Saturday, May 19, 2012

CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT ANIMALS AND GARDENING

I JUST counted the dogs in the opposite sidewalk. Eight exactly.  Besides their noisy choir when something is not of their liking, two of them are allowed to walk up and down and poop in  the sidewalks in front of any house of their liking almost daily.

I bet these dogs eat rice and beans most of the time, forget about dog food. A visit to a veterinary?  Forget about that too.  Pills and treatment for heart worm, fleas, ticks, teeth and gums disease?  Sorry. Never heard of it.

Now these are dogs, pets with a roof! Imagine all those people throw in the streets, any highway, or from a bridge as they did notoriously in Barceloneta,  a couple of years ago.

What is the big deal?  Well, if you are of the good heart persuasion let the record show good deeds cost money, time and committment no matter the cause.


Lalo, visited the vet for the first time yesterday.  Weights 29 pounds, is about a year old and has a somewhat weird disease.

Canine Ehrlichiosis is the name, a blood disease, caused by one of those insects fond of dogs.  Anyone could notice something is wrong with any dog with it. His breath is just like a cadaver within.

Lalo was checked and treated for this and  other common dog diseases. We are all fortunate, dogs and humans,   it was discovered on time, otherwise he could have bleed to death in more than one way.


Now this is just part of the picture. People without introspection will constantly suggest  from their monitor, to adopt pets either from the street or animal shelters.  There are other issues, dog piss and poop, how do you deal with it. Fortunately I use the solid for them plants in the south garden.


Both Diva our senior and Lalo use the same area for their water closet needs, making the cleaning easier. But if anyjuan thinks out of an impulse, and irrational feelings of humanity to adopt an animal without the considerations above, his/her life and that of the neighbors will be a miserable one.  Any  pet will probably land in the streets. Why will you guess there are over 100, 000 stray dogs in Puerto Rico, never mind cats and green iguanas.

Did I mention money?  Well, that first visit and treatment, with an honest and reliable vet, who has treated Diva for years, not a scam artist--like all periodontists--charged the equivalent of  over a week salary at minimum wages, you do the numbers.


Gardening is not different.  If you can not propagate plants you will have to buy them creatures. Plus, irrigate, fertilize, and treat for diseases.  It makes no difference if you are the container kind or grounds gardener.


Pets and gardening demand commitment,  time, money and energy.  To pick  up poop and weeding require good knees and back...To be in shape, if you are not, maybe, you should forget about it.  Watch tv or  go for a stroll.


In conclusion, gardening and pets require deep/wide considerations before hand, not after.  However the consequences of losing interest in  one of the two, is cruel and unfair. To throw your animals away when bored, unwilling to follow through.











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