
sheesh! xta 06/01/01 (0)
Where are the tissues? Samcin 06/01/01 (0)

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: Hi guys! First let me apologize for the length of this post. It's not often that I share such deep thoughts here on the Net. I just feel compelled tonight. : As many of you know, Mr D and I recently adopted a puppy from the local pound. Not unlike most of the iguanas we share our home with, Jack (the dog), was homeless, he actually followed my neighbor home from school one day. He sat at the pound for 7 days where they treated him for a severe case of worms, ear mites and malnutrition ... no one called to claim him. That turned out great for us as we fell in love with him the minute we laid eyes on him but it got me to wondering ... Jack is a great dog, he is a Jack Russel Terrier mix -predominantly JRT, which is not a cheap dog, even when a mix. Sure he has done some naughty things (like snag a 9x13 Pyrex (glass) pan of fresh cornbread off the table and eat 3/4 of it -I didn't know whether to be mad or proud -he somehow managed NOT to break the pan while getting it from the table to the floor lol) but he is a puppy and that is to be expected. I just can't fathom someone not missing this adorable little guy and suffering some degree of heartbreak from his absense. : Lately I have noticed another boom of people buying juvie iguanas or thinking about adding a second to their home -I have noticed this boom predominantly in the under 21 crowd. It has made my heart heavy because no matter how well intentioned these purchases might be, most of us know the sad reality that the majority of these aniamls will meet with a bad end, whether it be death from improper care or neglect, euthanasia, being released into the wild or being shuffled off to a rescue or foster home if the iguana in question is lucky. Sometimes I just sit at our computer in quiet astonishment as I reflect on our own green family and the places they have come from, it truely makes my heart ache that I know for every one iguana we, or others like us take in, hundreds more go uncared for. : So, earlier today, after Jack had eatten the buttons off of my favorite $75.00 shirt that I stuipdly left on the kitchen table for less than 2 minutes, I decided that I needed a time out. I had yelled at him, scareing the heck out of him and I felt like a big you know what. My day had just not been going well, Jimmie escaped from her house, Mel is still cranky from not feeling good and letting me know about it every chance she gets -my arms were raw and bloody with her claw marks ..... I sat down at the computer and jumped on the dog message forum I participate on thinking I would find a light chuckle.... the following is what I found....... : ***************************************** : A man in Grand Rapids, Michigan took out a $7000 full page ad in the paper to present the following essay to the people of our community. It really touched my heart and I hope it will yours too. : HOW COULD YOU? : by Jim Willis 2001 : When I was a puppy, I entertained you with my antics and made you laugh.You called me your child, and despite a number of chewed shoes and a coupleof murdered throw pillows, I became your best friend.Whenever I was "bad," you'd shake your finger at me and ask "How could you?"- but then you'd relent, and roll me over for a bellyrub. : My housebreaking took a little longer than expected, because you were terribly busy, but we worked on that together. I remember those nights of nuzzling you in bed and listening to your confidences and secret dreams, and I believed that life could not be any more perfect.We went for long walks and runs in the park, car rides, stops for ice cream (I only got the cone because "ice cream is bad for dogs," you said), and I took long naps in the sun waiting for you to come home at the end of the day. : Gradually, you began spending more time at work and on your career, and more time searching for a human mate. I waited for you patiently, comforted you through heartbreaks and disappointments, never chided you about bad decisions, and romped with glee at your homecomings, and when you fell in love. : She, now your wife, is not a "dog person" - still I welcomed her into our home, tried to show her affection, and obeyed her. I was happy because you were happy. : Then the human babies came along and I shared your excitement. I was fascinated by their pinkness, how they smelled, and I wanted to mother them, too. Only she and you worried that I might hurt them, and I spent most of my time banished to another room, or to a dog crate. Oh, how I wanted to love them, but I became a "prisoner of love." : As they began to grow, I became their friend. They clung to my fur and pulled themselves up on wobbly legs, poked fingers in my eyes, investigated my ears, and gave me kisses on my nose. I loved everything about them and their touch - because your touch was now so infrequent - and I would have defended them with my life if need be. I would sneak into their beds and listen to their worries and secret dreams, and together we waited for the sound of your car in the driveway. : There had been a time, when others asked you if you had a dog, that you produced a photo of me from your wallet and told them stories about me. These past few years, you just answered "yes" and changed the subject. I had gone from being "your dog" to "just a dog,"and you resented every expenditure on my behalf. : Now, you have a new career opportunity in another city, and you and they will be moving to an apartment that does not allow pets. You've made the right decision for your "family," but there was a time when I was your only family. I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the animal shelter. It smelled of dogs and cats, of fear, of hopelessness. You filled out the paperwork and said "I know you will find a good home for her." They shrugged and gave you a pained look. They understand the realities facing a