Origins

     Ms. Hall has been with us from the beginning.  Having a soft spot for kitties has led her to feed many a stray.  Some she found homes for, a few she kept.  Among them was Apple, a long-haired calico with a mind of her own.  Apple's long hair requires extra attention.  She comes to see Amanda and only Amanda pretty regularly.  Amanda is patient with Apple who has a very strong personality.  She doesn't always like to be touched and would prefer to stay at home on her cushy round bed.

     I asked Ms. Hall how she came up with the name Apple. 

     "She came from the shelter with that name," Ms. Hall replied, reflecting for a moment.  "They told me she was returned......twice."  "I kept her and I kept the name."  Ms. Hall doesn't mind Apple's attitude.  She understands it and her commitment to Apple is firm.

     Ms. Ragsdale has a retriever mix named Finn that she adopted six years ago.  Recently she stood at the front counter after his annual exam.  I asked her how she settled on the name Finn.

     "I love that dog," she began.  "He's such a great dog."  "He's the type that's happy to see you when you walk in the door and he loves to play."  She went on to describe how Finn liked to cuddle and play with her cat Scooter and his successful attempts to snuggle up to family members on a regular basis.

     "Of course, he doesn't listen," she went on.  "If he were to get away from me outside, he would take off and it would be a huge effort for the next hour to round him up."  I nodded in agreement, having a dog myself who behaved in a similar fashion.  "If I call him he'll ignore me and just keep going," Ms. Ragsdale said shaking her head.  "He's the best dog, he really is so loving, but if he gets a chance to run loose he won't listen to me."

     "He came from the shelter with the name Finn," Ms. Ragsdale said.  Since he was a few years old it didn't fell right to change it."

     So many of our clients have adopted what they often describe as "the best dog ever" or "the sweetest cat" from various shelters or rescues.  Many keep the name their pet comes with in the hopes of making them more comfortable.  Apple has a "strong personality" and Finn doesn't always listen.  But they will always be Apple and Finn.  And we wouldn't have it any other way.

Bella's Byline

     My time observing this past week has left me puzzled.  It was mid-morning on a Thursday, and even though my next nap was overdue, I was quiet taken with a perky dachshund that came in with Cassidy.  She sat down with him on the floor to start trimming his nails.  Curious that he possessed such a spring in his step, I moved close to Cassidy and sat down on the floor to watch.  The dachshund started wiggling and squirming in her lap.

     "Calm down Ernie," she said.  "You're O.K. I promise."  Then she looked at me.  I moved closer to help calm my new friend Ernie.  He wiggled even more.  Cassidy got up and moved to another spot with him.  I followed them.  More wiggling ensued.

     "Bella, you're making Ernie nervous," Cassidy told me.  I stared at both of them.  Insulted by the suggestion that I was causing Ernie to be nervous, I got up and walked away, whipping my tail back and forth as I went.  I noticed Amanda lifting a French bulldog into the bathtub.  Shocked that I wasn't falling asleep on my feet, I decided to go over and investigate.

     I stood to Amanda's left as she started the water.

     "There you go," she soothed, "its O.K., you're O.K. good girl."  I jumped up on the towel cart that was positioned next to the tub for a better view.  The bulldog's skin was red and inflamed.  Large red bumps covered her chin.

     "I know Irma," Amanda said as she applied some medicated shampoo.  "This will help."  "What a good girl!"  I watched as Amanda gently lathered up the shampoo and massaged Irma all over.  She covered every inch of her and handled her carefully; sensitive to the discomfort she was in.  She talked to her and pet her as the shampoo set in to do its work and told her repeatedly what a good girl she was as she rinsed her off.  When Amanda left to get a towel, I stared at Irma trying to decide where to begin. 

     First, I licked my paw and worked on my right ear in an attempt to show poor Irma my cleaning methods.  Despite my fatigue, I showed her how I can stretch my neck in order to make long, cleansing licks to clean the front of my chest and upper legs.  Although I was not in need of a bath, I licked my paws and worked in between each toe thoroughly to school Irma on how to prevent this condition she was in.  I stared at her for some sign that she understood.  She stood very still with her mouth open and looked at me.  Then she threw up in the tub.

