Don't Forget What They Are...Animals!

“I’d guess I would grade myself as a C+ dog owner. He’s not sick, not underweight and his coat is shiny, I’ve done my part.”


I said that about myself during a conversation about the lengths some pet owners will go for their animals.

I was surprised at the devotion some will shower upon their pets. Years ago, my brother was indisposed in the hospital and I had to drop off his cat at the vets for it’s yearly check up. The vet did the usual checks and then commented to me, thinking I was the owner, that the cat had plaque and needed dental work.

My eyes widened and in surprise I said, “What? It’s a CAT!” The vet looked at my funny and then said nothing, going on with his examination.

“Dental work for a cat? Is he kidding?” I thought to myself.

No, he wasn’t.

 I knew of a woman who spent about $4,000 to save her Rotweiller from organ failure. I didn’t comment as she was visibly upset recalling that time but I still couldn’t help but think of that figure…$4,000. I also didn’t understand how anyone can become that attached to a dog, to the tune of four grand.


I began to really understand just how eager people are about their pets when I got my first dog five years ago. I used to walk my then small German Shepherd puppy through Slater Park to get him socialized with people. That’s when I met and learned about other dog walkers. I generally don’t start up conversations with strangers in that park whenever I went there but other dog owners who would pass me would stop and comment on my pup. They’d bring up all the aspects of breed, vets, animal health and everything else under the sun about pets. What I noticed from many, was that they treated their pets like their own 4 year old kids. I would wonder at them as they turned into gushing ninnies as they cooed and ahhed their little fake kid on the end of a leash.


One time, I was talking briefly to a woman walking a weird poodle/golden retriever. It looked like a genetically modified Franken-Dog. She wondered what I fed my dog when I said;


“Whatever’s on sale, whatever is the cheapest food and that’s usually those 30 pound bags.“


The look on her face changed in an instant to complete derision. She thought I was equal to the worst child abusing fuck that ever walked the Earth. How dare I feed my “child” lower shelf dog food!


Judgment. That’s what I learned about some pet owners. They’ll size you up by how slavishly devoted you are to your pet. And no, I’m not feeding my dog Iams or the latest expensive food Ralston-Purina can guilt trip me into buying.


To some pet owners, my dog needs to be rescued by a DCYF for doggies.