Daily Dilemma

DAILY DILEMMA

SOCIETAL

Good Morning, it sure is a warm May day. I can tell the days are getting longer when the light shines through my window at 5:30am. I love mornings! OK on with today's dilemma. Our behaviors and actions as individuals shape our society. For all of you pet lovers out there I have one for you to think about. How many of us have humanized our pets? Do we treat them better than our human counterparts sometimes? What do we do when they die?How does that effect us? Do we grieve the same as the death of a child, parent, aunt, uncle, and so on? Do our pets really become part of us and sometimes take on our personalities? Here's a scenario:

An email popped up on my computer screen at work from my husband that read: "How cute is this little guy? My co-worker is moving and unable to take him with her. Do we have room for another dog? We instantly fell in love with Buster. That evening Buster came over for a visit to get acquainted with our family. He was scared and barking non-stop. Almost like a baby who would cry when separated from his mother. We told Buster's then owner we would give him a wonderful home. As she left our house she cried. I now know just how special Buster was.

A few months past and Buster calmed down and integrated into the family well. One evening my husband and I were out on a date when one of the kids phoned in a panic. "Buster is having a seizure. We're taking him to the Vet. I had a difficult time concentrating on having a good time and was interrupted by the ringing of the phone every 10 minutes. Finally, my daughter called to say Buster was stable and the Vet gave him medication that he would need to be on for the rest of his life. From that point on Buster responded well to the phenobarbital. However, it caused some aggression. When people came over to visit and would get close to one of us he would attack them. His medication was then changed to potassium bromide and he responded much better. His seizures were less and less. Buster spent more time at the Vet than some children would spend at their doctor's office.

As the years flew by Buster grew to become the main focus in the family. He greeted everyone at the dog with his loud piercing bark and funny smile. He took on the personality of he older dog and followed him everywhere and copied his mannerisms. Buster had his own space where he slept and napped during the day. He was a huge presence.

One May evening one of my kids noticed Buster was lethargic. He just wasn't being himself. He looked him over and found a big black hole on his belly! They immediately brought him to the Vet. The Vet said he was bitten by something and he needed surgery. The Vet drained the poison and put a tube in his belly to continue the draining. He had the tube in him for about 2 weeks. He seemed to get better and return to his noisy self. One day woke up and was having difficulty breathing and at this time his seizures came back. He was taken back to the Vet several times in several weeks and no one could explain what was wrong with him. No one knew what to do for him.

His breathing issues got worse and worse. We kept him as comfortable as possible but it just wasn't enough. One June morning we woke up and Buster had died from complications of his "spider bite." The grief was so ingrained. He was a part of our family. He was like one of the kids. He made us laugh, cry, and angry, but he was special. We will never forget him. It's been almost a year since he died and there really isn't a day I don't think about him. He was a big part of my life and always will be. May he rest in peace.

Pets can enhance our moods by the funny things they do. They become part of us and shape our life. This entry is not a normal entry, but a tribute to our little Buster. As a society we have come to humanize our pets. Is is because we live so far away from family? Are we replacing our pets for family and children? Pets do bring a special joy to our lives.

Thanks for listening today. Buster was a special part of our lives. We will never forget you!