Category: People and their pets

Past times

Blogging for many years goes so well with poor recall!

When I was browsing through posts over the last seven years, looking for articles about cats in support of yesterday’s post, I was amazed at reading so many items that had completely slipped my mind! One in particular, going back to October, 2010, was so wonderful that it just had to be shared with you again. It was sent to me by long-term friend Chris Snuggs. It will put a smile on your face!

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Cats and Dogs!

As a follow-up to Paul’s post on cats, I found this on the internet, but there was no reference to the author. Whoever it was does, however, deserve the credit rather than me, who am merely a transferer on to a wider public of such gems as I stumble across during my surfing.

If anyone knows who wrote this I would be more than delighted to acknowledge his or her genius.

Peek into a dog’s diary …

8:00 am – Dog food! My favorite thing
9:30 am – A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am – A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am – Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm- Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm – Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm – Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm – Milkbones! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm – Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm – Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm – Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

Peek into a cat’s diary …

Day 983 of my captivity. My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. All though I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a “good little hunter” I am. Bastards.

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of “allergies.” I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow — but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released – and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded. The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicate with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe, for now……….

Cats in Physics

1 – Law of Cat Inertia: A cat at rest will tend to remain at rest, unless acted upon by some outside force – such as the opening of cat food, or a nearby scurrying mouse.

2 – Law of Cat Motion: A cat will move in a straight line, unless there is a really good reason to change direction.

3 – Law of Cat Magnetism: All blue blazers and black sweaters attract cat hair in direct proportion to the darkness of the fabric.

4 – Law of Cat Thermodynamics: Heat flows from a warmer to a cooler body, except in the case of a cat, in which case all heat flows to the cat.

5 – Law of Cat Stretching: A cat will stretch to a distance proportional to the length of the nap just taken.

6 – Law of Cat Sleeping: All cats must sleep with people whenever possible, in a position as uncomfortable for the people involved as is possible for the cat.

7 – Law of Cat Elongation: A cat can make her body long enough to reach just about any counter top that has anything remotely interesting on it.

8 – Law of Cat Acceleration: A cat will accelerate at a constant rate, until he gets good and ready to stop.

9 – Law of Dinner Table Attendance: Cats must attend all meals when anything good is served.

10 – Law of Rug Configuration: No rug may remain in its naturally flat state for very long.

11 – Law of Obedience Resistance: A cat’s resistance varies in proportion to a human’s desire for her to do something.

12 – First Law of Energy Conservation: Cats know that energy can neither be created nor destroyed and will, therefore, use as little energy as possible.

13 – Second Law of Energy Conservation: Cats also know that energy can only be stored by a lot of napping.

14 – Law of Refrigerator Observation: If a cat watches a refrigerator long enough, someone will come along and take out something good to eat.

15 – Law of Electric Blanket Attraction: Turn on an electric blanket and a cat will jump into bed at the speed of light.

16 – Law of Random Comfort Seeking: A cat will always seek, and usually take over, the most comfortable spot in any given room.

17 – Law of Bag / Box Occupancy: All bags and boxes in a given room must contain a cat within the earliest possible nanosecond.

18 – Law of Cat Embarrassment: A cat’s irritation rises in direct proportion to her embarrassment times the amount of human laughter.

19 – Law of Milk Consumption: A cat will drink his weight in milk, squared, just to show you he can.

20 – Law of Furniture Replacement: A cat’s desire to scratch furniture is directly proportional to the cost of the furniture.

21 – Law of Cat Landing: A cat will always land in the softest place possible.

22 – Law of Fluid Displacement: A cat immersed in milk will displace her own volume, minus the amount of milk consumed.

23 – Law of Cat Disinterest: A cat’s interest level will vary in inverse proportion to the amount of effort a human expends in trying to interest him.

24 – Law of Pill Rejection: Any pill given to a cat has the potential energy to reach escape velocity.

25 – Law of Cat Composition: A cat is composed of Matter + Anti-Matter + It Doesn’t Matter.

26 – Law of cat reading: Cats pretend to be really short sighted and evince the need to read a newspaper by lying on it while you are attempting to read it.

27 – Law of cat antipathy: Any cat will immediately sense a person who doesn’t like cats and go and sit on their lap.

28 – Law of cat confinement: A cat will always have its kittens in the warmest possible place, usually in your bed while you are sleeping.

29 – Law of Sleeping: A cat sleeps every day for 24 hours minus the time it takes to wheedle food out of you and eat it ..

