I got the word from my editor that the nonfiction book I completed (Bow WOW! 150 Ways to Keep Your Dog Active) is now in production. I won't see it again until I receive the galleys. I'm glad that it's finally finished so I can get back to my fiction writing. I dedicated the book to Daisy, and it will be out in 2007.
Bubba just barged into my office after his gourmet dinner of chicken and a little of my leftover salmon mixed with his kibble to wipe his mouth on the big orange napkin, otherwise known as the carpet. This carpet has really been through the mill with the last 5 dogs I've had. It's actually more brown than orange now. I suppose someday I'll have to replace it.
I don't know what possessed me, but I found myself over at the Sacramento County pound this afternoon (I had to go to the post office nearby). What a sad place, and it's way too full this time of year. Nearly every kennel had three or more dogs in it. Too many of them were pit bulls or pit bull mixes. People typically dump their poor dogs when they go on vacation because they don't want to pay for their care, and dogs can also get lost when people travel. I can never come out of there without crying, but I also realized I'm not ready for another dog yet. Mind you, if there had been a basset up for adoption, I don't know... The dogs sounded so pitiful--pleading, crying for liberation. And those eyes. How they look at you. You just want to take every one home, but you know you can't. They have no air conditioning in that place in the middle of summer. Unbelievable in a metropolitan city like Sacramento. Seems like some of the money they take in from selling companion animals to research labs could be used to install some A/C in their facility.
Actually, it looks like that hideous policy may be about to come to an end, at least insofar as selling dogs and cats to UC Davis labs, although they may still continue to sell to Sutter Healthcare. There was a hearing yesterday at the Sac. Co. Board of Supervisors' downtown. I went down there to be heard, but someone told me the wrong time for the meeting, so I missed it. I never heard the outcome on the evening news, either. They make their decision on August 9. Since Sacramento County Animal Care & Regulation (let's call a spade a spade--it's a pound, folks) is the only facility in California that sells people's pets to research labs, the decision had better be in favor of discontinuing that policy. That's where my Bubba and Patience came from; my parents got their Scotties there, too. What a horrid thought that any of our dogs might have had a fate like that. Actually some of the litter of Scotties my parents' dogs came from did end up at UCD labs. Even the pound powers that be say it's a PR nightmare and hardly worth what they take in. I don't see a lot of difference between this policy and China's latest method of addressing their animal problems. Subjecting loving animals that were people's pets to unnecessary lab experiments is every bit as cruel, in my opinion.
Isn't it bad enough that humans club baby seals in Antarctica? Now dogs in China, too? 50,000 of them to be exact, due to a rabies outbreak. Ever heard of rabies vaccine, guys? They beat people's pets to death right in front of them as they walked them down the street. They made noise and caused dogs to bark, then went in people's yards and killed them. They offered owners 69 cents to kill their dogs themselves. What an utter disgrace in any country in this day and age! I support PETA in boycotting all Chinese products, but since they produce just about everything Americans consume, that will certainly be a challenge.
I'll be selling my books at the California State Fair on August 20, 27, and September 3. I never dreamed I'd be asked to participate and am thrilled to be doing so. I've missed attending only one State Fair in my entire life and that's because I was in the hospital. I'm looking forward to this one even more than usual. I hope it's close to the Old State Fair taco stand, my perennial favorite. I've been eating those yummy tacos ever since I was a kid and we used to go to the wonderful old State Fair on Stockton Boulevard. It's the one time of year I love to eat myself sick at the Fair foodfest.
Bubba just barged into my office after his gourmet dinner of chicken and a little of my leftover salmon mixed with his kibble to wipe his mouth on the big orange napkin, otherwise known as the carpet. This carpet has really been through the mill with the last 5 dogs I've had. It's actually more brown than orange now. I suppose someday I'll have to replace it.
I don't know what possessed me, but I found myself over at the Sacramento County pound this afternoon (I had to go to the post office nearby). What a sad place, and it's way too full this time of year. Nearly every kennel had three or more dogs in it. Too many of them were pit bulls or pit bull mixes. People typically dump their poor dogs when they go on vacation because they don't want to pay for their care, and dogs can also get lost when people travel. I can never come out of there without crying, but I also realized I'm not ready for another dog yet. Mind you, if there had been a basset up for adoption, I don't know... The dogs sounded so pitiful--pleading, crying for liberation. And those eyes. How they look at you. You just want to take every one home, but you know you can't. They have no air conditioning in that place in the middle of summer. Unbelievable in a metropolitan city like Sacramento. Seems like some of the money they take in from selling companion animals to research labs could be used to install some A/C in their facility.
Actually, it looks like that hideous policy may be about to come to an end, at least insofar as selling dogs and cats to UC Davis labs, although they may still continue to sell to Sutter Healthcare. There was a hearing yesterday at the Sac. Co. Board of Supervisors' downtown. I went down there to be heard, but someone told me the wrong time for the meeting, so I missed it. I never heard the outcome on the evening news, either. They make their decision on August 9. Since Sacramento County Animal Care & Regulation (let's call a spade a spade--it's a pound, folks) is the only facility in California that sells people's pets to research labs, the decision had better be in favor of discontinuing that policy. That's where my Bubba and Patience came from; my parents got their Scotties there, too. What a horrid thought that any of our dogs might have had a fate like that. Actually some of the litter of Scotties my parents' dogs came from did end up at UCD labs. Even the pound powers that be say it's a PR nightmare and hardly worth what they take in. I don't see a lot of difference between this policy and China's latest method of addressing their animal problems. Subjecting loving animals that were people's pets to unnecessary lab experiments is every bit as cruel, in my opinion.
Isn't it bad enough that humans club baby seals in Antarctica? Now dogs in China, too? 50,000 of them to be exact, due to a rabies outbreak. Ever heard of rabies vaccine, guys? They beat people's pets to death right in front of them as they walked them down the street. They made noise and caused dogs to bark, then went in people's yards and killed them. They offered owners 69 cents to kill their dogs themselves. What an utter disgrace in any country in this day and age! I support PETA in boycotting all Chinese products, but since they produce just about everything Americans consume, that will certainly be a challenge.
I'll be selling my books at the California State Fair on August 20, 27, and September 3. I never dreamed I'd be asked to participate and am thrilled to be doing so. I've missed attending only one State Fair in my entire life and that's because I was in the hospital. I'm looking forward to this one even more than usual. I hope it's close to the Old State Fair taco stand, my perennial favorite. I've been eating those yummy tacos ever since I was a kid and we used to go to the wonderful old State Fair on Stockton Boulevard. It's the one time of year I love to eat myself sick at the Fair foodfest.
posted by Sue @ 6:16 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home