Thank you.

The Evil in the hearts of men or women

Sometimes I am surprised with the fact that the cruelty that we humans can inflict on children and animals still continues to astound me. When I heard about this incident yesterday, Grief and anger over buffalo deaths , I had to pull over and just sit before I could continue my drive home. Perhaps part of the impact is due to the fact that this ranch is close to where I live. But I think most of all is the idea that somewhere near me lives a person or persons capable of such a cruel act.

I had a similar response when I heard about someone stabbing horses in Virginia that were used as part of an equine therapy program for the disabled, Herndon horses stabbed. Why there is a need for some to prove their "worth" by maiming or killing other living things is beyond my understanding. And to the parents of the child who bullies other children or hurts pets and said to me, their teacher, that "kids will be kids". I hope you are proud of the results of your parenting.

Appy stallion in PA needs great home

A fellow artist and horse-lover passed this link on to me. He looks like a lovely boy and would be a great gelding. He's in PA at Another Chance 4 Horses . Here are the basics: 1-13-2 Appaloosa stallion approx 15 hands well mannered takes tack and a rider but green to ride REG Jettagain Dreams foaled 5-26-96 #563428 DNA typed

Three weeks and getting by.

Three weeks ago, on January 18, Rissa told us it was time to say goodbye. It has been so very hard not having her joyful greeting for me when I come home but it is even harder for my husband, who is retired and has the empty house. We are grateful for the time we had with our little angel and know we did the right thing by her. But oh how I miss my little girl.

There is never enough time when you love something.

One of the hard parts of adopting a rescue animal is that you don't know all the their history and they are usually older animals so that when you bond, it can be for a shorter time period. I'm learning this personally with a little rescue dog we adopted in May 2008. She was about 5 or 6, a toy poodle who had been mistreated and was very shy about people. But when she bonded with my husband and myself, it was a fierce bond the likes of which I'd never experienced. We became her world. Not just because we fed her, but because we didn't hurt her and I think that was a new experience for her.

 

Suffice it to say, I have never had a dog like Rissa, and I knew she was older so I would be lucky to have her 9 or so years assuming she lived to the same age as my other toy poodles, who lived to be 15 or 16. That was not to be.

 

Last July she was diagnosed with breast cancer. We did surgery and chemo (yes on a dog, but sometimes you have to do things that in the past you would have thought ridiculous). So the time frame slipped to the point we were looking at having her maybe another 2 years or so. Now it may be today that we lose her.

 

I don't regret adopting her but I am angry with the short time she was given to us and I only hope we made up for the abuse she had in the first part of her life. It hurts so much to love them and know they will leave you all too soon. I understand why people are leery of adopting an older animal because of this exact situation but they need us, oh how they need us. And they will give back more than you can imagine.

 

I love you Rissa and I will do what is right for you, that I promise you, little girl.

 

Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year

Hope Santa Paws brought you all that you needed!

War Horse review

Opening Christmas Day. Roger Ebert's review of "War Horse"