MY BUDDY

REAL ESTATE JOURNAL

MY BUDDY

By Bill Barksdale GRI Realtor®

When I was four years old my Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Bill gave my sister and I our pick of the litter of their champion breed sable collies. We called her Princess. She was not only a magnificently beautiful dog, but smart, loyal and loving. I loved her too. No matter what, she was there. She was my best friend. I still have a picture in my home office of me in my cowboy outfit with my hand resting on Princess.

When we moved for my dad’s work I was told we couldn’t take Princess with us. It was traumatic for me. She was given to my Uncle Kenneth to live on his farm. Some months later when I begged to go visit her I was told that she had gotten into some rat poison and had died. To this day I remember her and love her. What a terrible end to my best friend.

Pets are sometimes the forgotten ones. People don’t always think it through when they get a cat or dog or other non-human companion, about caring for and living with that little one for its entire life. Since most pets have much shorter lifespans than humans, they teach us the stages of life and the accompanying changes right up through death. Quite a gift when you think about it.

They don’t remain cute puppies or playful kittens for long. They go through those “teen-age years” just like humans. They grow old and need special care, special food. They need love like any human animal does. They need a good home.

It seems unnecessary to say this but animals are sentient beings. They’re not just things that can be neglected or ignored. When one welcomes a pet into their life, that animal becomes a part of the family. If you don’t see your pet as a part of the family that you care for just as you would yourself and your other loved ones, you should not get a pet.

Landlords often don’t want pets in their rented house because of the damage a neglected pet can cause. If you’re a renter, you really have to think before getting a pet. The cat or dog that is left outside in all kinds of weather without good shelter is being abused.

To see a dog locked in a small pet makes me angry. The only place I can see that as humane is at the Humane Society, where the animals are looked after, loved and cared for as those wonderful people try to find good homes for those little ones. By the way, that a very good reason to donate generously to the Humane Society of Inland Mendocino County, or your other local Humane Society.

There is much scientific research about pets. Several studies have found that children raised with pets often grow up less likely to develop allergies. I’ve lived with a dog or cat, and often both, most of my life. There was a time when going to school after high school and then beginning my adult life when I couldn’t have a pet. Maybe that was good because I was so busy learning how to create a life on my own that I needed to concentrate on that.

Joe and I have had many dogs and some cats over the last 40 years. Each one a beloved member of the family.

As many humans know, their non-human companion is essential to their own emotional well-being. That cat curled up on your lap as you pet it actually has a physiologic calming effect releasing endorphins. That dog curled up nearby that needs a walk a couple of times a day, reminds us of the need to exercise and get for a walk too.

Pets remind us of our humanity. When an animal is mistreated, the abuser has an emotional or mental problem. The animal should be removed from that situation and a new, loving home found for it. People who mistreat animals are exhibiting signs of mental illness. That person needs help. That’s one of the lessons these unselfish creatures help to teach us.

Just like mistreated humans, mistreated animals can exhibit antisocial behavior. Those animals need help too. That behavior may not always be correctable. I’m not an expert on how to do that. I’ve always loved and treated my many pets over the years with love and respect. I’ve never had a “problem animal”.

Adopted animals may need extra attention. Be prepared to give extra love and care to that animal. You have to know that their life has had its trauma. The lesson here is, sometimes you need to learn to love yourself in order to give love to others. Loving, kind behavior can be a learning process. Kindness is healthy. That’s what my buddies have taught me.

Bill Barksdale was a 2016 inductee into the Realtor® Hall of Fame. He is an agent at Coldwell Banker Mendo Realty inc.