By Chris Snuggs

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Isn’t that just gorgeous!

Let’s hear it for (shelter) cats.

Just to demonstrate that Learning from Dogs isn’t wall-to-wall about dogs!

Over the years that I have been writing in this place it has been mentioned before that as well as us having our dogs we also have cats. When Jeannie and I moved up from Mexico to the USA in 2010 we came with six cats, all of them cats that Jean had rescued off local streets down in San Carlos, Mexico.

Four years ago, when we moved up from Arizona to this present home here in Merlin, Southern Oregon, we built a cat run that was attached to the garage. Then about a year ago we brought what was now four cats into the house. The cats are in their own rooms during the day but mingle with the ‘living room’ group of dogs in the evening. The cats are not let outside for we fear that they would be grabbed by a passing coyote or similar before they learnt to return home in the evening.

All of which is my preamble to an article that was published a month ago over on the Care2 Causes site, and is republished here within Care2’s terms.

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10 Reasons to Adopt a Shelter Cat

By: s.e. smith June 9, 2016

About s.e. Follow s.e. at @realsesmith

Once every eight seconds, an unwanted cat or dog is euthanized somewhere in the United States thanks to pet overpopulation and limited shelter capacity. No one likes to think about that reality, but you can do your small part to help. In addition to supporting organizations that promote an aggressive national spay and neuter policy, facilitate no-kill shelter transitions and work with communities to address specific issues like feral cat colonies, you can adopt a shelter cat (or dog!).

If you’re thinking of adding a cat to your life (and really, why stop with one?), here are ten compelling reasons to consider a shelter cat over one from a breeder or a pet store.

10. Shelter cats come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

If you want a kitten, shelters are usually overflowing with them, especially during spring kitten season. If you’re interested in an adolescent feline or even a more mature companion, shelters have those too. In fact, many are really excited by potential adopters who want to take on an older kitty, because mature cats tend to linger in shelters longer because many people prefer kittens. If you’re looking for a cat to accompany an older adult or someone who’s not as mobile, a mellow older cat might be a great fit.

9. Shelter cats are ready to go!

They’re spayed or neutered, immunized, dewormed, microchipped and assessed for behavioral issues by the skilled staff at the shelter. They’ve also been trained to use the litterbox in most cases, so you don’t have to worry about an awkward and potentially smelly transition to living at your house. Many also come with a certificate for a free first visit to the vet, and some shelters have a take-home package with food, toys and other goodies. You’re all set up for your first year of pet ownership, and your pet will be healthy, because the shelter has a vested interest in keeping its animals happy and healthy, while pet stores and unscrupulous breeders do not.

8. Shelter staff can help you pick the perfect companion.

Adopting an animal is a big commitment, and not all cats are the same. If you come in with your family, the shelter staff can get to know you, introduce you to some prospects, and help with the matchmaking process. They’re motivated to make sure cats find their forever homes, and they won’t lead you astray when it comes to, well, rescuing a stray. Shelter staff can also provide you with information about the adjustment period if you’ve never had a cat before.

7. Turns out you can teach an old cat new tricks.

(Note that when she’s tired of it, she’s not afraid to make her opinion known!)

6. Set an example!

There are a lot of myths about cats living in animal shelters, like claims that they’re damaged, feral or broken in some way. In fact, the vast majority of unwanted animals are happy, healthy and well-adjusted, they just need loving homes to get comfortable and let their personalities come up. By adopting a shelter cat, you can encourage other people to do the same; talking about your positive experiences and introducing people to your cat will help reduce the stigma about adopting from a rescue group.

If you want to adopt a special-needs animal, you’re certainly welcome to. Shelters are particularly choosy when it comes to homing out cats with medical problems, but they are always happy to hear people are interested, committed and ready to give a cat with some extra needs a home to share.

5. Adult cats are low maintenance.

If you want a cat in your life but you don’t have a lot of time for teaching a kitten how to use the litterbox, stay away from the toilet paper roll, and stop wreaking havoc on your shoes, an adult cat is definitely for you. Adult cats already know the lay of the land and they tend to settle into routines quickly, making them great housemates. And if you travel a lot, consider adopting cats as a pair so they can keep each other company. A shelter often has a pair of cats whom they’d love to see go out together because they’re relatives or they’ve developed a close bond.

