Don't hate me because my dog is beautiful.

Dogs, as charming and life-affirming as they are, have a controversial side. Apparently, my love for Rico is pissing people off (for example, a gal who I had drinks with this week). There are those who think I would better serve humanity by spending my money on people, rather than my pets. The drinking gal's words: "I just can't stand people who love their pets more than people. I don't see where it's okay that they spend all their money on some animal's surgery when they could be giving their money to, say, foster kids."

Interesting.

Now, mind you, I come from animal-surgery spending people. My dad and mom have been known to put untold thousands of dollars into the mangled legs of pets. In 1988, Dave-the-wunderkitteh had extreme surgery and steel pins in his little paw for months. Though I don't specifically recall, I suspect there was a physical therapy/kitteh massage aspect that lucky Dave enjoyed.

BTW. Today. Dave is dead anyway. Points for the animal-hater girl. That said, he lived another 13 years after the pricey surgery ... and when I finally did have him euthanized (I mean, you know, enough is enough), he held on for about 20 minutes, when a normal cat would have just gone to sleep. Go Dave! (Points for joie-de-vie kittehs)

Also. Also. The animal hater's boyfriend owns a 50-foot yacht. Um. Wait. How is that not misspent orphan money?

My issue is this: I've worked for the nonprofit mafia for about 15 years. Animal-hater girl is absolutely right that there's not enough money in the system going to support foster kids ... or orphans, the environment, the arts, health care, or even (gasp) animal welfare ...  not to mention pro-life, pro-choice, gun control, the NRA, gay rights, conservative Christian organizations, the whole political fight-starting lot.

Government doesn't pay for it -- and frankly, probably wouldn't be super-efficient about it if they did. We, the people, make charity happen. How democratic. Isn't that what's so great about our country?

I believe, as good "citizens," we all have to choose something--and support that cause with our time, treasure,  or talent -- whatever we can comfortably give. Without a wide variety of interested donors, these varied causes (many of which are diametrically opposed) couldn't be fought.

Also. Good citizens would be better off to learn the mantra of the fabulous VA: "Reasonable people can disagree." We used that mantra when we worked together at an animal shelter, in which we all loved animals, but some of us were vegetarians, didn't wear leather, wouldn't wear make up/ take drugs that had been tested on animals--and some of us were burger eatin', leather-wearin' Mary Kay make-up wearers, spending our weekends putting hairspray in bunny eyeballs. (Okay, I didn't know any bunny eyeball people, but I knew lots of hunters.)  "Reasonable people can disagree" means that we can still fight for the cause we share, even when we don't agree on every detail.

It doesn't make me want to give my money to foster kids, but I know they're gonna love their new 50-foot yacht.

Comments

[Laura]

We are with you on the freedom of choice, girlfriend. You can always choose to spend a little extra on (cause of choice) to make up for heathens who are spending on something altogether otherwise, because you can. Or perhaps you can't, which means you can donate your time -- or website design skills or other talents. But you shouldn't growl at thems as choose to do otherwise. As a bumpersticker I observed today advised: "Wag more, bark less." Wise advice... particularly if you are a manners-challenged poodle, or chihuahua. Not that we know any of those...

[Dad and Jill]

Now THAT'S our BlogBaby! She's Baaaaack!

Great topic, great balanced view and funny! So dress up that little rat of dog impersonator in a chic Ralph Lauren rain slicker, and take him to your local Starfucks and buy him that Double Mexican Macho Latte he deserves for being your best friend through Portland's rain and rain and rain and shine.

Love Dad and Jill

[Bella the Boxer]

Right on! I think the best quote I've read was from an article by Christie Keith, for the San Francisco Chronicle: "Perhaps most importantly, the human-animal bond fosters compassion not just for our pets, but for all living creatures -- other humans included. An open heart is never a bad thing, for us, for the planet, and for the other people and animals with whom we share the earth."