Our Children

Dogs. If you see them as dogs, they're dogs to you. If you see them as children, they're children to you.

Sherry and Beauty were the first two we adopted from a dog shelter. Bobby walked into the house one day, and never left. Then came Puteri. She was found lingering around a parking lot. When my brother opened the car door, she jumped right in. Buttons and Toffy are the latest editions. They were abandoned puppies in the Bukit Gasing Forest Reserve. Beatrice is our neighbour's dog. They left for UK about 2 years ago and have not returned since. They were kind enough to give us their house keys so that we could watch over the dog. For all the dogs we've found, we've taken great lengths to find their owners. And when we can't locate them, they end up becoming a part of our family.

So, we have six dogs now and a plus one (Beatrice). My family and I love animals. We've rared all sorts of them. Reptiles, mammals, tame, wild, venomous, non-venomous, amphibious, with legs, without legs,... you name it. My mom reminds us that God created the animals, and we ought to take care of them.

Interestingly, dogs, among all the pets we've had, tend to display the vast and complex range of human emotions and behaviours. And, they do it accurately. Sad, happy, excited, over-excited, skeptical, bored, embarrassed, angry, pissed, vengeful, innocent, cheeky, proud, rebellious, and more. 

Our home is pretty lively everyday. We speak to our dogs, as if they're humans. Before you think we're nuts upstairs, the dogs actually reciprocate with sounds that almost resemble words. For instance, when we utter a loud "Helllow!", at least three of them would howl a "Hooouuughww!" (I can't spell it well, but it almost sounds like a hello). They also respond to basic commands like "In", "out", "Stop it", "Shake hands" (though most would say 'paw'), and "Let's run" and "Get off the bed".

These, and the fact that they're so full of love, makes it impossible for us to not think of them as our children. They show love unconditionally (unlike us humans). When they are checked/scolded/hit for a misbehaviour, they're quick to forgive, through their smothering mannerisms - profuse tail-wagging, bright eyes,.. as they lay their heads on our laps.

One of the frequently-asked-questions I get is: Why so many dogs? The very question itself tells me a lot about the person asking. These people have a different worldview. Pets, are merely a fixture to a home. Even worse, a commodity for security purposes. "Yes, we'll love it. We'll feed it. We'll be sad if it dies. But oh well, we can get a new one. Puppies are cute aren't they?" To these people, animals are either pets, pests or food.

My simple, yet silent, answer to them is this: I have dogs for the same reasons people have children. There are typically two key reasons: 1. They really love/want kids. 2. Accidents happen (although I strongly believe no child is an accident). My family and I have dogs because we love them. Or because we found them by accident, and no one else wants them.

You can't go to a mother or father of eight kids and ask: "Hey, why so many kids? Why not give away some of them. Then your life will be a little easier. Times are bad. The economy is weak. The less constraints you have, the lighter your load. And oh, by giving some of your kids away, you may be able to purchase a good home for reasonable price - no need to worry about looking for a house with many rooms. Expensive nowadays. Can't enjoy life."

Some would concede:  "...yes kids are good to have. Later when we grow old, they can take care of us. One or two enough. Times are bad."

[somehow everything seems to revolve around the economy or convenience]

Seriously?