As I write this, I’m sitting across from Juno, our pug-rat. She is sitting awkwardly, her backend curved to the right while her front paws are trying hard to hold her up - like two tent poles. She stares across the lawn, not really seeing anything because cataracts cover both eyes, but in characteristic June fashion, she sniffs the air, hoping to catch the scent of one of the neighbor dogs who might dare to walk by on the road.
June’s back end is going out with more frequency. At first, her back legs started quivering, making her sit unexpectedly. Now, it’s the other way around. She sits more, and can’t get up. I bring the food and water to her - to wherever she is sitting, because she can no longer stand for very long to eat. Sometimes, I put her torso between my legs to prop her up so she can eat.
Yeah, I know. Don’t give me that look.
I bumped into a colleague in the office yesterday. Her dog and my dog are the same breed and were roughly the same age. I say, “were,” because she sadly informed me that Zeus had to be put to sleep very recently. He had the same issue as June.
Yeah, I know. Don’t give me that look.
Aside from the actual sad fact that June’s days on Earth are coming to a close, here’s the other sadness. The Bible makes no provision or distinction for pets. There is no pet clause regarding heaven or the afterlife. For all intents and purposes, animals, at least those referenced in the Bible, were to be used for something else other than a companion (sacrifice, food, transportation).
And yet, in this day and age, we who have pets love them and care for them like family, even more than family at times. The thought of pets not getting some sort of eternal reward is tough.
That’s because, among all sorts of things, pets seem to show us that like them, we have a definite instinct that can go one of two ways in any situation. To explain, pets can be loving, fiercely protective, forgiving. . .all the things that humans can be as well. In the same vein, pets can be anxious, fearful, and angry to the point of destruction or damage.
The instinctual response seems to arise and develop based on how the pet is treated, particularly how the pet is treated from a very young age. A pet also responds based on fear, often acting completely uncharacteristic to their behavior and temperament.
You don’t have to be too intuitive here to see that pets seem to mirror humans and human behavior. So what do we see reflected in that mirror?
The way in which we are treated influences how we treat others. Dogs are particularly attuned to vocal tones. A dog that is loved and disciplined with firm gentleness, a dog that is fed, watered, and cared for, and a dog that feels safe responds in kind. Just so, if someone has been kind, patient, and respectful with us, we respond with kindness, patience and respect. Obviously, basic instincts based in fear, a lack of physical necessities, and pain can and does override this principle, but even that is important to note - especially when dealing with a difficult or irrational person.
Sadly, we often accept, or at least allow, abuse and disrespect out of loyalty for previous kindnesses or relationship. Even if yelled at or disciplined, a dog will return to its owner out of loyalty and relationship. People aren’t that much different; once established and ingrained, people’s auto-response is often love and loyalty, even in situations where they are subjected to unfair or unjust behavior.
Out-of-character behavior reflects out-of-normal circumstance, out-of-comfort environments, or out-of-context expectations. A dog can be just fine in his own back yard, but take him to a dog park - especially if he is the ankle-biter trying to run with miniature-pony-size pooches, and it’s a set-up for some potentially explosive behavior. People are the same way.
Forgiveness and grace is effortless and essential. Dogs are among the most forgiving creatures on the planet. One minute, their tail is between their legs after getting yelled at for pooping on the floor; the next, they are happily snuggled in a lap or enthusiastically waited for the lead to be clipped to the collar for a walk. All is forgiven, Boss. And forgotten. Dogs have the best kind of amnesia. People? Not so much. Dogs have us beat in this area.
Lastly, pets teach us that yeah, you can do things on. your own if you have to, but life is much better lived in the company of others. Pets, by definition, are companions. This is their purpose. They have no other purpose. As a result, they are all-in with regard to this endeavor and do not waste time with questions like “What should I do with my life?” “Am I doing enough?” “What do I need to accomplish?” Nope. They are pets, and happily so. Like pets, we can be independent, and have to, but we were made to be companions. We are better together.
In considering all this, I can’t help but think that there has to be some special reward for pets for all they do and are while fulfilling their purpose as companions to the humans in their world. But then again, maybe that is the reward: To live a life of contentment, doing exactly what they were born to do, for the time in which they were supposed to do it. Sounds like a pretty good life to me. And if that’s the case, June has more than fulfilled her purpose for me, our family, and anybody else who has experienced “June-cat” in the last 18 years. Whenever the time comes, we will miss her when she’s gone, but we are also thankful for the time we had with her.
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