Subscribe Feed (RSS)Pet Pirates- The Scourge of the World
August 2nd, 2007 by admin | Filed under Uncategorized.Firstly let me define a Pet Pirate. This is someone we all know. This person takes a pet into their home for a variety of reasons, most of them bad, and nurtures the poor animal until either they tire of the novelty, or they need to do something else which cannot include the pet, or simply because they want a bigger, nicer, newer pet.
Most of my adult life I have had a pet of some description. Yet only once in my life have I actually managed to choose a pet for myself and even then I chose to adopt a cat from a rescue center. The rest of the time my animals have always been dumped on me by some other person.
I am not denying that sometimes the situation is out of one’s hands, and a painful decision has to be made, to find a pet an alternative home. This is sometimes an unavoidable problem and responsible pet owners take the courage to place their pets in suitable homes. I am referring here to those who randomly harbor poor creatures until some other amusement presents itself; Pet Pirates.
I woke one morning once to discover some ghastly man in my husband’s office had tied his discarded dog to a tree outside my back door with a note asking us to take care of him. This revolting man had asked us if we wanted a dog a few days earlier and we told him emphatically we did not. The man was being transferred to Dubai and needed to find a home for Fido or take him to the pound.
Poor old Fido remained in our house until he died some years later. He hated cats and we had two, yet Fido overcame his aversion to all things feline and tolerated them from day one, almost as if he knew his extended stay would depend upon his acceptance of other, longer term residents.
We have yet another discarded friend in our home now, his owners transferred to Australia and we agreed to have him when the person informed me that if I did not take him she would have him destroyed. I had never actually seen the dog.
When he arrived we were appalled at the dreadful condition he was in. He was the ugliest dog we had ever seen, his coat had been shorn almost to the skin (we found out later that this was a last ditch attempt to get rid of his fleas). He was a dirty grey color and his coat was wiry yet matted in patches. He had obviously not been neutered even though we had been assured that he had and he cringed in the corner as if he expected someone to clout him any moment. He had the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen in the face of any living creature.
We had him neutered, and in the process the vet informed us he had fleas inside and out and that if we wanted to keep him we would have to enter into a difficult program of treatment and after care. The pills he was given to kill his infestation nearly killed him too, but he did not die and we were able to begin getting his skin and coat into a clean and healthy state.
I lost the skin from my hands from the aggressive cleaning agent we were given to bath him with once a week and each time he was given his flea medication he collapsed on his bed for two days. Slowly he blossomed and began to look rather like an English sheepdog, part terrier and bi colored an interesting white and ginger. The parts of him that are white are brilliant white, and his legs are now properly coated with the right amount of hair. His coat is long, soft and luxuriant, he attracts attention wherever he goes and he has his own personal fan club of children near the beach where we take him for the occasional walk.
He no longer cringes; he barks his head off if anyone enters his garden without his express permission. He is a proud and beautiful animal, gentle, affectionate and loyal, and he bears no resemblance to the pathetic creature we offered shelter to, two years ago.
The vet would not believe he was the same dog; the change in him was so incredible over the two years. It is not difficult to see why people want to take home a puppy or a kitten, they are so cute and fluffy and amusing to watch. But please, please think long and hard before you decide to take in a dog or a cat. They are, after all, for life.
Jan Gamm writes reflections on life with an emphasis on world travel. She has lived in many countries and traveled extensively in the Far East, the Middle East, America, South America and throughout the South Pacific. She writes for fun and for money whenever she can manage it.
Tags: fido, kitten
