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A View from Pea Ridge

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No political commentary this week; if it’s politics you're hungry for, you'll need to move to different table. Disasters and planners and pets, a Pea Ridge pet in particular, are today's topic.

Before Hurricane Wilma hit, Governor Jeb Bush announced that pet shelters were open in Florida. He said people who had previously refused to evacuate because they wouldn’t abandon their pets should not use that as a reason to stay this time.

It’s about time. I’ve often wondered why our emergency preparedness plans didn’t take into account the fact that people die in natural disasters because they refuse to abandon their pets.

It’s impossible, of course, to put ourselves in another’s position, but I’ve tried to imagine myself leaving Prince behind in the face of an oncoming hurricane. I simply can’t fathom it. It’s hard enough for me to see the expression on his face when I leave for work for a few hours.

So the idea of abandoning this dog is beyond my comprehension. I would sleep in my car or whatever it took to make sure he was safe, not only because I adore him, but also because he is my responsibility.

Pets bring us a lot of joy, and unequalled loyalty. In return we shouldn’t ignore or neglect them when the new wears off. Once we take them in, they are dependent upon us; they become our responsibility.

Mine is a funny-looking dog. The first time I saw him I said he was so ugly he was cute. When people approach us on the beach or on the sidewalk, they start smiling or laughing, and the girls usually say, “He’s so cute.” But truthfully, his is a face only a mother could love.

Prince is approaching his seventeenth birthday, and has become high maintenance in his old age. Recently he began coughing constantly, so off we went to the vet. It’s a respiratory infection, probably caused by the dust stirred up from the site preparation for drilling a gas well across the road. He’s allergic to dust. When we left his office, I told the vet it wasn’t necessary for me to pay for his kid’s tuition all in one visit.

Right now Prince is curled up in one of his beds, snoring contentedly, while I write. I can reach down to pet him periodically while I work, which makes both of us feel more peaceful. Sometimes I look at him and wish all dogs could be so loved.

He has trained me well. He lets me know when he is hungry (licks his bowl), when he wants to go for a walk (sits in front of my chair and stares at me when it’s about that time of day), and when he wants out the front door (never says a word, just sits and looks at it). There’s a doggie door in the back, so who knows why he wants out the front. Maybe he just likes to have a variety of exits.

Like most little guys, he doesn’t like to take a bath, have his ears cleaned, his nails cut, or his teeth brushed. He thinks I’m just poxing him when I do those things for him, although he’s learned to like the taste of his toothpaste so he doesn’t mind it too much anymore.

Prince used to ask to sit in my lap, but lately wants no part of that. This is a dog who loves to ride in the car, although when we approach the vet’s office he gets an unhappy look on his face. He’s most uncooperative about taking medicine. We argue over every pill I give him, and he is able to spit out about half of them because I can’t get them in his mouth right.

Every dog has his unique or peculiar traits. Prince likes to be covered up “head and ears” as Daddy used to say. When it’s time to go to bed, he likes to have me put his blanket completely over him. Sometimes on cold days he’ll find a way to get totally under the blanket in one of his daytime beds so that no part of him is visible.

Abandon this creature in the face of a hurricane? Not a chance.

I was glad to see that our Civic Center allowed evacuees to keep their pets in crates at the side entrance to the building. It was hot, but at least it was out of the sun, and at least those pets weren’t left behind.

It’s to their credit that some emergency managers have finally realized that for many people, their dogs or cats are a part of their families, and have planned accordingly. As a result, these officials save lives -- both people and pets.