My friend, Tanya, loves pugs.
She has two of them. Lulu is a gray old lady of a dog who, Tanya admits, has been known to make "bad choices" while indoors. I’ve seen one of those "choices." It wasn’t pretty.
Then there’s Olive. What can I say about Olive? Well, she’s a sweetheart, one of those gals who doesn’t know a stranger. She also looks quite fetching in a dress and has the snapshots to prove it.
Both doggies are more than ten years old, that’s about 70+ for you and me. Despite their ages, their slight decrepitude and the graying of their muzzles, they are first and foremost enthusiastic lovers of people – especially people sitting on a couch who have really good finger dexterity.
Personally, I’ve never understood the physical attraction to pugs, until I met Lulu and Olive, of course. Their squished up noses, googly eyes, tongues that don’t retract and shortened nasal passages that make them snort incessantly have never really done it for me. And what can you really do with something ankle high and sausage-shaped? After all, there are so many other dog breeds from which to choose.
I grew up with bigger cousins of the pug, including Dobermans and a number of German Shepherd mixes. My first childhood dog, Shasta, was a Shepherd mix. Loyal, protective and patient, in my early years she was my backyard companion and playmate. With her fluffy mottled brown and cream coat, her canny abilities as a guard dog and a certain mystique we could never quite put our finger on, we also suspected she was part coyote.
Shasta was a great dog. Maybe because of her I’ve always been drawn to fluffy Shepherd mixes, dogs that are loyal to a fault and whose only real wish in life is to stay glued to your side. That and the fact they have a wild look about them, a lot like wolves.
What is it about North American wolves that is so mysterious and captivating? With their enormous stature and beautiful coats they are natural symbols of the beauty and fierceness of this continent and our natural environment. Much like us, they are group animals with a social hierarchy and intense love of community. Wolves are highly revered by Native Americans, and those who study wolves say they are some of the most intelligent creatures known.
During conversations about the values of this dog or that, my friend Tanya is quick to remind people that all dogs are wolves. I’ll admit it’s a little hard for me to look at Olive – with her floppy pink tongue and her buzz-cut black coat – and think "wolf". But it’s largely believed that all dog breeds have wolves to thank for their mere existence.
For all these reasons, my love of dogs and wildlife in general, I think it’s important to protect wolves from further endangerment if we can. That’s why I called my senators this week and let them know I think their upcoming bill regarding the fate of wolves sucks. Well, I didn’t say it like that. I said something along the lines of the importance of protecting wildlife.
Basically, the bill could really impact the wolf population in the Northern Rockies, specifically a wolf that inhabits Montana and Idaho. Called the Baucus-Tester bill, it could be (quietly) passed sometime in the next two weeks, according to a great pro-environment site, the National Resource Defense Council. NRDC says the U.S. Senate isn’t planning on offering any public debate on the matter – what a surprise, right? The bill essentially strips the American wolf of its endangered species status, even though scientists and wildlife experts agree the wolves are still struggling to rebuild their populations. You can read more here: http://www.savebiogems.org/wolves/deadly-war-on-wolves.html
The NRDC is asking us to call our senators and let them know how we feel about protecting North America’s wolves. Personally, I’ve never seen a wolf in the wild. If wolf populations are allowed to grow and thrive maybe some day I’ll have that chance.
If you think the bill sucks, too, take a few minutes to call your senators and tell them. In Kansas those numbers are: Republicans Sam Brownback, (202) 224-6521 and Pat Roberts, (202) 224-4774. Or call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be transferred to your senators.
I hope you call soon. As for the pugs, I have a feeling Lulu’s on the fence about the whole issue, but I have a sneaking suspicion Olive thinks wolves are cool. Maybe they’ll weigh in on the issue next time I see them.
