Wet Nose Therapy
Sometimes our pets seem to have a sixth sense about them. Anyone who knows Justen and I also knows Naomi. (The photo above is not her--that is mom's dog) She greets everyone in the house with joy, love, and hundreds of kisses.
Lately, since I have been unemployed and home more often than before, Naomi has been at my side the whole time. She sits with us on the sofa, keeps us warm in the bed at night, snuggles when we are sad, and all she asks in return is love. A good belly rub every now and again and sometimes a little fun outside. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Naomi lives completely in the moment. She has no regrets, no guilt, no nothing. If she is happy, she is 100% happy. If she is scared, her entire body quivers with fear. If she is tired, she immediately drops into sleep.
Naomi has job too, around the house. She barks at intruders. (and neighbors, and puppies, and just about anyone who comes in the building). She makes sure that if we drop any food on the floor that it is quickly eaten. She makes sure that we are always able to rub her belly if we want to. These are her simple jobs. She also listens when we talk to her, and never talks back. When I am on the sofa watching tv, she makes sure that she is nearby to cuddle. Unless she would rather be in the bed.
Through it all, our pets give so much more than they receive. We kiss them, feed them, walk them, etc. and ask for nothing in return. I know that not everyone is a pet person, but I think that everyone can empathize with the feeling of a being of unconditional love.
In China, dogs are bred for their fur. When they reach a marketable size, the handlers will bang their heads on a rock then skin them alive, tossing the skinless carcasses away to rot in the sun. This fur makes its way in to many of our clothes.
Here in the USA, the land of the free and home of the brave, our animals that are unwanted are disposed of, or used for experimentation. Our government requires that all of our drugs be tested on animals before being approved for human use. REQUIRES. (Even though there are models that more closely simulate the human body). We are a long way off from changing this, and it is a long, slow process. I am constantly writing letters.
Something that is in everyone's hands to change is cosmetic and household product testing. The lipstick that you are wearing may have been forced into a rabbit's eye before you could purchase it. Your hairspray may have been sprayed repeatedly into dog's eyes to determine how much would blind them. The lotion that you put on your skin was probably force fed to dogs to see how much it would take to make them ill. Why? Why not. The animals can not speak out for themselves. It is cheaper for the companies to purchase unwanted animals than to purchase human skin simulation. How can you stop this? Educate yourself. Purchase products that are not tested on animals. Be careful. Many companies do not test on animals, but get their products from people who do.
Write letters. Write to Procter and Gamble on behalf of the Naomi's of the world. Write a letter to pet-friendly companies thanking them--on behalf of the Naomi's of the world. It doesn't cost a thing. You can email them. go to PETA for help. The Naomi's of the world thank you. In their own way.
Know what---even if you never wrote a letter, even if you only use cruelly-produced products, Naomi will still greet you with a kiss. Thats just how animals are.
