Monday Musings

Announcing a new family member: we have adopted a rescue Shih Tzu. His official kennel name is Benji Blue Fox, but that’s a big name for a 19-pound boy, so he is Benji to us. We met him at our dog groomer a week before we left for Key West. A foster dog mom brought him in because he was too much for her home circumstances. The moment we saw him, we fell in love. He looks like the reincarnation of our former Shih Tzu, Haiku. In only 10 months, this poor boy has had a horrible set of circumstances. His original owner fell on him, injured his leg, and left him crying all night. When he finally got to the veterinarian, he was diagnosed with a broken leg. Benji sports a left rear leg cast. He has been in three foster homes since that event. He has now found his forever home. We took him to our vet this week. His leg is healing nicely, but he needs to wear the cast for two more weeks. Despite the immobilizing device he runs and plays, and goes up and down steps without difficulty. Benji is h...

Today, April 11, 2022, is National Pet Day, but for pet owners, it’s every day! (No matter how ornery they can be.) “Pets are humanizing. They remind us we have an obligation and responsibility to preserve and nurture and care for all life.” James Cromwell The official launch of Pet Day occurred in 2006 to mark the joy we get from our pets and emphasize the need for shelter animals to be adopted rather than “shopped” from breeders. Pets have shared a home with humans for centuries. Mesopotamia wall paintings from 3500 BC show a man with a collared, leashed dog. In 900 BC, Phoenician traders brought domesticated cats to Europe. In the US, to further protect our companions, Henry Bergh founded the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in 1866. Americans have a variety of species as pets. And believe it or not, there are 5000–7000 tigers kept as pets in the US (checking next door…). According to the National Institute of Health, pets are fun, but they’re good for menta...