4. You’ll feel better.

Companion animals offer a number of mental health benefits. Having a pet of any species around can make people feel happier and more balanced, and the routine of caring for and interacting with a pet like a cat can improve mood and reduce the sense of isolation. Cats are especially great companion animals for people who don’t have the energy or ability to care for a dog, but still want someone around the house to keep them company.

3. Shelter cats have varied personalities.

Cats are incredibly diverse, personality-wise. They can be shy and outgoing, playful or more reserved, fascinated by sinks or horrified by water. If you haven’t had the pleasure of having a cat in your life yet, a shelter cat might totally change the way you view these delightful animals.

Check out some of the personalities on display at the Los Alamos Animal Shelter:

2. Don’t support animal cruelty.

Pet stores source their animals from a variety of places, and those cute kittens in the window might come from an abusive kitten mill where cats endure horrible conditions to produce animals for the pet trade. The sale of companion animals in general promotes the continued existence of exploitative breeders that view cats as cash drawers, not living beings. By turning away from companion animals offered for sale and choosing to adopt, you’ll be voting with your wallet. And that adoption fee? Will be a lot lower than buying an animal from a petstore or breeder.

1. You’ll save a life.

Even if your local shelter is no-kill (which is great! consider an extra donation to help them with operational costs), adopting shelter cats to get them out of the shelter system and into living homes reduces the strain on shelters and frees up space for more homeless animals. No-kill shelters often rescue from facilities that euthanize, so by adopting from them, you’re opening up another slot for a kitty who’d otherwise be on death row. If you live in an area where there is a kill shelter or where animal care and control adopts out animals, please consider looking there first for a new cat. Some organizations maintain “kill lists” published by shelters, listing animals slated for euthanasia within the next few days, and you might find your new companion on just such a list.

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Even if just one person who reads this makes a commitment to take on a shelter cat it will be one less cat on a ‘kill list’.

Picture Parade One Hundred and Fifty-Four.

Continuing Mother Nature’s sense of humour!

(The first set was published a week ago.)

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The final set of these lovely photographs in a week’s time.

Meantime, you all take care out there!

Loving dogs!

A republication of a post from 2012.

In yesterday’s post I mentioned that the first time I used a post title Affairs of the Heart was back in 2012. In fact it was January 20th, 2012. Many of you dear readers will, undoubtedly, not have read it then so here it is again. Both Hazel and Dhalia are now dead.

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Affairs of the Heart

That is, a la dog!

This is Hazel. She is one of three dogs that ‘belong’ to Pharaoh.

Last Tuesday, we took Pharaoh and his mini-pack of 3 dogs out for our usual afternoon walk at the very end of Granite Dells Rd, out where the forest road ends and soon becomes the relative wilderness of the Tonto National Forest.

HazelGroup — Pharaoh, and Hazel, Dhalia and little Sweeny.

However, on this occasion Hazel decided to leave us and link up with a stranger who was hiking the forest. That was the last we saw of Hazel for many hours. Miracle of miracles, the stranger, Joanie, was a dog-lover so when Hazel had followed Joanie and her dog all the way to Joanie’s car, the next stop for her, Hazel that is, was our local Payson Humane Center. Hazel’s tag very quickly linked her to Jean (a great reminder of the importance of tagging your dogs!) who is well-known as a volunteer assistant at the Humane Society Thrift store and the scare was over.

But during the hours of tramping those miles along challenging forest tracks, calling out Hazel’s name, both Jeannie and I had plenty of time to hurt. Here’s a small insight, that millions of pet owners will resonate with, that demonstrates the way that dogs offer us so much love which, in turn, opens our human hearts to the purity of unconditional love. (And I know it’s not just dogs but many animals in our lives that offer us such love!)

Pharaoh and his ‘team’ sleep in our bedroom. During the Winter months Hazel will often lay stretched out on the bed-cover alongside the back of my legs. If I need a trip to the bathroom during the night, not unknown at my age, I can almost guarantee that Hazel will shift her cuddly body up to the warm sheets just below my pillow.

Thus it was this last Tuesday morning when I returned from my bathroom run about 3am; Hazel asleep with her head on my pillow! I didn’t have the heart to push her off the bed, so just slipped in beside her and moments later back asleep, my head nestled against Hazel’s warm head. Sleeping so close to a dog is more than just nice, it seems to stir very ancient memories deep in the subconscious, perhaps back all those thousands of years to when domesticated dogs were an integral part of early man’s security.

