Dog days.
Whenever I don't blog as much, you can assume that I'm happily occupied with miscellaneous schemes. Or that I'm just too lazy to reach out to the world and let others know what I've been up to. Either assumption would be valid. =P
Anyway, here's an update. I've gotten involved with the Animal Protection Society (APS) of Durham as a dog walker, and also joined their Education Committee. I know the word "committee" conjures up the image of power and prestige in the mind's eye, but trust me, it just means I (sometimes) offer to man the APS booth at community events. Manning the booth doesn't take much - I usually wait for little kids to walk up to me, tempt them to spin the "Wheel of Animal Trivia", and quiz them on whatever category they get. Hardly powerful. Then they get to choose a small prize regardless of whether they got the correct answer or not, because they learnt a new fact. I think it's an ingenious way to educate little kids about dog facts, cat facts, safety facts and etc. I myself have learnt so many interesting facts just by handling the answer sheet! For example, did you know that the pit bull was historically considered a "nanny dog" because it is so good with children?
Betcha didn't know that. =P
While manning booths may not exactly be therapeutic (they tend to be a little draining), walking dogs is, and I had my first dog walking experience just last Thursday. I came back with mud all over me due to an affectionate big dog who thought that she was a small dog and insisted on snuggling up to me with her muddy paws. D'aww. Getting to spend time with dogs is just what I need because I don't want to adopt a dog at this point when I have to leave in two years or less. It's not like we could really afford one either, especially if it turns out to be unhealthy and needs visits to the vet every so often.
One thing that amazes me about Americans is how big they are on dogs. Back in Malaysia, dogs were considered 'unclean' by a significant majority of the population so they weren't very well-received. Here, you have just the opposite: People practically treat dogs like humans. There's just so much emphasis on education and care for dogs (every kid I asked knew that chocolate was poisonous for dogs, and some even knew that grapes and onions were poisonous too!). Last Monday, I also volunteered to help out at a free clinic on World Rabies Day for Rabies shots and microchipping. This free clinic was organized through a partnership between the APS and Animal Services (the Sheriff's Office). Isn't it amazing how the entire community rallies around pets to ensure that they are given the best care possible? To be honest, I used to think Rene was a little fanatical and overzealous about proper petcare given what she had learnt from the SSPCA, but here, that's the baseline for dog owners. =P There are dog treats, then there are healthy treats, and then there are healthy homemade treats. Jia Wern says it's probably because people here have more disposable income. *shrugs*
I'd end this post with a picture of a cute doggy that I walked, except that I'm too lazy to upload a picture, so just view it on Facebook. =P
Anyway, here's an update. I've gotten involved with the Animal Protection Society (APS) of Durham as a dog walker, and also joined their Education Committee. I know the word "committee" conjures up the image of power and prestige in the mind's eye, but trust me, it just means I (sometimes) offer to man the APS booth at community events. Manning the booth doesn't take much - I usually wait for little kids to walk up to me, tempt them to spin the "Wheel of Animal Trivia", and quiz them on whatever category they get. Hardly powerful. Then they get to choose a small prize regardless of whether they got the correct answer or not, because they learnt a new fact. I think it's an ingenious way to educate little kids about dog facts, cat facts, safety facts and etc. I myself have learnt so many interesting facts just by handling the answer sheet! For example, did you know that the pit bull was historically considered a "nanny dog" because it is so good with children?
Betcha didn't know that. =P
While manning booths may not exactly be therapeutic (they tend to be a little draining), walking dogs is, and I had my first dog walking experience just last Thursday. I came back with mud all over me due to an affectionate big dog who thought that she was a small dog and insisted on snuggling up to me with her muddy paws. D'aww. Getting to spend time with dogs is just what I need because I don't want to adopt a dog at this point when I have to leave in two years or less. It's not like we could really afford one either, especially if it turns out to be unhealthy and needs visits to the vet every so often.
One thing that amazes me about Americans is how big they are on dogs. Back in Malaysia, dogs were considered 'unclean' by a significant majority of the population so they weren't very well-received. Here, you have just the opposite: People practically treat dogs like humans. There's just so much emphasis on education and care for dogs (every kid I asked knew that chocolate was poisonous for dogs, and some even knew that grapes and onions were poisonous too!). Last Monday, I also volunteered to help out at a free clinic on World Rabies Day for Rabies shots and microchipping. This free clinic was organized through a partnership between the APS and Animal Services (the Sheriff's Office). Isn't it amazing how the entire community rallies around pets to ensure that they are given the best care possible? To be honest, I used to think Rene was a little fanatical and overzealous about proper petcare given what she had learnt from the SSPCA, but here, that's the baseline for dog owners. =P There are dog treats, then there are healthy treats, and then there are healthy homemade treats. Jia Wern says it's probably because people here have more disposable income. *shrugs*
I'd end this post with a picture of a cute doggy that I walked, except that I'm too lazy to upload a picture, so just view it on Facebook. =P
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