Commentary by
Chris Clegg
On June 28, 1838 Queen Victoria was crowned at Westminster Abbey before 10,000 guests. Her first act after returning to Buckingham Palace was to have a bath. Not her but the dog!
You would think someone of such high esteem would get someone else to do the job! Gosh, she was likely surrounded by dozens of servants.
People become very attached to their pets and for good reason. Some dogs serve practical purposes such as protection, transportation (sled dogs), sheep herding, etc.
And not to forget the cat, despite objections from Snoopy of Peanuts cartoon fame! They mainly serve a valuable service in rodent control. Cats are credited with stopping the spread of the plague by hunting and killing rats. I will not go any further on this subject for fear the South Peace News office cat, Slink Panther, gets a swelled head!
Loyal pet owners have been known to will large amounts of money with strict instructions to care for their pets. Many times, they take priority in the will over family members such as sons and daughters. I assume the deceased owner figures Rover needs a bit of help to survive while the children can fend for themselves. He may not be wrong.
People buy pets of all kinds. Whether it’s an animal, bird, reptile or even insect, there is pet to suit everyone’s taste. Want a snake? You can get one! A ferret! Very popular! The list is endless!
Pets provide valuable companionship which benefit humans. Dogs have an incredible loyalty to their owners. Many dislike leaving their owner’s side, even for a few minutes. Many times, an inseparable bond forms between the dog and its owner.
Cats, however, are rather snobbish. They have the “Look at me! I’m wonderful! Cater to what I want and I want it now!” Snoopy hates their attitude!
Slink Panther is like that. Although he is armed with four paws of destruction, he lets the other two cats in the office to the mousing. He is kind of like a spoiled rich kid. “Let the other person do the manual labour! I’m much to special for that kind of work!”
Still, Slink Panther loves everyone. No matter how bad your day is going, you can pick him up and he becomes a purring machine. Very therapeutic character, that crazy feline!
It is a shame many pet owners abandon their pets. The cute and playful puppy or kitten quicky turns into a dog or a cat! The children may lose interest in taking care of their “best friend” and parents find them a new home by dropping them off in a rural setting. Many a farmer or acreage owner has found a new pet outside its door.
It is interesting and sad to hear how local governments deal with what they call a dog problem or cat problem. The fact is, it is a people problem. Calling the problem another name does not change the fact most of these animals were once pets, or descendants of pets. Once left to defend for themselves, they can become dangerous. We all know the stories.
In a perfect world, every pet owner would care for Rover or Mittens until death do them part. We live in a far from a perfect world so that is not going to happen. It’s too bad because pets are wonderful.
As far as Slink Panther is concerned, he is living the good life. Spoiled rotten and deserving of every bit of care he gets. If you doubt it, just ask him. He will tell in strict and precise terms he is worth it.
I am not sure he is wrong.