Furry Friends!

Happy Friday, Feel Gooders!

I’ve been having several conversations about pets recently, more specifically my own dog but it’s brought story lines to other avenues, too. My own dog is a sweet little fellow I adopted from a farm up in Kennewick WA. Porter, is a knee high mutt of the lab / terrier / border collie variety.  He’s wicked smart and like most dogs, incredibly happy to see me when I’ve been gone even a few minutes.

Pets have this incredible affect on our lives. I’m sure most of us have some special bond we’ve made with a furry creature. There is a bumper sticker I’ve seen that says something to the effect of “Please allow me to become the person my dog thinks I am.” This is not just a clever anecdote, there is really something we can learn from our pets, if we pay attention to them they can make us better people. Research has shown that most animals are capable of a greater depth of emotion and complex systems of social cooperation than humans.

An animal’s sense and connection to you will certainly teach you that they have an extremely great sense of empathy and compassion. If you’ve ever been feeling really down, cried, or been injured in front of your special pet, they know, they know goddamit and it almost brings you to tears when you see the concern they have for you on their faces. Animals work together, they’re diplomatic, they cuddle, they respect their elders and they are full of love. 

I’ll share a couple of neat stories I’ve come across recently and drop the mic. There is a Zoo in San Diego, you may have heard of it. They started a program about a year ago or so. Cheetahs are naturally timid, nervous animals with high levels of anxiety, so much in fact that it increases their risk for extinction because they get so anxious that they can’t mate (I know that feeling). Zoologists decided to try raising a few cheetahs with service dogs, and the results were amazing. The dogs make the cheetahs feels safe and secure and alleviate the tension that they typically feel; and, they’ve become amazing friends!

Link to that story here with a video

Lastly, I want to share this little video with you. This service dog is named Himalaya, she’s helping this toddler with down syndrome who has problems with touch and affection. They’re using the dog to try and encourage physical contact which Hernan, the young boy who tends to shy away from physical contact. At about 3:12 or so Hernan looks to give the dog a hug. *Q the warm fuzzy feeling*

 It’s truly inspirational to me. I hope you all have a special pet in your lives. Feel free to share with me, happy Friday to all!

Love, BARTA