Most Humans love puffing up their chest in pride with their belief that we are the most superior of all species on earth.
Two of the many qualities that is boasted of is our advanced reasoning skills and the complexity of Emotional Intelligence. Yet it is rather perplexing that our relationship between each other is rife with conflict and discord. All it takes is an imagined slight to forget the positives in a relationship. When the chips are down, almost all of us had that Julius Caesar moments towards a friend or loved one where we cried out, "Et tu?!"
However, when it comes to our furry friends, I can't help but envy them. They prove that there is beauty in simplicity, especially with their Emotional Intelligence. They may get a bit upset when, once in awhile, you didn't give them their favourite weekend treat, take them out for a walk or scold them for being naughty; but none of that matters to them in the big picture. What they do remember is that you love them, cherish them, feed them, give them a roof over their heads, are there for them when they were sick. For all that, you have their unconditional love and support no matter your circumstances. So in my opinion, I will always put them up on a pedestal and declare them superior to me.
At the BSPCA shelter last Friday, I hung out with Safina, Smot and Bullet.
Just as how my fellow volunteers mother-son duo Jenny and Max begin their walks with Gio and Tyler, mine begin with Safina and almost always end with Sunny or Bridge. So Safina was my first hangout buddy. It was our usual routine of lots of tugs and pulls, occasional plop downs for attention and treats along with a nice long walk till the highway. Though, in the past, she initially used to get on my nerves with her antics, with time she has that effect of growing on you and now I find all that she does rather endearing. I believe I have the Calypso curse from Greek mythology. Whenever I grow to love a furry resident dearly, they get adopted. Though it hurts, I am glad when it does happen. So let's hope the curse is affective with Safina too, who has been there since 2015.
Smot is one of those dogs who end up being overshadowed by a kennel mate who is more striking in appearance and personality. I felt the same whenever I passed by his kennel and my focus was more on Zaatar and he ends up being the wallflower.
But all that changed with the Dog Adoption Party on 1st Feb at Saar Kennels. It was his chance to shine in the spotlight. Though he is a large dog with a beautiful white coat the color of burnt Alaska cake, I found him to be rather a gentle giant. This was especially noticeable in his interactions with my nieces and nephew. He has the patience of a saint as they fawned over him. It's under his simple appearance that a hidden depth of a beautiful personality awaits to be coaxed to the surface .
So on our walk out together, the first thing I noticed was his strength on the leash. Yet he doesn't pull, but you feel the tautness there. He is fuss free pooch who is a delight to walk, though he doesn't get along with some dogs. That could easily be remedied with some training.
The hurdle was getting him back in. He didn't want to go in and Zatar wanted to go out. Somehow, I managed to get him in. Now the headache was getting out. Initially, three of us ended up in a Gordian Knot-like tangle of limbs, but luckily I managed to get out.
Rather than Sunny, being some time since we last hung out, sweet calm Bullet was last. He's another unfortunate dog overshadowed by his beautiful energetic kennel mate, Luna. I definitely would recommend him for a family that holds elegance and posture as virtues above all else.
Let me digress here a bit with a tip to remember when walking with your pooch. Walking with a dog is like walking with a child. You got to be able to multitask. I may give you all my attention when we talk or when I enjoy the weather, yet I keep one eye on my furry walking companion. Any slight change in their behavior and I am alert to what could have got their attention.
So though Bullet is an absolute dream to walk with, but like most Salukis, has a stubborn streak when he picks up a scent to follow. So when he dashes off in a particular direction, I look ahead and straight away noticed the bone and steered him clear away from it, despite his ample protestations.
My fellow volunteers Jenny and Max managed to walk a record number of lovely pooches that day. They are Tyler, Gio, Rudolph, Jasper, Beamer and Laila. Bravo!
It was a gorgeous time well spent there, but ended on a sad note. As I was leaving, a long sad mournful howl got my attention. After a lot of searching, I pinpointed it to the BSPCA quarantine area. It is heartbreaking reminder of all our furry buds waiting to find their forever homes. Though there will always be new dogs being brought to the shelter, I pray that the number of dogs being adopted are far more than the number coming in. It's an idealistic wish, but so long as we have hope, it is possible to achieve one day if not today or tomorrow.
So on that note, I wish you all Happy Valentine's Day for tomorrow. If anyone reading this are inspired to visit the shelter tomorrow, hope to see you there.
