This past week I was pondering what I should write about and hopefully entertain you a bit when my favorite subject came to mind. If you don’t like animals, this is not a story for you. What I do enjoy most is animals. I’ve never seen an animal lie be unkind or gossip. I have heard stories where a cruel babysitter is tattled on by a dog. If I had to choose them in order of my favorite preferences, I would begin with dogs followed by horses and then the cat. When I was three, I would snuggle up to a cat only to find out I was allergic, and the dog did not cause me to sneeze. I had a yellow tabby cat named Tammy. She got too close to the road and was hit by a car. My favorie movie at three was, “Old Yeller, ” I wasn’t allowed to have a dog because my mother was afraid of dogs. While still three years old I rode a pony at a park in our town that ran away with me. A man jumped in front of the pony scaring it. It flew away with me on it by my quick father who reached over the fence and scooped me off just in time. That probably encouraged my love of horses instead of causing fear. It was probably 1962 my mother did the unthinkable, she brought home a little curly black puppy. My brother and I were over the moon about this little poodle puppy. We named her appropriately, Gemini after the NASA moon capsule. She learned quickly about where to potty and how to be a family member. My love of horses took me to a riding stable nearby where I would rent a horse for $2.50 an hour. I would ride on their trails, not really knowing how to ride. Sometimes I would ride in the open ring for my hour. There was one buckskin that if I kicked him just the right way he would buck. Consequently, this taught me how to ride. When I was 15, I finally got my own horse a chestnut mare that I named Roja. I sold her and bought another. I still wanted a horse so I found a pretty black horse, I named him Smoky. He had four white socks to complement his black coat and a white star on his forehead. Smoky took me places I couldn’t go since I was too young to drive. I rode him in parks, over bridges and even to church. He waited quietly outside tied to a tree while I attended the church. I never had to call Smoky to go riding he would just come to the barn. One afternoon I went to ride him and he was not there. It scared me thinking he might have been stolen. I waited a few minutes and saw him coming down the road with a strange boy riding him. Smoky gave me that, mommy who is this on me look? The boy did not ride him again and I didn’t even have to say anything. I had to sell Smoky because my parents insisted I could not drive and keep him. That’s the hardest I had ever cried. Life would hand me another love soon after. I said I liked dogs but I had to share Gemini the poodle. I wanted my own dog. It was January 1980 I began searching the newspaper there was no Google, no laptops or cell phones. I found a Shetland Sheepdog,I named him Dallas. I liked the football team, the Dallas Cowboys. The name fit him perfectly. I didn’t know how smart they were but he showed me. We did dog training together I entered him in obedience trials where he got his first Companion Dog degree in three trials and his open degree, he got his CDX degree in three trials as well. I knew one trainer who used the dog’s collar to correct her dog. This one particular day the exercise was to fetch a small wooden dumbbell. She tossed the dumbbell waited a bit then sent her dog to retrieve it. The dog started to return but forgot the dumbbell. About halfway back to the trainer, the dog reached down to its own collar, gave it a tug and went back to retrieve the dumbbell. What my love of dogs helped me with was meeting my husband of 34 years this Saturday the 26th of August. We showed dogs together and took trips with them often. I have a very soft heart for animals. When I see some abandoned, abused and unfed to the point of starvation it makes me angry. Animals don’t have a voice and what they give us we can’t match. Their hearts always give back. They don’t live as long so love often leaves broken hearts for us. Police dogs will sniff out contraband, a robber and bring down an assailant. That bullet meant for you they will take for you. Dogs and horses go into hospitals to bring comfort to patients. Dogs are used in courtrooms to set abused children at ease if they have to testify. Dogs have been used for the blind, people with disabilities and veterans with PTSD. It’s the dog that reaches out to an autistic child to make them feel safe and secure. When I’m home alone and have no one to talk to I’m thankful for my dog who snuggles up next to me with only loving intentions and their own need of affection. Currently I’m owned by a Labrador Retriever named Levi and a Shetland Sheepdog named Toffee. My other two dogs are owned by my husband. There is a girl German Shepherd named Maggie and a small brat mix named Skippy. My home and heart are secure, anxiety and depression free. Pets lower blood pressures and are loyal friends no matter what life throws you. Oh yes, can’t forget the resident one cat named Ringo. The mouse that dares to live in my house won’t live long with Ringo around. Animals were created by God before He created us and I believe this gives us a responsibility to care for them. If you have a pet it makes me happy knowing you love it as unconditionally as they do you. Remember you are their only world.
Love your story about your animals. Very precious and very comforting for they love you and your husband.Thank you for sharing. ❤️😊👍