I live in a pretty warm climate, and it's a common occurrence for me to be in a hot parking lot calling the cops on a dog panting away in a boiling car. Conversely, it's hard for me to forget the story of the dog abandoned in a van in a New Hampshire airport parking lot in the dead of winter, who miraculously survived. It amazes me how many people seem to think non-humans are somehow immune to the effects of temperature. Granted, the types of people who make poor choices like that are not the ... Read more »
Lifestyle
When satin lined coffins are out of the question
Mulan's ashes arrived back from the pet memorial park in a very nice cedar box. I took the box inside the house, and placed it on the counter next to my keys, whereupon my 4 year old immediately honed in and asked what was in the box. "Memories," I told her, then whisked the box out of her hands before she tried to open it. Right now Mulan is resting on top of the TV. It is the only place where she is safe from kid-hands and misplacement. I feel badly that I haven't picked somewhere more ... Read more »
Practice Limited to Animals Only
I wonder how many people truly think getting a pet is good practice for being the parent of a human. I know countless people who use this as an initial excuse to get a pet, but I'm talking about people who have actually gone and done both. God knows it seems like a good idea at the time, when you are young and dumb, when you have neither. Taking care of one living thing, and doing it well, should naturally be a good predictor of being caretaker to another, right? The first clue I should have ... Read more »