So you can imagine the anguish that, in our own separate minds, Jeannie and I were experiencing. I just couldn’t go to the place where never again would I feel the warmth of Hazel’s body against mine. Jean was desperately hoping this wasn’t a tragic repeat of losing Poppy. Thus when I went round to the Humane Center just as they were closing up and Hazel came out to me, I dissolved in sobs of relief.

That’s the heart-felt closeness of dogs and humans.

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All of you, including your loving animals, have a wonderful weekend.

Hot cars and dogs do not mix!

Another reminder not to leave dogs in hot cars.

A couple of weeks ago, back on the 14th, I posted a warning about leaving dogs in cars if there was the slightest risk of the car being left in the sun.

I feel no embarrassment whatsoever to repeat that warning. This time by republishing an item that was published on Monday on Care2 Causes.

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Firefighters Rescue Dogs Baking Alive in 160 Degree Car

By: Laura S. June 27, 2016

About Laura

In yet another outrageous case of neglect, three Sacramento, Calif., dogs were found baking alive inside a car that had reached 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71 C).

A Sacramento Fire Department crew circled the vehicle parked at a shopping mall. Using a thermometer designed to detect the car’s internal temperature, the crew quickly determined that the dogs weren’t just hot, they were literally cooking.

The dog seen here panting on the car’s dashboard was immediately taken from the vehicle, and the other two were removed by Animal Control because they were exhibiting aggressive behavior.

This is not the first time that firefighters in Sacramento have had to rescue dogs from a hot car. In fact, they filmed one such rescue last summer.

If you see a dog in a hot car, please take action. Remember, one phone call may not be enough. Wait and see it through to be sure authorities arrive.

Photo Credit: Sacramento Fire Department

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The original article includes a video that is on Facebook that I seem unable to include within this post. But please go here and view it for yourself. (It will require you to log in to your Facebook account.)

Also, please share the information on this post and the one on the 14th as far and wide as you can.

For the sake of our dogs!

Picture Parade One Hundred And Fifty-Three

Mother Nature has a great sense of humour.

(And thanks to neighbour Dordie for sending these on to me.)

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More to enjoy in a week’s time.

Our healing dogs!

Is it me or is the world becoming crazier each new day!

What with the ‘Remain/Leave’ EU referendum coming up in my old country and Presidential politics in my new country it seems these days as though the need for healing is growing in leaps and bounds. Thank goodness for being able to hug a dog or two (and Jean) to be reminded of what matters most of all.

I was reminded of the incredible healing power of our dogs in a recent article published by author Deborah Taylor-French. That will be republished tomorrow, with Deborah’s kind permission. However, I wanted to make this message last for more than a single post and to achieve that I’m republishing a guest post that appeared in this place towards the end of last year.

But first my introduction to that guest post.

Forget about the big world out there, be loved by our dogs.

Monday’s post about the precariousness of man’s future on this planet if we don’t prevent the melting of the Antarctic ice sheet was a bit gloomy, however true it might be. The gloom continued with yesterday’s post about the VW scandal illustrating the “unethical culture endemic in business”.

So what a nice change to think about the way that our pets keep us bright, cheerful and healthy.

All of which is my way of introducing a guest post from Vee Cecil. Now I am fairly cautious about guest posts from those who want to promote their businesses, for obvious reasons. But Vee’s essay is so lovely that it truly deserves to be shared.

Firstly, here is the email that Vee sent me back in August,

Hi!

In the U.S., 91 percent of pet owners say they consider their pet to be a member of the family. And for good reason! Our pets are constant sources of comfort and companionship.

What many pet owners may not realize is how great their furry family members are for their physical and mental health. For example, studies have shown that pet owners have lower blood pressure than people who don’t have pets and that being around pets also makes us “less anxious and less stressed.” And that’s just the beginning. There are many other wonderful health benefits that result from owning a pet.

May I write an article for learningfromdogs.com on this topic? The article will be approximately 500 words, unique to your site, and complete with resources.

Please let me know – I am always looking to spread the word about how we can be healthier and happier and having a pet is a great way to achieve both!

Best,
Vee

Here then is that article.

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Feeling Under the Weather? Learn More About the Amazing Healing Powers of Pets

Ask any dog owner and you’ll find out just how remarkable a dog can be. They can turn a terrible day into an amazing one with one lick of the face or wag of the tail. But more and more studies are showing that our four-legged friends might be even more awesome than we previously thought.

As The Washington Post explains, research is showing that being around dogs can help us feel better and less stressed, while also improving our physical health. For example, the article cites studies which found that our pets can lead to “lower blood pressure, lower resting heart rates and less risk of hypertension.”

