Our Beloved Pets
Our dogs is the most important
thing in our lives and we often
schedule around their needs,
especially when it comes to
taking them out to run. With so
many dogs we can't walk them
on leashes at the same time, or
off leash in a limited area with
other dogs and people. Instead
we load them all up and drive
out in the countryside to places
with lots of room to let them
run around safely. There they
can follow a deer spoor, sniff
out a rabbit's hiding place and
stick their heads into ground
squirrel tunnels.
As animal lovers and volunteers at the shelter (Mark helps me sometimes
though he hates going out there) it made sense to first rescue and later
foster and keep a few cats. Not all the dogs are naturally cat friendly and
had to be managed carefully in the beginning. We still don't leave them all
alone together. When we leave the house, some of the dogs are crated. We
also have parts of the house blocked off by baby gates. This gives the cats an
area where they can have food, litterboxes and resting places to themselves.
Living in the high desert we often have to
carry water for them. - Or to be more
correct, Mark carries the gallon jugs of
water and I carry the leashes. That's what I
call a good way to share the work!