Thursday, September 2, 2010

Temper Tantrum

WOOF: Writers on Dogs Edited by Lee Montgomery
2008
Weight: 1 lb
Method of Disposal: Giving to Heather



Each time I do laundry I clean the lint trap and slowly slowly slowy the black hairs of my Phoenix are vanishing. They are leaving my carpet, my clothes, and my air filters. I spent our time together trying to rid the house of his fur, but each time I pull out that lint trap my body recoils with the repetitive realization that our life together is officially over. There is no amount of desperation, pleading, or rationalizing that will change the fact that I will never be able to hold that white beard in my hands again and kiss that beautiful snout. Phoenix is gone, and I struggle to act like I am not a five year old throwing a temper tantrum about it. Still. But I am.

Today, I am getting rid of WOOF, which is an anthology written by people about dogs they love and have loved. It was given to me by Vallan, and it is one of the few books about human/dog relationships that I have enjoyed. I will confess that I cried through some of the essays, and sometimes I was really frustrated with an author or two. AND I still will never understand why someone would go to a breeder when they could get an amazing friend from a shelter or a rescue.

I am giving this book to my friend Heather who is an incredible and strong woman. She is also my co-worker, and five days a week she has to answer the phones at the shelter and listen to all the bullshit excuses people give for being irresponsible and inhumane. She has done this for over six years, and I don’t know how. I am giving her WOOF because she deserves to hear from people who would do anything for the animal(s) in their lives. I hope it helps to balance out some of the pain.

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