And that’s not all. Here are four other health issues and how dogs help their human companions:

Cancer. As this CBSNews.com article explains, a recent study at Mount Sinai Beth Israel found that therapy dogs had a very positive impact on patients receiving chemo therapy. The patients showed improvements in “emotional well-being and quality of life.” The director of the program that provided the therapy dogs also noted that patients felt less stressed and anxious. The article notes that this was a ground-breaking study as the impact of therapy dogs on cancer patients hadn’t been examined before.

Alzheimer’s Disease. Therapy dogs are also proving to be extremely helpful for patients with Alzheimer’s. In this article, a man with early on-set Alzheimer’s explains how his therapy dog helps him with daily tasks. Through the help of his therapy dog, the man says his stress and anxiety levels have significantly reduced.

Surgery recovery. Chances are if you were recovering from a painful surgery you wouldn’t turn down a snuggle from a pet. But, as The Telegraph shows, researchers have found that pets can do more than just provide you with a little tender loving care. A study led by a researcher from Loyola University found that pet therapy can reduce the amount of pain patients experience after surgery. In fact, according to the article, the patients in the study, who had had joint replacement surgery, “needed 50 per cent less pain medication if they used pet therapy.”

Diabetes. And perhaps most remarkable of all is what therapy dogs can be trained to do for diabetics. In this case, dogs put their acute sense of smell to good use. As this article explains, dogs exhibiting a better-than-average sense of smell can be trained to help diabetics. Once trained these dogs use their sense of smell to detect signs of hypoglycemia and low blood sugar (based on their human companion’s breath). They’re also trained to get a sugary food for their diabetic, get help if the person goes into diabetic shock, and more.

As more research is conducted to see the benefits of not only service dogs, but pets too, it will be interesting to see how dogs are woven into more medical treatments. They are truly amazing creatures, who can help us mind, body, and soul.

***

Vee Cecil keeps busy by being a wellness coach, personal trainer and bootcamp instructor in Kentucky. She also recently launched a blog where she shares her passion for health by writing about her favorite tips, activities and recipes.

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If proof was needed of the quality of a relationship that can exist between a person and a dog then just look at the following photograph.

It has healing power stamped all over it; for the young boy and the Shepherd Dog!

Picture parade one hundred and fifty-two

In memory of a very beautiful dog: Hazel.

(Must admit that when I was posting last week’s picture parade I had no idea that today’s would be in memory of Hazel. The lesson of always trying to live in the present!)

Hazel offering such openness and love in her eyes. June, 2014.

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Pharaoh, and Hazel, Dhalia and little Sweeny. January, 2012. — Pharaoh, and Hazel, Dhalia (also no longer with us) and little Sweeny. January, 2012.

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Hazel - January, 2012. — Hazel – January, 2012.

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Hazel doing what she did so well - sleeping. April, 2013. — Hazel doing what she did so well – sleeping. April, 2013.

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The purity of a dog's heart! — The purity of a dog’s heart!

Pharaoh and Hazel saying 'Hi' through the fence to Kaycee. February, 2012. — Pharaoh and Hazel saying ‘Hi’ through the fence to Kaycee. February, 2012.

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Jeannie, Hazel and cat feeling trust for each other. November, 2015.

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Picture taken by our guest Don Reeve of Hazel (and me). April, 2015.

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Come here, Hazel! I need some loving! October, 2013.

And I shall close today’s picture parade with the photograph I included in yesterday’s eulogy. For more than any other photograph this one has the camera looking deep into Hazel’s soul.

A Eulogy for Hazel.

This dear, precious dog!

Back in March, 2014 when I was writing a series of posts about our dogs, I published a Meet the dogs – Hazel post. This eulogy consist mainly of what I wrote then, with a few minor changes to bring it up to date, and a closing thought.

Hazel

I first met Jean in Mexico; namely, in San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico to be precise. Just a few days before Christmas, 2007. At that time, Jean had 16 dogs, all of them rescues off the streets in and around San Carlos. Jean was well-known for rescuing Mexican feral dogs.

In September, 2008 I travelled out to Mexico, via London-Los Angeles, with my Pharaoh. Jean and I have been together ever since. In February, 2010, because we wanted to be married and to be married in the USA, we moved from San Carlos to Payson, in Arizona; some 80 miles North-East of Phoenix.

