Sunday, July 03, 2022

Preface To Kindness: An Unkind Weekend

(This is an image for folks in the UK, but it applies here.)

This is a terrible weekend for pet owners, especially the dogs.  Fireworks scare the bejeezus out of them.  Our oldest, Winston, is a bit deaf but even he seemed agitated by the neighbors a street over blowing things up so it sounded like a warzone.  My sweet girl Pauline, who is not in the least cuddly, wanted to climb up into my lap.

Websites like this with tips about how to take care of your dog during fireworks times are all over the web & easy to find & they pretty much say the same thing.  Lots of dogs freak out & run away when the sky is bright with fireworks.  & missing pet flyers on telephone poles make me very, very sad.

The irony is, I used to love fireworks.  Now I can't watch then, especially if they're near my house, without worrying about my pets.  It seems unkind & even selfish to prioritize an ultimately transient entertainment over the lives of our four-footed friends.  & when they're stressed out, I'm stressed out.

That's not why there's a show about kindness on Self Help Radio this week though.  Maybe I'll tell you about that tomorrow.

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