MAN & DOG

During a discourse with a friend about lifestyle of the people of western world,

particularly America and Canada, I said: “They do not seem to believe in love”. My friend was taken aback and he said: “How do you mean they do not believe in love, of course they do”. My reply: You are confusing “love” with “love-making”. True love entails taking care, making sacrifice, taking pains, parting with wealth, sometimes even renouncing your rest and comfort. They detest all of these. You live only once, so enjoy life physically as much as you can is what they think. They are rejecting the institution of marriage and family because these institutions intrude their personal life enjoyment.

I do not mean that they are completely devoid of love. Don’t get me wrong. They do have love, but all the love they have is showered on their pet dogs. Very rarely will you see a home without a dog. Life without a dog for them is a life not lived.

The institution of family is gradually withering away and a more favoured domestic life is one that is free from spouse and children, with a pet dog as companion.

The love and devotion they have for their pet dogs is great. They would happily clean the dog after excretion, dispose of the dog waste, bathe them, take them out regularly for a stroll, feed them with the best dog food available.

Leaving bed in early morning and going out for walking, jogging and fresh air is good for health, but very few people do it because it is hard to leave the cosy bed in early morning and go out and take exertions of running and jogging. But for dog lovers it’s a pleasure to take the dog out in early morning for a stroll, since, as you know, blessed are those who do something for others.

Why they have such an extraordinary love for and attachment with dog is not very difficult to understand A substantially large number of them do not marry and do not want children. When they grow old and weak, they have no children to look after them, and if they have any, they leave them alone, unattended and uncared for, as soon as they attain adulthood. At this stage of their life their pet dog gives them love and companionship.

When he or she is deserted by spouse or a girl friend or boy friend, making him or her forlorn – which is not very uncommon – who do you think is there to share his or her grief and loneliness. Of course, it is their pet dog with his unfettered love who stands by with them, and unlike human beings, never lets them down.

Dog-loving scenes in public places, parks, elevators etc. are not very uncommon. An incident in point: Once I was moving down in an elevator where a lady, fondly holding an ugly looking dog in her lap was continuously caressing the animal and at times showering her kisses on him. A gentleman standing close to him who was watching her whispered to me “Only a mother can love her baby like this”. I remember his witty comment even today.

A lady’s pet dog died which made her so sad that she remained isolated and stunned for weeks in bereavement. To commemorate the mourning she got an obituary card printed, with a picture of him, and distributed it among her relatives and friends.

In recent past a fair was organized in a city of USA in a park which had a portion allocated for the help of homeless dogs. This portion had shops, display banners, informative literature on how you can help a homeless dog. There were signs and banners eliciting your sympathies with homeless dogs. Knowing that there are homeless dogs in the city, only a heartless human being will be unmoved and will not have sleepless nights.

There was a news item stating that by virtue of a will, the pet dog of a lady named Leona Helmsley inherited $12 million from his owner. Lucky dog! A caretaker had been appointed to look after the dog and utilize the money for his needs and welfare. I am now wondering who will inherit the money after the death of the dog. Perhaps his next-of-kin.

There is one particular virtue in pet dogs. Not found in other pet animals. A dog would never attach his master whereas pet cats may sometime do.

Perhaps dog is the luckiest animal among all the animal species and has a very nice time in this contemporary world. Some of them enjoy the living that millions of human being cannot dream of. Sometimes I think if they loved their fellow human beings as much as they do their pet dogs, perhaps the world would have presented a quite different scenario.

A saying goes “Cleanliness is next to Godliness. ”In their case, I think, friendliness and happiness is what is dogliness.