My First True Love

I know Valentine's day is over and done with, and I had a great time, despite the fact that I'm single. I feel like I spent that weekend the right way, but that is a story for another day. Before anymore of this month fades away, I wanted to take this opportunity to pay a tribute to an aspect of my life that has always been a part of me. My siblings will tell you that from a very young age, I felt a passion for my fellow living creatures on this planet that has impacted my philosophies and perception of life. So, without further ado, I'd like to give a little shout out to all my fellow creatures, great and small:*

* 10 points to the first sibling that catches that reference

Both the Bible and the Doctrine and Covenants mention the creation of the earth and all who lie on it. More then once, God mentions that he created animals to be for our use. I'm no vegetarian, but nothing makes me angrier or crazier then cruelty. Especially when there are so many instances when animals help us survive and live our daily lives. We live in a time when machines do most of our chores, but look at history: Where would the cowboy be without the horse? Or the farmer? Would the Middle East have ever been explored without camels? Without chimps, rats, and other lab animals, our medical knowlege would be almost non-existant. Every day dolphins, horses, and dogs bring healing to the injured and emotionally scarred. This is just a few instances of why we should go out and hug an animal today:

Picture like this always remind me of those funny Bradley Trevor Grieve books- you know, the black and white kind that have the funny pictures of animals with the witty text. But the nerd in me is touched by this; here is one the greatest and yet most threatened creatures of all time, raising funds for the desolate people in Haiti. This elephant may not be aware of the good deed it is doing, but it obviously loves some human enough to allow it to manipulate it into carrying around a plastic bucket all day. That's more then some people, who are more aware of themselves and the world around them, are willing to do.

Speaking of willingness to sacrifice, there are a thousand stories of animals that put their lives on the line every day. I'll start with the locals:

This just seems to me to be redundant. But I feel kinda strongly about it, because there was a story recently about the police dog in Layton that was recently shot and killed in the line of duty. The policeman who was his handler was devastated, but he also is very aware that if it weren't for his partner, the bullets would've taken his life instead. He gets to go home to family, because of his friend. I was very impressed by the community'response the death of this animal; Layton honored this dog as they would a fallen human officer.

No surprises here. No blog of mine would be complete with out my beloved huskies. I spent a summer in Alaska a few years ago and while I was there, I managed to find a tour of a sled dog kennel. That was when I learned about the Iditarod, the world's largest sled dog race. It is held in honor of the sled dogs that made that fateful run back in 1912, I believe it was. Anyone who has seen Balto is familiar with the story: the developing town of Fairbanks, Alaska was hit with a diptheria epidemic. Medicine was shipped to Nome, but getting the medicine to Fairbanks was almost impossible. (anyone familiar with Alaska knows the terrain is some of the most dangerous in the world). A dog sled team was sent. Those dogs faced all the perils of tempestuous weather, wild animals and every other dramatic obsticle you can imagine. It payed off. The dogs saved the town. It had it's cost, though. After the dogs arrived home, half of them died. That's the thing about sled dogs. If mushers don't stop them, the dogs will run until they die. They love what they do. The invention of snow mobiles has caused a decline in the of dog sleds as a means of transportation, but they definitely have their place in remote locations like Antarctica, where they are used for research and weather stations.

By the way, to all my faithful followers, I've found what I want for my birthday:

Isn't that awesome?!

Here is one close to home. America is currently in the middle of an extremely controversial conflict. What ever side you're on, there is one thing for certain: our soldiers deserve to be honored. Sending our sons and daughters to war is an unbearable concept, but while the death toll for this war is alarmingly high, the casualties on that list are less then then they could be because of the military use of animals. Dogs, with their sensitive sense of smell, are the obvious example. However, there are all kinds of creatures that work for Uncle Sam, including, I've heard, dolphins.

It is a well known fact that in any society, the comparision to an animal is insult. In fact, in some cultures, the proper name of an animal is a foul obscenity if applied to a human being. But I feel that sometimes, the fact that animals lack the characteristic foibles of humanity is what makes a relationship with them so special: sometimes you just need a snuggle buddy.

And last, but certainly not least, I cannot help but put in a plug for my own sweetheart:

WOOKIE POODLES!

Yes, this gorgeous German Shepherd mutt is my dog. He's become quite the presence in my life, and I can't imagine having my home without him. He's been a loyal member of my family for ten years, which means it's become painfully obvious that he's slowing down. But he's always so pleased to see me and he still takes his duty as protector and guardian of my family very seriously. To see him rush at you, or hear him, for the that matter, is enough to make any intruder piddle his panties. However, he has the sweetest heart and has been known to let babies and small children crawl all over him. He's my buddy. Happy V- day, Luke!