dog
It's no coincidence that a dog is a man's best friend; they're more faithful than most other animals, and more faithful than many people.
Left Behind
Jennifer Hayes’ voice harmonized with the young host of Utah’s Public Radio. Atop the wooden box bed, layers of padding and blankets stacked midway up the passenger window where Lacy slept soundly, swayed by Goblin Valley road. Deep shadows caught in the crevasses of the hoodoo towers, the late summer sun spreading across the red desert, seductive as a house cat on a leather couch. It was four in the afternoon. Jennifer is an underwater ice photographer, speaking on her expedition to the Gulf of St. Lawrence during the 2014 Harp Seal pup season. The radio wavered. She had set out to capture the behaviors of Harp Seals in adolescence. When Jennifer and her team arrived in February, the pups were still so young they were not yet swimming for regular periods of time. Puffs of white fur waited along the edges of ice for their mothers to buoy up and touch noses in familial recognition. She took snap shots from below of their black noses and long whiskers dipped into the water, just four degrees above freezing. Jennifer dove down and back up, coming face to face with a young seal. She at once registered the pup’s confusion and curiosity at this new creature appearing where their mother usually would. Their true mother gracefully floated up beside Jennifer, touched noses with the pup, fastidiously looked them over to ensure the stranger had done no harm, and they left together under the ice. Jennifer swam behind the two, clicking her camera clumsily with thick gloves. Following the pair, she attracted the attention of a nearby male seal who bullied Jennifer away from his potential mate. The mother seal attacked the male offender. Jennifer and the pup floated together, watching from above as the mother banished him. Jennifer stayed swimming behind the two until the mother decided it was no longer worth the risk for them to be in the water. She nudged her pup back towards the ice, then Jennifer, then the pup, guiding them both to safety. That night, as Jennifer’s human team packed their gear to leave, a storm came in. Winds whirling, they made it back to shore. They tossed their gear off the boat as fast as they could when, Jennifer's guide came to her, “All the ice is gone. The Seals are gone.” She knew this did not mean the ice was gone, so the seals would move on to a new home. It meant the storm broke the ice up into shards, whipping the blades around in the winds and tides to blend the pups into the sea water. “What do you mean the ice is gone?” The grief was too much to comprehend. Eighty percent of the colony was lost that season. I reached my right hand behind the head of the passenger seat to pet Lacey, dazed by the passing red land, a stark contrast to the icy world being told to us over the radio. My fingers twisted through the longer white fur of her collar in soothing circles, she sighed. Her black ears hung low on her head, UPR was doing a fundraiser for the sound technician’s 61st birthday, matching every 61 dollars donated that day.
By Angela Michelle3 years ago in Petlife
Woman's Best Friend
I’ve never felt more loved by anyone than I am by my dogs. We got my current puppy, Rocky (as in Balboa, from my mom’s favorite movies growing up), shortly after we had to put down our last dog in February. He is often very stubborn. Sometimes, he refuses to listen to commands, or doesn’t come when he’s called. However, he is still very attached to us and gets very excited whenever my family and I return from work or school. He loves all of my family members and has a different way to greet all of us. For me, Rocky always runs circles around the room until I pick him up, and then he gives me lots of licks on my hands and cheeks. My brother always walks in to see the puppy rolled over on his back, wriggling around and begging for belly rubs. When my mom comes home from work, Rocky runs up and down the stairs and wags his tail, barking and whimpering excitedly to show her that he missed her very much.
By Brenna Williams3 years ago in Petlife
Motherly Dog
Lin, she connected entire family. She was brought home by my mother for my 20th birthday, she worried about me because I said “I don’t feel I can have any animals if I lose Ken and Taro,” Ken and Taro are my first dogs that I grow up with like siblings.
By Mari Morimoto3 years ago in Petlife
Sunset at the Field
I don’t believe in love at first sight. I suppose I did once, back when I believed in fairies and magic and that good things happen to good people. Those days are long gone. I have come to find that love is a slow burn, quick to light but slow to flourish. It grows slowly, concealed in the small moments, unnoticed until it is a roaring fire.
By Kristen Johnson3 years ago in Petlife
Furry Angels
We have had Shamar for, roughly, three-and-a-half years. She is a German/Austrailian Shepherd and boy did I not understand what I was getting when we picked her up. I Quickly learned how affectionate, energetic, intelligent (still learning this), and loyal this combination breed is. When we started her training I remember the trainer saying she would never do a shepherd. We asked why and she stated "I would never do a breed smarter than me." She was so right, Shamar shows us this frequently and we love her for it!
By Caitlin Samminga3 years ago in Petlife
Maxwell's Thanksgiving Message
On this lovely Thanksgiving Eve, I'm reminded of the multitude of things for which I have to be grateful. I have wonderful family and friends, a good job, and a roof over my head. But beyond this gratitude, I was struck by something else today. It was a slow day at the office, and with the permission of one my bosses, I brought my sweet Maxwell to work with me. Anyone that knows me knows that the little guy is a ubiquitous fixture in my life. He lends an ear when I need to vent, and his presence calms me in a way that I cannot quite explain. He is kind and soulful in a way I've never personally known any animal to be. He's a sidekick, a protector, a therapy dog. But he is also, as I believe all of nature to be, a teacher.
By Merrie Sanders3 years ago in Petlife
