What a sad year – so far in 2024, we have had to say good-bye to three of our grand-puppies. These are dogs that lived to be 12, 14, 14 years. They had become parts of our lives and were big personalities in the families of three of our children.
First to go was Dakota down in Dallas, where she had dominated the Hollins family. She was a rescue dog, reportedly half Rottweiler and half Basset. Yet, she looked and behaved more like a big Beagle.
Not sure if the family is going to replace her, but she shared their home with three cats.
Here in Lander, a beloved Golden Retriever named Buddy died at home of the Johnsons last month. He had been a true “buddy” for the three boys as they grew up with him and he often accompanied Shelli and Jerry on their hikes in the Wind River Mountains.
Buddy was a perfectly-named dog with the wonderful disposition so common among Goldens.
And then most recently, we lost Alicia and Denny Haulman’s Golden Retriever. They live in Montrose, CO. This dog was named Helton after the Colorado Rockies Hall of Fame first baseman.
Helton was a loyal companion to them on their camping trips and also accompanied Lish on her long daily walks. It just won’t be the same.
Our Last Dog
We buried our last dog 22 years ago when a hybrid Lab named Shadow expired from cancer after being with us for 13 years.
Shadow had been my constant walking companion and was a wonderful pet.
When we lived in our former home in the Squaw Creek area, she was obsessed with chasing cars. Drove us and everyone else crazy. But when we moved to town in 1998 with very little traffic in our new neighborhood, she settled down and was perfect thereafter
She fought a valiant battle against cancer and pretty much died in my arms. Nancy was back in Iowa with her cancer-stricken mom at the time, so I dug a hole in our back yard and buried her there. Quite the memorable time. It was surprising to me how lonely that house became once she was gone.
Are Pets The New Kids?
Yes, we love our pets. I have pretty much kept this column focused on dogs. I have never been much of a cat person.
That reminds me of a cartoon that defines the difference between cats and dogs. God is interviewing a dog and a cat about coming into heaven. He is sitting on his throne.
The dog says: “I have been a good loyal dog. My family loved me.”
The cat says: “Hey, you’re sitting in my chair!”
Yes, there is an attitude difference between the two species.
We used to winter in a big RV park in Las Vegas. It was very common to see folks using strollers to haul their cats to the pet area to do their business.
One guy had a custom backpack made for his giant Maine Coon cat. It was a little startling to walk up behind him and see this monster peering out at you.
Google cites a study that says many Gen Z and Millennial families are now viewing pets as “the new children.” It also claims that these families view plants as “their new pets.”
I found the following two paragraphs on the internet which, pretty well explains this:
“Treating pets like children has become a prevalent phenomenon in today's society, with more and more people regarding their furry companions as beloved members of the family. This shift in attitude can be attributed to several factors, including changes in lifestyle, evolving societal norms, and a deeper understanding of the emotional and psychological benefits that pets can provide.
“One of the primary reasons for the humanization of pets is the changing dynamics of modern life. As people are getting married later, having fewer children, or opting out of parenthood altogether, pets are filling the void as companions and sources of unconditional love.”
What About Ducks?
Because we started to travel so much, we decided to not replace our dog.
Our property has lots of water with a creek and some ponds. Thus, we started adding ducks.
We started this year with 18 tame ducks plus dozens of wild ducks and a few wild geese flying through.
As I write this, we are down to six. It appears the predators in the area have discovered the Sniffin Lunch Counter. Our remaining ducks include Bully, Kanye, Town Pump, Moe, Larry, and Curley.
I made Nancy quit feeding them because they would gather in our patio waiting and as a result, deposited quite a bit of duck poop.
Despite their occasional mess, we love our ducks.
And, at this time, we miss our grand-puppies, too.
