All You Need Is Love...Everybody!
I see homeless people around campus and street corners most days. Sometimes they have pets. I see most of the homeless with dogs but I saw a young man who had a cat lying across his shoulders while he was walking. I was amazed that he got the cat to stay there and not claw the shit out of him. Anyways, I always felt bad for those poor animals. Not receiving consistent, if any, animal care and being hungry like their owners. I was stuck up on my high horse and was looking down on these people. I truly believed that they didn't deserve to own pets. Then I started working for a vet clinic. Now that is a real eye opener. I saw all kinds of things that would disturb any individual. Pets mauled to shreds, shot at, hit by cars and other depressing stuff. A side effect of this job is that you lose some of your empathy. You kind of need to develop a thick skin to survive through the tough moments and enjoy the good times when you have them. One day a homeless man came in to get this puppy he found some shots. He knew that the dog needed shots but he didn't know what kind but he panhandle and saved 15 dollars hoping that it was enough. He fell in love with this pup and he wanted to keep it from getting sick. Our boss was cool and we were impressed that he wanted to do the right thing by vaccinating his pet that we gave him the red carpet treatment. We counseled him about his pet and gave his puppy a full exam and all it's shots. Our staff hooked him up with some heartworm medication and some puppy food to last him a bit. We begged him to come back and finish the series of puppy shots but he said that he was only passing through Austin but that he would try to find a vet in the town where he was going to. He was appreciative and we hoped that we would see him again. That was the last time we ever saw or heard of him and his puppy. I am not worried. He was competent and most importantly, he cared about his pet. There are some people out there that could financially take care of 10 pets but that I wouldn't even give them a houseplant to take care of. While that homeless man will love and care for his pet to the best of his ability. Talk about kicking me off my high horse. It's nice to be humbled sometimes and reminded to stop being so judgmental. I'd rather be that small chihuahua loved by 6 small children destined for heart failure because of lack of heartworm prevention then the dog that is immaculately taken care of but kept in the backyard everyday of it's life by itself. The difference is that the chihuahua is loved and the other is a possession or status symbol. I know love isn't a fix it for all things but let me tell you it helps and makes everything seem easier.
posted by Angelique at 7:18 PM
4 Comments:
It's hard for me to comment on this topic because I am admittedly judgmental about homeless people and pets. I just figure that, if they are homeless, that they cannot take care of themselves properly, let alone an animal. Also, plenty of other clinics would not be so nice as yours that they would help this man out with his puppy - then the puppy suffers. Also, lately, I have seen homeless/beggars with cel phones! Then I think to myself, "they are asking for money, but they can afford a cel phone?". My feelings probably stem from my naivete when I was younger - I got taken advantage of a lot. Also, I see so many stories where these people are scamming. I've also been verbally harrassed as I've walked down the street. All of these things make me less empathetic. However, I still give money to some people who ask for it, but I'm not as giving as I used to be.
I agree. I think life is about irony. I have never seen a homeless person with a cell phone before, that is some funny shit. I am not so giving either. My husband use to be one of those little street kids scamming change off of people and going home to his upper middle class existence. He is the only person who I know that has pissed off a homeless person so much that they threw their change at him just because he ignores them. I agree this a difficult subject and it's hard not to have a strong opinion about it. But I am glad that you have an opinion, thanks for your input and stick to your guns, chica
I am gratefull and appreciative about what you did for both of them. A little "love' goes a long way these days.
Thanks, Monty. I am such a bleeding heart. I try to be a hardass but deep down I am a softie.
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