middle-aged dog, even one with "papers." You had to pry your son's fingers loose from my collar as he screamed "No, Daddy! Please don't let them take my dog!" And I worried for him, and what lessons you had just taught him about friendship and loyalty, about love and responsibility, and about respect for all life. You gave me a goodbye pat on the head, avoided my eyes, and politely refused to take my collar and leash with you. You had a deadline to meet and now I have one, too. After you left, the two nice ladies said you probably knew about your upcoming move months ago and made no attempt to find me another good home. : They shook their heads and asked "How could you?" : They are as attentive to us here in the shelter as their busy schedules allow. : They feed us, of course, but I lost my appetite days ago. : At first, whenever anyone passed my pen, I rushed to the front, hoping it was you - that you had changed your mind - that this was all a bad dream...or I hoped it would at least be someone who cared, anyone who might save me. When I realized I could not compete with the frolicking for attention of happy puppies, oblivious to their own fate,I retreated to a far corner and waited. : I heard her footsteps as she came for me at the end of the day, and I padded along the aisle after her to a separate room. A blissfully quiet room. She placed me on the table and rubbed my ears, and told me not to worry. My heart pounded in anticipation of what was to come, but there was also a sense of relief. The prisoner of love had run out of days. As is my nature, I was more concerned about her. : The burden which she bears weighs heavily on her, and I know that, the same way I knew your every mood. She gently placed a tourniquet around my foreleg as a tear ran down her cheek. I licked her hand in the same way I used to comfort you so many years ago. : She expertly slid the hypodermic needle into my vein. As I felt the sting and the cool liquid coursing through my body, I lay down sleepily, looked into her kind eyes and murmured "How could you?" : Perhaps because she understood my dogspeak, she said "I'm so sorry." She hugged me, and hurriedly explained it was her job to make sure I went to a better place, where I wouldn't be ignored or abused or abandoned, or have to fend for myself - a place of love and light so very different from this earthly place. And with my last bit of energy, I tried to convey to her with a thump of my tail that my "How could you?" was not directed at her. It was you, My Beloved Master, I was thinking of. I will think of you and wait for you forever. : May everyone in your life continue to show you so much loyalty. : The End : A note from the author: : If "How Could You?" brought tears to your eyes as you read it, as it did to mine as I wrote it, it is because it is the composite story of the millions of formerly owned pets who die each year in Americaan and Canadian animal shelters. Anyone is welcome to distribute the essay for a non-commercial purpose, as long as it is properly attributed with the copyright notice. : Please use it to help educate, on your websites, in newsletters, on animal shelter and vet office bulletin boards. Tell the public that the decision to add a pet to the family is an important one for life, that animals deserve our love and sensible care, that finding another appropriate home for your animal is your responsibility and any local humane society or animal welfare league can offer : you good advice, and that all life is precious. Please do your part to stop the killing, and encourage all spay & neuter campaigns in order to prevent unwanted animals. : ****************************** : Needless to say, I spent the next hour or so in tears and just as I thought I had gotten my act together, in comes Jack who puts his paws on my lap and licks my face... the tears came all over again. I looked around our office, Dharma in her house, Robin in his/hers -turned to the kitchen to see Jimmie, our one eyed wonder contemplating her next escape, she's come such a long way from the frail little iggy that tailwhipped everyone to the warm, wonderful family member she is today and it really hit me ... even though the essay had been written with warm and fuzzy critters in mind, it really applies to animals being sold as pets. I wish someone had or would write something similar about our green friends, something to try to make people see that these animals are not disposable. These are living creatures and should be treated with the utmost respect and care. We, as the humans who bring them into our homes, are responcible for their care and wellbeing. They can not be left in some corner and be expected to thrive. They deserve more than that. : I know that many times there are people on the forums who become irritated by those of us who "preach" responcibility. I understand that not everyone may share my feelings or commitment towards the preservation of life, but I must admitt that it irks me when people make light of the responcibility it is to care for another living creature, whether it be warm and fuzzy or green and scaley. : I implore those of you who don't see the wisdom in "preaching" responcibilty, adoption over purchase and those of us who try to disuade younger children from purchasing exotics as pets, to re-read the above essay and then take a trip to your local animal shelter. Talk to the people there, ask them just how many reptile calls they get a month, how many they have been forced to turn away because their is no facility and no availalbe foster homes, how many they have had to euthanise for the same reasons when the owner decides they are no longer a beloved pet and now a burden. I have a feeling that it might give you a better understanding of where I and others like me are comming from. : I'll wrap this up. Again, sorry for the length. Thank you for giving me your time and indulging me tonight. : I.C.

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