Is It Just Me? — Susan Rigby, Guest Columnist
Join Wimberley humorist Susan Rigby as she attempts to navigate “the small stuff.”
I am not looking for another pet but I have to admit that I check out the “Pets for Adoption” posts. I think there should be some rules on those websites. The first one being, “if you can’t spell your pet’s breed, you can’t post an ad.” Seriously, when I have to sound out the letters to figure out what type of dog it is, something is not right.
“Chiouou,” “spits” or “Dacksun?” Are those the names of designer dogs I didn’t know about or are they just misspelled? Are they really your pets or should I look under the “Lost Pets” ads to see if any of the photos match? It makes me question the $350 rehoming fee for a “dacksun.” If you want that much, I would think you’d have some paperwork that shows the correct spelling for the breed.
OK, now that my blood pressure is going down, the next rule should be: I want to know why you are re-homing that perfect pet. Sometimes I have to read the ad a few times to get a clue. If these people were honest, their ads would read: “Beautiful three month old Dacksun. Friendly to almost everyone, crate trained, mostly potty trained, very protective of me. Comes with food, crate and ear plugs.”
“One year old Chiouou. Loves to play, needs energetic family. Only barks when it first meets people — or at other dogs — or cats — or its food bowl. Started potty training; have papers.”
“Two year old Spits. Needs to be re-homed immediately. Great dog but doesn’t like men or children and I have a date with a single father tonight.”
If I ever get another pet, I’ll go to a shelter where I know the animals have been checked out physically, emotionally and given some training. At the shelter they can spell the dog’s breed and I know the fees up front. Sometimes, they even have sales. My dog Seymour, for example, was a half-price dog from a shelter. He was the best bargain I ever found.
Go to shelters.
