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| Getty Images Image |
First love, first heartbreaks and the art of letting go,
you learn it first from your pets.
Barbie
Etymology :
Glamourized from the words ‘bad breath’ by my condescending cousins. Forgive
them. We were young and they were cruel.
Breed :
Askal
It was the 80s and I was in the place where summer classes
were unheard of. And even if ballet lessons were offered, I wonder if my mom
will enroll me. So when I received this pup that summer, it was a delight! It
meant permanent playmate. First pet, first love. Barbie accompanied me day in
day out even during the very limited time I was allowed to play in the streets.
Suddenly I had one to be with me all the time. Only one thing pissing off the
adults in the house… all our electric plugs were chewed off… not a single lamp
shade was spared. All slippers were marked by her tiny teeth or just anything
that she can chew. And the last straw was my grandfather discovering she loved
sleeping in his cabinet, in between his clothes. Grandfather has no choice but
to put her in chains. And one afternoon after school I found her lifeless with
chains around her neck. That was my first heartbreak and I never recovered.
King
Etymology :
Size fit for a royalty
Breed :
TBA (to be asked)
A got sick and King never left A’s room until his
recovery. Some kind of a love.
Funny-boned Whity
Etymology : There
were Top 4 ranking dog names in our town before the kids got creative. Whity,
Blacky, Browny and Spot, you choose the closest colour, and that’s the name.
Breed :
Half-askal Half-unknown
My mom had him for 8 years and they share this love that
words are not enough to tell the story. I would refer her as my Mom’s dog. I
haven’t recovered from my own loss so there was a distance. He had glorious
days though before old age and scabies, but I will remember him most for his
anecdotes. One, he almost bit the ‘ding
dong’ of our male boarder, which this teacher retorted: “I haven’t even used it yet and you’re
chewing it off?” while holding his treasures running for escape. I didn’t
remember him getting shots though. Whity would accompany my mom literally
everywhere she goes even on Sunday mass that he already got identified with her.
On his last years, he developed scabies and did not heal anymore, we advised
mom to put him in chains to restrain him from following her in the church as he
was already scaring the whole town. And put she did. Only that she chained him
in a garden chair made of steel. The opening song has not yet started, but
outside the people in our street were waken and scandalized by the sound of the
steel chair outrageously dragged by a running dog on his way to the church – on
an early Sunday morning. A distant relative from the other end of the block recognized
Whity and dislodged the chair from him. The scene ended with my nephew carrying
the chair on their way home with all of them laughing so hard they could pee.
But that did not make mom love him less.
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| Grabbed from Google |
Sugar
Etymology :
Admirably powder white colour
Breed :
Japanese Spitz
I would always say this: always relaxed and poised in any
situation, there was only one time I saw A panicked – when Sugar got sick.
After taking him to small vet clinics near his place she just didn’t get better
that made A obviously worried. He eventually decided to take her into an
upscale vet clinic that quickly diagnosed her with Pyometra, an infection of
the uterus. It was quite a sum he spent saving the dog. Twice I visited her
while she was confined to check on her condition. She didn’t recognize me of
course, she’s A’s dog. But when A came to visit she turned around as quickly
reaching for A’s hand touching the cage. Sensing A leaving, she would make this
sound like she was crying telling A how hurt she feels… It was another sense of
attachment that you will feel between the owner and the pet and your heart will
swell. It was 30 days after, A was reversing the car, didn’t notice she was
underneath and the next thing in front of him was Sugar in a pool of blood. The
world dimmed.
Tyra – Starbucks and Lactovital
Etymology : While
sipping coffee at Starbucks
Breed :
Labrador
The wonder drug Lactobiotic Lactovital. Just when I thought
I will never fall again along came this golden lab. It was mine and A’s decision
to buy her. What a ‘flirt’ but you will love her nonetheless. She moves, chews
and jumps tirelessly that when one day she stopped eating, I was alarmed. I
took him to local vet who diagnosed her by looks, no tests at all, uhmm, he
took her weight and her temperature, if those count. The next best decision was
to take her into a reputable vet clinic in Manila after fever never left her at all. After
series of tests she was diagnosed with Dog Parvovirus. She was in IV and
confined for a week. Bills hiked up and I just prayed Mom won’t rise from her
grave and slap me with senses. She went
home to A’s house with a bag of medicines and etc… she didn’t seem better
though except for increased blood count and a new veterinary vocabulary for us.
I was looking somewhere for Canines Health Insurance Company. Phew! A’s mom
nursed her for a couple of days with meds to be taken every 3 hours and a special
diet. Her heart sank seeing nothing improved after another few days. Tyra would
just slouch and can’t even bring herself move more than an inch. I learned how
to pray earnestly. A’s mom won’t give up though, not ready for the thought of
seeing Tyra die in front of her. So she took the matter in her own hands and gave
her Lactovital. Each dose or maybe the taste made her scream to her lungs but
she continued giving her everyday! Miraculously, she slowly recovered! I was
never a fan of supplements, but this story was an exemption and makes A’s mom a
Supermom!
Dugong
Etymology :
Nowhere or the teleserye maybe
Breed :
Askal
A love that has suddenly grown. When I took Tyra home Dugong
had become suddenly territorial. While he lead the pack of askals in our
barangay, he saw Tyra in the light of an enemy and competitor. He did not leave
the house for 2 days guarding the kitchen door preventing the pup from getting
inside. He would growl whenever Tyra gets close. As if very possessive, he will
jump on me and put around his feet around my waist that no other dog can get
near. For one, Dugong is quite protective. He would walk with us to the bus
station at any hour and won’t walk back home until our own bus leaves. If we go
home, he was the first to welcome us jumping on his feet with gladness. I was
away from home when he left but it still broke my heart into pieces.
