fact or fiction
Is it fact or merely fiction? Fact or Fiction explores the myths and beliefs we hold about our pets, like why dogs wag their tails and cats purr.
“Adopt Don’t Shop” Hurts Dogs And Owners
Everyone’s heard it. “Adopt don’t shop! Choose to save a life! No dog is bad!” It’s, frankly, a scam. To put it simply, shelter dogs come with baggage. Sure, they’re cute, lonely, sad, and needy, right? Well, cute is for sure. I mean, they’re dogs. All dogs are pretty cute. You’d be hard pressed to find a photo that doesn’t make me say “that’s a cute dog”. But are shelter dogs lonely? Some, maybe. But they get about as much (if not more, to be blunt) attention from shelter staff during the day through the care schedule as they will in the average pet home where the dog is condemned to the back yard for 10 hours minimum while the owner is at work/school, some food is plopped carelessly into a bowl to be devoured in the evening while the owner decompresses from work by playing phone games on the couch, and then the owner sleeps and the cycle repeats itself. So loneliness isn’t an excuse. Sad? Probably not, since dogs don’t experience all of the same emotions humans do. Try not to anthropomorphize dogs, guys! Needy? Yes. All dogs are. Owning a dog is nearly as labor-intensive as having a five year old child (or an infant if the dog is a puppy or a senior/special needs dog). You must feed them at least twice, exercise them for at least one hour (the minimum does raise depending on breed too), walk them at least once (yes, walking is separate from exercise), take them outside to potty regularly at least every three hours or more frequently depending on age and bladder health, brush their WHOLE coat at least once, brush their teeth if you want to avoid dental disease, check that their nails are a healthy length and trim/grind them when necessary, check their ears for dirt and clean accordingly, do training for at least fifteen minutes twice unless you WANT your dog to be a poorly behaved demon, and ALL of that is just the basic care needed every single day. EVERY DAY. Then there’s the intermittent stuff like bathing, haircuts, vet visits, flea and parasite preventatives, changing their collar out when it gets too old and worn or too small, toys that you need to replace frequently whenever the dog shreds it to an unsafe level, and many more if you want to go beyond just being halfway responsible.
By SebastianStarr5 years ago in Petlife
The Wrong Choice
What do I do now? Can I be as happy as I once was? I lie in my bed, fixated on a small photograph that I possessed in my purse. This was no stereotypical photograph.. you know, a lover, a child, a mother or father. No, this was far from any of those.
By Lucy Robinson6 years ago in Petlife
Economics Gone Wild
Economics seems like a man-made concept beyond the comprehension of other intellectually inferior animals. Economists jokingly gave man the name Homo economicus due to man’s unique rational self-interest. Adam Smith once said, “Nobody ever saw a dog make a fair and deliberate exchange of one bone for another with another dog”. As it turns out, economic theories are present in the animal kingdom and it’s more the rule than the exception.
By Mohammed Paliwala6 years ago in Petlife
The Eagle and the Gauntlet
A razor winged aerialist effortlessly soars deep across the bleak horizon, talons pointing fierce as the winged death stalks his prey. A glimmer of light caught the mighty birds’ attention as a mature male Salmon crests the water top anticipating to mate with a willing partner in hopes of a successful propagation of this ichthyic species. But it is not to be on this day, as the ever present Eagle soars overhead confidently surveying his territory. An equal not found, a true majesty unsurpassed, the Eagle makes another sweeping pass, planning his assault on the unsuspecting Salmon below. For this is what this species was designed for, mighty talons of steel and a scalpel sharp beak designed for tearing and ripping flesh from bone and cartilage, the Eagle is in his true splendor today and every day that the sun sets splendidly in the East. For the Eagle can sense its prey, unsurpassed vision, acute hearing and a deathly touch, no prey stands a chance once the Eagle makes up his mind and focuses all his efforts on the task at hand. Far off in the distance, the rider appears. Gauntlet firmly affixed, the Eagle suddenly has new purpose, new focus and renewed energy. The juicy Salmon waits just below but the Eagle will have none of it on this day as the Gauntlet’s pull is far too much, too alluring to waste, too tempting to pass up. Shinning off the setting sun with a glimmering repose, the Gauntlet calls to the Eagle, bending his will and changing his determined focus, the Eagle changes course and makes a dead line straight for his new target. For the Gauntlet’s calling cannot be resisted or ignored, it must be made center of attention, paramount of focus, intrinsic decider of fate and nobility, the Gauntlet has power unsurpassed over the Eagle and today is the day of reckoning for the mighty one. A final tempt of flight, willing fate to bend his will, the Eagle forgets the juicy mating Salmon splashing surreptitiously below in the silky stream and follows his natural lead and mastery of the talon to recoup his final mission, his final journey. The Eagle, pierces the twilight with a primordial scream heard from the heavens, nails his target front and center. Landing with a penetrating thump, the Eagle realizes now he is home, safe and secure content with his mission, the Eagle accepts his fate and settles in for winters slumber. The Gauntlet, full with purpose and responsibility, allows the Eagle to roost—confident in the future and reassuring in the essence, the Eagle realizes he has arrived, he has chosen correctly, the Salmon be damned, the Eagle now realizes the truth of the situation, he is right where is meant to be, doing exactly what needs be done, the Eagle and the Gauntlet can now be one.
By Patrick Roberts6 years ago in Petlife
