April 23, 2007
Puppy Love Feng Shui and the Power Panty
Feng Shui and the Power Panty
I admit I have several obsessions. Chocolate is one of them, as is good wine, a serious sweat session, and my puppy, Beignet. (Yes, she is the beautiful black lab in the photos.) The ironic thing about naming her Beignet is that, as my dad pointed out, beignets (the donut) are white. Beignet (the puppy) is black. My dad likes to say that she is always dressed up in black tie with nowhere to go.
Anyway, Beignet is a rescue, a Katrina rescue, in fact (hence her New Orleans name). She was found floating on a door. The majority of her hair was burned off from the chemicals that filled the water. The Southern California Labrador Retriever Rescue foundation swooped her up and saved her life. They tended to her ring worm and brought her back up to snuff before posting her beautiful face on their website. I couldn’t help but enquire. After a thorough interview and inspection of my home, I was allowed to pick her up from the shelter. She sat up straight with such pride and excitement in the backseat of my BMW like such a good girl. It was a time in my life when I desperately needed a shoulder to endlessly cry on, an inexhaustible smile to brighten my day and a warm body to cuddle up with. She perfectly formed to my life. We were immediately bonded. A year later, she feels like a child to me. I’m not kidding. I feel like I actually birthed her. We are THAT connected!
Apparently, I am not the only one with this sort of familiar attachment to my pup. It’s definitely “a thing” for dog lovers. In fact, it is 
not uncommon for dog fanatics like me to select mates based on their interest and potential love of one’s four-legged friend, as one would do if they had children.
This attachment to a non-human being is, of course, being scrutinized by the scientific community in search of the root of this relationship. While a slew of studies have surmised that animals can heal the heart and increase immune response, other not-so-sentimental white coats are concluding that pets are actually manipulating their human companions in order to elicit an emotional response, as might social parasites, inserting themselves into a world where they don’t belong. Dogs, with their ability to seemingly express love, sadness, anxiety, joy and curiosity, are able to tug on our heart strings as we invite them into our families and adopt them as our own.
BUT, according to the aforementioned white coats, those longing looks of love are actually pleads of “feed me,” which is supposedly the same reason they are loyal. Well, let me enlighten all naysayers. Dogs are MORE than merely animals! Using the scientist’s argument as proof, IF, in fact, they are just animals, how would they have the smarts to manipulate us, decipher our moods, learn our schedules and cycles and give us that big sloppy kiss or sweet introspective stare exactly when we need it most?
Regardless of what the studies say, Beignet is my beloved shadow, who follows only a few inches from my feet no matter where I go (which can be tough in the middle of the night with all the lights out. She may be able to see me, but I can’t see her). I am pretty sure she knows that I saved her and that she saved me.
Find yourself an instant family member and cuddly companion through a rescue organization like Southern California Labrador Retriever Rescue by searching online.
A few suggestions:
www.greenpeople.org/humanesociety.htm - For a listing of local humane societies, shelters and non-profit adoption.
www.akc.org/breeds/rescue.cfm - American Kennel Club - Shows rescue organizations by breed.
www.petfinder.com - Search for pets in need of adoption according to your particular criteria.
www.petorphans.org – Unfortunately, they’re only local to the L.A. area, but they’re just great & we’ve adopted a number of doggies from them.
www.sclrr.org - Southern California Labrador Retriever Rescue. Again local, but it’s where Beignet came from…
