What I learned from my Pets

[GingerSpirit]

Thats great, he is so cute

My cat is crazy she will beg you to pet her then turn around and bite you

[eponine]

Odd kitty. :L

But sometimes my hamster is like that too, xD but mostly he licks rather than biting.

[Inactive-Account]

♥ Juno ♥
Tinsel first came into my life around Christmas time of last year (2010). Riding in the car with her were two boxer mix pups, an old chihuahua, and a small terrier. Tinsel was the last out of the crate, and the first to run and hide behind the couch. The pups were very energetic and obviously the favorites of the few neighbors who joined together. Id I'm going to foster one of these dogs, I need to chose the right one. I knew that I'd be responsable for training the dog, caring for the dog, and getting it ready for it's permanent home. The old chihuahua was aggressive and tense until the blonde girl picked him up. One down, four to go. The blonde girl's mother snuck behind the couch and picked Tinsel up, exclaiming how beautiful she was. Tinsel squirmed, trying to escape the lady's grasp. When she put her down, Tinsel noticed that she was surrounded by people. They were all sitting in a circle around the dogs, making kissy faces and baby noises. Everyone reached out and tried to grab her. She sat in three laps and was hugged by four. Everyone had their dog but me... I sighed, knowing that Tinsel would just try to get away from me too. As my little brother played with the boxer pups, I took a seat and just watched her for a while. She really was pretty, black and white with the unmistakable Australian Cattle Dog markings. The moment I looked into her eyes, I knew that we had some sort of connection that I thought impossible. But no. Tinsel timidly walked over to me, keeping our gaze intact. She then sat abotu two feet away. I smiled and she stood. I reached out a gentle hand to pet her soft fur. She wasn't quite a puppy but she definately wasn't gorwn yet. "Come on, it's getting late. Have you chosen wich one you want to foster?" My mother's voice interupted. The lady who had held Tinsel earlier then snapped a leash onto her collar. I was abotu to say something when my brother plopped one of the Boxer pups into my lap. "You can have this one." With a heavy heart, I walked home.

♥

I was home alone, sitting on the computer playing Chicken Smoothie. My mother had gone to the local PetSmart to the adoption faire with the pups. She then returned a few hours later. "Buddy and Elf were adopted." She smiled. "Mom, you know that I like to call him Peanut, not Elf." I frowned as she walked away. "Hurry up, it's tiem for your futball game. Your father's waiting outside." Grumbling, I got my stuff together and went to the game. It had taken a few hours to play and get dinner afterwards, so it was about 9:00 PM when I got home. My current dog, Dixie, was sniffing a ball of somewhat familiar black fur. "Is that.... Ila!?" I hated the feeling to sayign that name, but my spirits automatically lifted. Tinsel's foster parents renamed her Ila, for the holliday season wouldn't last forever. I dropped my futball gear, taking off my shin guards as fast as I could. Ila's head raised and her little tail started wagging at the sight of me. "Aw, girl, you remember me!" I laughed as her pink tounge slid over my cheek. She was still very fearful, so my family had to stand back. My brother held Dixie by the collar so Ila wouldn't be frightened. "She didn't get adopted, and mom knew that you wanted her first." He explained, strugglign to hold back the yellow mess of a dog. "But... There's another event tomorrow. What if she gets adopted? I'd have her for one night and then she'll leave me again." I looked up at my mother, wraping my arms around Ila. I almost thought I was halucinating at what I heard next. "She's not leaving. I took the $250 from your account and got her for you. I thought you'd like her better than that camera you were saving up for." I squealed and ran up to my room, Ila at my heels, and showed her around. "But first, soemthing about that awful name!" I laughed. "I think I'll call you Juno."

♥♥

I learned a lot from Tinsel, Ila, and Juno, as if they were three different angels sent to me. Tinsel taught me that things take time. If you rush something then it will most likely turn out wrong. But if you stay back too far, you won't be able to join in. Ila taught me never to give up on soemthing. Though you should never keep your hopes too high, it's never good to lose all faith. Good things will come in the end. Juno taught me to love and care for something. No matter were you come from or what your past was, everyone deserves a second chance to be what you've set your mind to. It's amazing to see the comebacks that can and have happened.

[Carbon]

Cool! i think it would be awesome to have a bird like that. The closest I've got are 17 chickens (all with names)

[crazy cranky critter]

Quite a random lesson here, but never let a puppy in your bedroom. They know that best times to puke :I

[dearly beloved]

Quite a random lesson here, but never let a puppy in your bedroom. They know that best times to puke :I

Lol xD

I have my own little trundle that goes under my bed and my dog likes sleeping on it.

She's only 2 years old.

But she did puke on my $100 dollar memory foam pillow.

[houndoom]

