A Dog's Life

Max Ouch, originally uploaded by With A Twist.

This is Max and he is one of my best friends of all time ever. Max my 10 year old German Shorthair Pointer and was just at the vet for his annual check up and shots. He weighs 68.5 lbs and has the heart and lungs and energy of a 2 year old. You can see in the picture that a little blood was required before he could have his heart-worm meds prescribed. Whitney is in the picture above. She had her check up done at the same time, received her shots, had blood taken, and received her prescription as well. The bill was $469 of my hard earned dollars. These are the things I think of most when I hear someone say, gee, I'm thinking of getting a dog! People tend to think that dogs are a necessity for growing children but they really are a luxury item when you think of the costs. I really don't regret a penny because they continue to bring me so much joy. They are beautiful creatures with beautiful souls. Well, at least mine are.

A couple of weeks ago my sister was walking one of her dogs, a 13 yr old small mutt named Bandit, and was attacked by the neighbour's 2 Great Danes! They basically broke their way out of a fenced yard to attack Bandit. My sis fought with fists and feet to get the Danes away but they just knocked her down and turned back to attack Bandit. Finally a passing car stopped and the lady got out to help and the Danes backed off. Bandit was rushed to the vet and had some serious repair work done. My sis was badly shaken but not otherwise injured which was just lucky. The owners of the Danes indicated that they just wanted to play and have paid the vet bill. What they haven't done, is secure the dogs. The dogs are still allowed in the yard, unsupervised, and able to escape at will. My sister is now afraid to walk in her own neighbourhood. The OPP were to be paying them a visit but as yet, no results.

So dogs are a luxury, they are wonderful friends, but they are also a huge responsibility and I think that is what many forget. They are not just a fad or a new interest. They are a lifetime of work and care. But for me, worth every minute, dollar and cent.