Dogs
Deserve TLC, Not Chains
By William Eisenhart,
Jr.
Recently
I read an article about Tammy Sneath Grimes stand against dogs being
chained outside. I salute her efforts in attempting to end
this cruel and ignorant treatment of one of God's beautiful, loyal
and loving creatures.
I
expect any owner who chains a dog outside is obviously ignorant
of the nature of the animal. Surely, they aren't knowingly so
cruel or uncaring as to cause their dog the suffering of loneliness
and inclement weather.
Perhaps
my most cherished childhood memory is the day I got Ginger,
a flea-infested cocker spaniel, from my uncle and aunt. I really
wanted that little dog; I needed that little dog.
The
first night she slept on the back porch (for obvious reasons). But
the next day, when dad came home from work, we bathed her thoroughly
to rid her of the fleas. And every night for the rest of her
life, she was in the house with the family.
Sometimes
on a summer night the family would sit on the front porch and swing.
I'd hold Ginger and sing, and she'd howl right along. Neither of
us sounded very good, but that didn't matter. Many days we spent
together wandering the woods around Teaberry Flats. And when
she died, we all wept. We had lost a dear member of our family.
I've
always had a dog (or two) in my family, for my family. I think kids
should grow up with a dog and learn how to love and care for their
friend. It's a good lesson in responsibility. It's a good
lesson in selflessness.
And
it's a good lesson in parenting because raising, training, and caring
for a puppy is akin to raising, training and caring for a baby.
They are both helpless, and their survival depends on you.
Maybe,
if people would consider that getting a dog is really like adopting
a new kid into the family, maybe there would be no dogs on chains.
God knows nobody in their right mind would chain a child to a box
in the yard!
They
both need to be trained, fed, bathed, held and talked to so they
can learn and become part of the family. In our family, the kids
and dogs are important, interconnected and interdependent. And
we've got great kids who are themselves great parents.
Christmas
is coming and a lot of kids would love a puppy or dog from the Central
Pennsylvania Humane Society.
You
couldn't do better for your children. But welcome the "adopted
kid" into your home and family and teach the children how to
care for and love their new friend. They'll grow up better for it.
And a dog will have a good home and family. And, maybe 50 years
from now, this Christmas might be your kid's most cherished memory.
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