One morning, just a few days before we were due permanently to leave San Carlos and move our animals and belongings the 513 miles (827 km) to Payson, AZ, Jean went outside the front of the San Carlos house to find a very lost and disorientated black dog alone on the dusty street. The dog was a female who in the last few weeks had given birth to puppies that had been weaned. Obvious to Jean because the dog’s teats were still somewhat extended.

The dog had been abandoned outside in the street. A not uncommon happening because many of the local Mexicans knew of Jean’s rescues over many years and when they wanted to abandon a dog it was done outside Jean’s house. The poor people of San Carlos sometimes resorted to selling the puppies for a few Pesos and casting the mother dog adrift.

Of course the dog was taken in and we named her Hazel. Right from Day One Hazel was the most delightful, loving dog and quickly attached herself to me.

The truest of love between a man and a dog!

Of all the dogs that we have here at home, and, trust me, many are extremely loving, my relationship with Hazel was precious beyond description. She was in Pharaoh’s ‘group’ (Pharaoh, Cleo, Sweeny, Pedy and Brandy) so slept in our bedroom at night. Most nights Hazel was tucked up against me.

Plus frequently during the day Hazel would take an interest in what I was doing, as the next photograph illustrates.

Hazel taking an interest in my potterings. — Hazel taking an interest in my potterings; March 2014.

If ever one wanted an example of the unconditional love that a dog can offer a human, then Hazel was that example. Precious creature.

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Just stay with me for a little longer.

Recently there was a documentary on the BBC about Koko the gorilla and how many hand signs Koko had learnt. As Wikipedia explains (in part):

Hanabiko “Koko” (born July 4, 1971) is a female western lowland gorilla who is known for having learned a large number of hand signs from a modified version of American Sign Language (ASL).

Her caregiver, Francine “Penny” Patterson, reports that Koko is able to understand more than 1,000 signs of what Patterson calls “Gorilla Sign Language” (GSL). In contrast to other experiments attempting to teach sign language to non-human primates, Patterson simultaneously exposed Koko to spoken English from an early age. Reports state that Koko understands approximately 2,000 words of spoken English, in addition to the signs.

The reason why I mention this is at the end of the programme it is stated that Koko’s ability to communicate shows very clearly that she is capable of feelings and emotions. Indeed, the way that Koko hugs Penny is very moving.

The presenter of the BBC programme concludes how things have changed over all the years from the birth of Koko some 45 years ago to today. As in back in the ’70s’ the idea that animals had emotions was just not accepted whereas nowadays there is mounting evidence that many warm-blooded animals have emotions; are capable of emotional feelings.

Why do I mention this?

For there isn’t one shred of doubt in the minds of Jean and me that Hazel was full of feelings of love and affection towards her human friends.

That is the epitaph with which Hazel will be remembered! This is her legacy.

Picture of Hazel taken in the last twenty-four hours. — Picture of Hazel taken in March, 2014.

Hazel’s postscript.

Decisions!

In my post informing all you lovely people that Hazel had died in the early hours of Wednesday morning I included:

There has been so much interest and concern over her from you all that I wanted to post this without delay. We will be arranging to have the exact cause of death determined so that, too, may be shared with you all.

The background is that our vet, Dr. Jim Goodbrod, had been in touch with the appropriate health authority with regard to the risk of Coccidioidomycosis, the medical term for the fungal infection of Hazel’s lungs that was the first diagnosis of what was ailing Hazel. Reason why is that Coccidioidomycosis can be a danger to humans if the spores in a body are released following the corpse being open up.

The next step was that Oregon State University (OSU) expressed an interest in doing further research on Hazel’s body because Coccidioidomycosis was so rarely seen in Oregon. That would have entailed shipping Hazel’s body up to Corvallis in Oregon and then having her cremated up there.

In the end, we thought that the most dignified way of treating Hazel was to have her cremated by Stephens locally in Grants Pass. They have been very kind in keeping Hazel’s body chilled while we worked out the if’s and how’s of working with OSU.

We expect that by the end of today, Friday, our lovely dog will have been cremated.

On Saturday, I will be publishing a eulogy to Hazel and Sunday’s Picture Parade will be devoted to remembering the beautiful dog that she was.

Cats and Dogs!

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10 Reasons to Adopt a Shelter Cat

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Affairs of the Heart

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Firefighters Rescue Dogs Baking Alive in 160 Degree Car

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Feeling Under the Weather? Learn More About the Amazing Healing Powers of Pets

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Hazel

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