It’s
that special annual occasion to stop, reflect and celebrate the immense
contribution of all forms of animal life to human life and our society – as well as to respect, cherish and protect all animals.
For me personally, no other
animal has impacted my life more than dogs. And that’s
the reason why it’s always a never ending love affair
story with my dogs and me all the time!
In my more than half a century
of living life with a disability – since birth – my interaction with canines have taught me some of the most
insightful and invaluable lessons of life.
Here are some of those
significant lessons taught by my trusty canines:
·
Think
outside the box: That’s literally what Vai my eight week old Rottweiler did when I
got him. He ripped open the box with his puppy paws that he was placed in and
leapt into my arms, licking me all over my face. It was great for once to have
a “stranger” not being spooked
by my wheelchair or terrified of “getting my disability” by close contact with me.
(Can’t say the same, unfortunately, for what happened last week
at my favourite mall. A father snatched his child out of the lift as soon as I
entered it. The child would probably grow up being terrified of handicapped
people for the rest of his life!).
·
No bad
dogs . . . : Just like disabilities, working dogs such as
Rotties, Dobermans (Dobies), German Shepherd Dogs (GSDs), etc also suffer
stigma because of ignorance. I was warned by some people –
even veterinarians – that Vai was the “wrong
choice” as he would “drag me
off (my) wheelchair” or “have
(me) for supper.” But the truth was in all the 13
wonderful years I had had him since his death, Vai was the best “mistake” I had ever made in my life.
He was the gentlest and kindest huggy bear that I ever had. By caring for him,
I inadvertently learnt to care for myself too and take care of my body parts
that I had no feelings of whatsoever. Pressure sores because of negligence not
only started healing up but were kept at bay as a result. The only “fault” Vai had is that he never
realised his growing size. He kept trying to leap on my lap again and snooze in
his favourite nap spot which is under my wheelchair. But it was too small for
the lovable bear-size of a dog.
·
He aint’ disabled. . . he’s my brother: I can
recall literally hundreds of moments that my dogs made me laugh and uncannily
touched my life over the years. Like the time when Vai saved me from an army of
frenzied ants all biting my paralysed legs in a park without me knowing that I
had rested them on an ant’s nest. Then there was a time
when Vai woke me up when I unknowingly messed up my bed because of an upset tummy.
Who can forget the time when Biman II, my GSD, amazingly found the keys of my
house and handed it over to me at the gate after I locked myself out! Or the
time when my present GSD Biman III ran out of my car in an open field. He was
barely eight weeks old then and needed to take an uncontrollable pee. As soon
as it was over, he ran all the way back to my car and leapt in, much to my
great relief. How a pup of such a young age could understand the fact that I
couldn’t run out after him totally befuddles my
intelligence. Then there’s Reba, my Sheltie. I’ll always be
grateful to her for spotting a particularly nasty pressure sore developing on
my foot just in the nick of time. I was rushed into surgery and hospitalised
for nine days. Had it been any later, I would be a part amputee by now. Of
course, the real star in my home right now is a nearly two-year old Dobie named
Zhar. He’s the perfect assistant that any
wheelchair-bound person can ever dream of. He retrieves virtually anything that
drops on the floor or anywhere. From shaving creams and combs to portable
urinals and even business cards – Zhars the dog for the
job. All one need to say is “service”
and the 28½ inch in height (from the withers) and 43kg
Doberman will leap at once to its feet and be at your command. He’s better than any genie in a bottle any day!
A
blessed World Animal Day to everyone!
The End
1 comment:
Heard about the happenings in recently about councils entering houses to catch dogs, reports being made and even a press conference of some kind because of all this.
Sigh..... never ending story! Irresponsible people throw rubbish, council didn't follow procedure and clear rubbish properly, opportunistic and hypocritical people get involved and they all end up slamming each other or among themselves! Dunno if I should cry or laugh!
I know this so called rescuer that caught a dog, sent it for spaying and later released it in the same area. And although she continued feeding the animal for months, recently the inevitable happened. Yes, the dog she was feeding or so called "managing" was hit by a vehicle and died horribly! Do I have to carry on?
You wanna go save strays? GIVE THEM A HOME INSTEAD OF BEING A HYPOCRITE!
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