The summer ended,and so did some of the most heartbreaking life experiences i have lived:volunteering at my local shelter.In Europe,since 2 years ago there is the Financial Crysis.So people abandon their pets,never caring about how much they suffer,how much their soul is torn apart when they see their owners leaving......Purebred dogs were abandoned at our door every day.From German Shepherds,Bichons,Yorkshire Terriers,Pekignese Dogs,Belgian Shepherds,Dalmatians,Pointers,Spitz,Huskies,Labradors,Golden Retrievers to extremely expensive and sought after dogs,some of the rarest breeds in my country:Akita's,Shiba Inu,Swisshunde,Norwich Terriers,Pitbulls,Bernese Mountain Dogs,Shelties,westies....even a Border Collie came in one day.
They all had impressive stories,some of their owners didn't give half a care about them,others' were forced to leave their dog as they didn't have enough money to keep him....But probably one of the most impressive stories,one that has marked me for ever,was Ruky's.
One July afternoon,as i was getting ready to go home,a superb,black luxury Mercedes stopped in front of the Shelter's gate.Out of it came a young woman,dressed all glittery and kitschy,who opened the back door of her car in a hurry,and pulled out a beautiful Airedale Terrier.It was obvious the dog loved his owner very much,as he was watching her every move closely,and looked at her with such loyalty......As they were getting closer,i began to wonder what on Earth happened to the apparently rich woman that was going to abandon her dog."Hello..."she said,looking and sounding very hurried."Can we help you?" one of my colleagues asked,as i let myself down to the wiry dog."Hi there,beauty....Hello..." i whispered to him.He wagged his rest of a tail slowly,looking at me in fear.He was feeling something was about to happen."Umm....yeah.I'd like to leave this dog here." "You found it,or something?" "No.It is....i mean it WAS mine.It's name is Ruky." "And?Why are you leaving him....it.....here.Lack of money?".The girl laughed. "No way.I just thought it is a Yorkshire Terrier when i bought it."
That immediate moment,i looked at her with a hate i have never experienced before.I realized she did buy from a scammer,but still......There is a difference between the smallest terrier and umm....the BIGGEST terrier.
All of the people in that room,including me,sighed when they saw the woman signing to give Ruky away.As another volunteer took the leash,Ruky started whining,almost as if he was crying.It was heart breaking indeed.We all struggled to put him in a cage as his owner was leaving,not looking back even once.....
All the problems started here.In the first day,Ruky refused to eat the slightest bit of food.Nothing that wrong,i thought,considering he's been through a shock.He will eat eventually,i said to myself.But no.The next day,Ruky also refused to drink,or let anyone approach his cage.The situation was getting so bad that in the 4th day,Ruky was so weakened he couldn't stand up.We had to use the tranquiliser dart and put him on perfusions.
I was hopeless.The only solution we had left was euthanizing him.So i called his previous owner.This is the conversation as far as i remember it:
"Hello.The animal shelter here."
"Oh..."
"I'm very sorry to announce you we have to euthanize Ruky...He hasn't been eating or drinking since you left,and his body won't asimilate fluids any more...."
"Oh.....OK."
At this point,i got extremely angry.:"Excuse me Mrs!?Did you just say OK?!Do you by any chance have any idea how much this dog loves you?Okay,i understood you taking him here,but....at least have the decency to come and say goodbye to this loyal creature!!He loved you...."
I had tears in my eyes as i heard her close the phone.....
We had Ruky on the operation table,ready to give him the lethal shot,when,all of a sudden,a volunteer came in screaming with joy:"She's here!Ruky's owner came!".I was getting extatic,as i reached the door,and jumped in the arms of Ruky's ex-owner."I knew she'd come...." i said to myself,but when i looked at her i was surprised too see.....tears....."They told me....he's so small you'd put him in your pocket....You only need to feed him a few times and throw him a freaking ball.....He was...."at this point she was struggling to hold her tears back"He was...very small when i got him....i...".You could tell she actually felt sorry."Too late..." i thought,as i saw her enter the medical room.All the staff was there,surrounding Ruky's table.And....a miracle happened.As soon as the woman opened the door,the huge terrier....woke up.Looking at him in amazement,his owner took a few steps towards him,and you could hear her Louis Vuitton heeled shoes on the marbled floor.No one would even squeal,and a weird,thick,silence covered the room.Suddenly,Ruky wagged his tail.Everyone sighed in astonishment,as we thought he was so weaken he couldn't move a single muscle,and you couldn't tell that he hasn't eaten a single thing in a week and something........................
The truth is,this story has a happy ending.After Ruky received the necessary treatment,he was able to go home with his owner.And,a few weeks after Ruky left the shelter,somewhere in middle August.....we received a phone call.
"Hello....Umm...the animal shelter?"
"Sure,Miss!Can we help you?"
"I...am Ruky's owner...I don't know if you remember him...."
I actually couldn't believe what i heard.Of course i remembered Ruky.I thought she wanted to leave him once again,but i couldn't say a word because i heard:
"Thank you....You....saved my life...."
I think i spent one hour talking to Ruky's owner.Here's,shortly,what happened:As the young woman was coming from a night out,she went to had a walk with Ruky and let him off leash.It was around midnight,no one on the streets.As she was preparing to call Ruky in order to head home,a man with a knife jumped out of nowhere and cornered her.Luckily,Ruky was there.He immediately jumped at the attacker,even if he wasn't a dog trained to do this.He held the person imobilised until the police arrived to discover it was a criminal they have been looking for for ages.
Ruky,the "Yorkshire Terrier" was a hero.And his owner couldn't love him more,even if he's not exactly....teacup sized.

[Eddie Munson]

That is such a fantastic story. I hate when people decide to leave their dogs because it's the wrong breed. Do your research D<

[ser]

♥Alice♥

Alice is my couple month old Albino Corn Snake. She taught me to always looked in the places you'd never expect x;.
I have though I'd lost her multiple times, only to find her in the leaves of her plant, or behind plastic rocks in the back of her tank. She scares me to death because I think I had lost her, when she is only sleeping somewhere I can't see, probably giggling after she almost gave me a heartattack.
If your pets get lost keep your hopes up and go for the places you'd least expect them to be.Like behind the rocks in the back of the tank .-.
[Naughty Ally-Baby!]

[Carbon]

My horse has taught me to take time to take a second glance at things. For instance, that big stump might not be a horse devouring monster, you just have to look at it again to make sure!