The Joy of Pets

The Joy of Pets

Animals have fascinated me since I was a child. Some of my favourite memories come from my grandparents’ farm. I loved being around the cattle and spending time with the always present dog.

In my career as a veterinarian, I was fortunate to work with a wide variety of animals. I treated everything from kittens to whales. I enjoyed the company of all these creatures and the humans who were involved with them.

Throughout my practice, I always tried to empathize with my patients. If I was working with a horse, I tried to think about what he or she was thinking and to react to them in a horse-like manner.

The animals that I always found easiest to relate to were dogs. I always had a dog with me at work and Pogo and Mats were big parts of my life.

We took long drives together and both of them patiently listened to me as I unloaded the day’s concerns. At times the dogs even helped with my work.

My assistants were all Australian Shepherds and as such were genetically imbued with great talent for rounding up cattle, sheep and goats. They were often great help when a sick cow on pasture was reluctant to come in close enough for an examination.

The other way the dogs were helpful was with the treatment of downer cows. Downer cows have some ailment that makes them unable to stand. Often, they will give up after the initial problem is resolved and just refuse to stand. One of my unorthodox treatments for downer cows was to have my dog run at the stricken animal from across the barn. If the cow wasn’t used to dogs, it would often jump to its feet. As unusual as this treatment was, I’m certain it saved many animals.

Since retirement from veterinary practice, I have continued to enjoy the company of a dog. Our present companion is Charlotte, another Australian Shepherd.

Charlotte can be a nuisance, but she brings great joy to our lives. We buy dog food for her, provide her with a place to sleep, comb out the tangles in her hair, take her for long walks and go outside with her any time she wants relief.

There is work and expense to having a pet but there are also great rewards. Anyone who has is encouraged to get outside and walk. That’s a good thing. Dogs and cats also teach children (and adults) about responsibility and how to interact with others.

Pets are also great psychological help. They listen to anything you have to say and are never judgemental. Sometimes it is helpful to have another living being just sit quietly beside you.

I have never been a fan of the idea of fur babies. Charlotte is an important part of our family, but she is not a human. Like in my relationship with the farm animals I used to treat, I always have understood that the dogs in my life are dogs. They think differently than people and have different physical and even psychological needs.

None of this minimizes the importance of pets. In a strange way, I believe that animals can make us more human. By empathizing with a creature who is unlike us we can be pushed to understand our place in the universe.

I think it’s a good exercise to occasionally try to think like our pets. They have different priorities and live in the present. In the same way that dogs are not people, we will never be completely like other animals. But it is important to realize that they can give us much joy and teach us many things.