By
DELL ARTHUR
Being a proud father and uncle I
have to tell you about my son David and my niece Diane. Both are extremely talented
in many fields and like most people their lives have taken a series of twists
and turns they never thought of.
Dave holds a degree in environmental
health from Boise State and loves his job. But there is also another side of him
that tugs at his heart. He loves dogs. He loves them to the point that he is a
certified United Kennel Judge and goes all around the United States and Canada judging
dog shows. In addition he has developed a line of standard poodles that have
achieved championship status.
In
addition to this he is also a prolific writer and author of two published books
and is working on a third. His one book, “How Much is that Doggie in the
Window,” is a must read for anyone contemplating on becoming a “pet parent.”
His books are available on Amazon and worth the reading.
I recall when he was about nine
years old coming home with a stray mutt that appeared to be Shepard and
whatever. He told me at the time that the pup had followed him home and he
didn’t know what to do about it. It seems the story was partly true; the dog
followed him home alright attached to a rope and being reluctantly pulled along!
So that is how “Lady” came into our household. I might add that she became one
of the most loving and loyal canines that ever benefitted our home.
But to get on with David; his
interest in dogs really took hold when he acquired a Shetland sheepdog a few
years ago. This interest in purebred dogs led him to the world of dog shows and
this proved to be a completely new adventure for him. Later on he specialized
in standard poodles and has now developed a line of breeding that has significantly
improved the breed. Today much of his time is going from dog show to dog show,
judging, showing his own pups and generally living the life of a happy dog
owner.
As for my niece Diane; like her
mother, my sister Carmen, she is a gifted portrait artist in demand. Her
paintings are so perfect and life-like that she once was accused of just
painting over photographs. Not so. Her works demands high bucks and according
to clients she is worth every penny.
In
addition to her art work she is also a master at training cats and as a “cat
person” she now has accumulated nine! How this came about was when she was
living in Boise, Idaho and her neighborhood was plagued with a bunch of feral
cats running all around the place. They would rob and tip over trash cans, bawl
all night, get into fights with every dog or cat in the area and were nothing
but a nuisance to everyone.
Finally it got to the point where
something had to be done. Some folks suggested that they set out some poison meat;
others thought a bullet in the head was the answer but Diane had another
solution—she set out some traps. So with purpose in mind she contacted the
local animal control people and borrowed the necessary traps.
Sure enough, after putting out the
traps with enough food to lure the kitties, she found six trapped the next
morning. But now what to do with them? She knew that since they were as wild as
March hairs they would most likely be put down as soon as they were turned over
to the animal control people. So, with her usual emphatic concern she decided
to keep them!
For the next couple of months or so
the cats were restricted to a single room. There they roamed about, got on
cabinets, hissed and growled whenever someone came into the room, and finally learned
how to use litter boxes. But with patience it got to the point where she could
enter the room without their going bananas! From there on the task was to
socialize them. With patience she coaxed them, gave them treats and sure enough
they responded. A few months later you would not recognize these bundles of fur.
In
addition to this one group of kitties Diane overtime has acquired three more
tabbies making it a total of nine!
These once wild cats now do tricks.
They roll over on command, jump through hoops, meow on command and do other
things as well. You would never have believed it.
So you would think that this is a
couple of success stories. I thought so also at first. But then after reading,
and rereading the above copy, it occurred to me that something terrible has
happened that has brought great shame to the family! As a result I am compelled,
as a truthful person, to make a public confession to the world. And it is this:
What else can I say…?
