Did you remember the animals?
Editor’s Note: The following column originally ran in December, 2011. It has been modified to re-run this week.
I have never understood what compels people to go crazy wild about buying stuff.
The crowds destroying stores and trampling other people to buy a pair of Michael Jordan’s air-whatever shoes is a total turn-off to me. Raging hordes grabbing after a pair of shoes reduced to $189 is insanity, in my humble opinion.
American-made Florshiem and Nunn-Bush shoes for men were once the epitome of quality. Now, all the shoes come from China, and most of them are in the “tennishoe” category, costing pennies to make and selling because of the names they are marketed as.
Once I was substitute teaching in a high school English literature class. A boy was actually being teased and ridiculed because he was wearing a T-shirt that did not bear the name of any of the famed designers. Another kid was bragging that his shirt bearing the name of Calvin Klein had cost $60. Impressed I was not.
A couple of weeks ago, I was doing some of our light grocery shopping. As I traversed the aisles of the store, I observed a husky kid about 10 years old picking up packages of plastic-wrapped roasts and socking them with his fist. Some of the packages were bursting open. His mother’s attention seemed focused on other items on the shelves.
I considered my options, and decided to report the roast-socking to a store employee.
I did not hang around to see what happened.
The majority of kids that I know are good kids and behave appropriately, so do not think I am being critical of young people in general.
Some of you may have seen on TV the woman who was working with an animal shelter to help get homeless dogs and cats adopted. The shelter was having to terminate the lives of an inordinate number of the animals that were being retained.
This lady was very good at taking animal pictures. She approached the shelter with her idea. She would remove each prisoner from its cage, pet and groom it, decorate it with a bow, beads, a cap, or a fetching toy, then pose it in a living room seated on a nicelooking chair, or on someone’s lap. She arranged them in the most flattering poses possible for her photographs.
The local newspaper began carrying photographs daily. The impact was immediate. The animal shelter was swamped with people wanting to adopt a pet they had seen. Eventually, the shelter was able to find homes for over 80 percent of the dogs and cats.
I know there are several people in our community who work with and are concerned with the futures of abandoned and lost pets. The time and effort of these people are very commendable, and the shelter personnel do everything possible to give the animals good care and treatment.
The point of the lady photographer was to portray the pets in normal, loving situations, instead of behind bars or showing fear or dejection.
It is my experience that even the ugliest dogs can change into beauties when they learn not to fear their owners. So far, every dog I have ever had has been loved, and they have rewarded me with the same.
If you have any old blankets or throw-away quilts, some poor dog or cat could use them for comforting bedding.
— Louis Houston is a resident of Siloam Springs. His book “The Grape-Toned Studebaker” is available locally and from Amazon. com. Send any questions or comments to louis1931@ gmail.com or call 524-6926. The opinions expressed are those of the author.