     "You poor girl!"  "What happened sweetheart?"  "Are you nervous?" Amanda soothed, hurrying over to Irma.  I stared in disbelief at Irma, attempting to be sympathetic to her predicament while at the same time resisting a very strong urge to swat her with my paw.  I jumped down from the towel cart and made my way over to Jo Anne who was taking inventory of the prescription food to see what we needed to order.

     "You keep out of this Missy," Jo Anne said to me as I watched her.  I arched my back and brushed up against her leg.  Then I sat down and stared at the food bags.  There was a time that I could roam freely at night when the clinic was dark and everyone had gone home.  I could race up and down the halls and sit in Dr. Bonda's chair.  I could visit with those that were boarding with us and share stories.  I could explore to my heart's content.

     Then, one night, I decided to help inspect the cat food.  I jumped up on one of the neat stacks of Feline Hairball Control, chewed open one corner of a bag and tried a little.  It was delicious.  The next night I helped myself to the Optimal Care Formula which I also found tasty.  The third night I tried Science Diet Kitten Formula and it was out of this world.  But the very next day, when it was time to close up, Sheri came and scooped me up.  She carried me to my "house," (I won't allow anyone to call it a cage) placed me inmy bed and closed the door.

     I watched as the girls taped up the bags I had opened and shook their heads at me.  I gave them my best look of shock that I should be punished for helping with the progress of the clinic.  Hadn't they ever heard of taste tests?  Shouldn't I be applauded for my efforts?  I shivered at the thought of how misunderstood I was, at the injustice of it all. 

     Puzzled by Ernie's squirming, Irma's reaction to my bathing lesson and the consequences that led me to be stripped of my free roaming at night, I decided the best thing to do to ease my mind was to sleep.

Origins

     How do we name our pets?  The origin of each pet name varies from person to person and from family to family.  Some stay strictly with foods like Ginger and Biscuit.  Some use names like Daisy Mae and Elly May that came from favorite TV shows they grew up with.  One client shared with me her love of old movies which resulted in one cat named Audrey and another named William.

     Lots of clients stick with the name their pet came with when they rescued or adopted them from a local pet shelter.  They are sensitive to the pets' needs and the thought of changing a name the animal is familiar with won't work.  That's where names like Mr. Jingles and Lilac and A.J. come from.  Some I've talked to picked names of candy, resulting in cats called Kit Kat and Skittles.  Some study the physical characteristics of their pet.  A bunny with long hair in both light and dark shades of gray could be named nothing other than Smokey.

     Since pets are family, it makes sense that some like to pass on the name of a loved one who has left us.  Others come up with a name they like, such as Shilo or Xavier and the pet naturally responds.  We know a cat named Junior who was named after the Nascar driver and a dog named Beezus, named after the character in the beloved series of children's books by Beverly Cleary.

     When Jo Anne's daughter was younger, she would spend time with her father in his shop.  He would work on a variety of cars, repairing them, re-building them and painting them.  The time they spent together was special.  When a new cat came to the family, Jo Anne's daughter named him Makita.  Makita slept on her bed and got comfortable in her closet.  Makita was a best friend.  The name Makita came from a tool that was in her father's shop.  It was a name that was passed from their special time together to a precious kitty. 

     The word origin is defined as "the point or place where something begins."  Pet names can represent foods and characters and movie stars, candies and loved ones that have gone before us.  We name them after athletes and heroes and memories.  They are where love begins.

Bella's Byline

     It's been a full day for me patrolling the clinic. The one they call "Doctor" smiled at me this morning. I ran away from him  immediately. I know he wants to give me shots and examine my limbs to maintain my health. Although this is supposed to be good for me, I do not wish to participate. I will maintain my practice of fleeing when he approaches.

     No one appreciated me lying down on the appointment book this morning. They kept moving me to write in it. I merely wanted to cover up the names of all the pets so that none of their appointments could be cancelled. I like to observe others when they come to see the doctor. I even cleaned myself for half an hour while I covered up the book. At least Jo Anne appreciated that. She scratched behind my ears for a while.

     A very nice client brought in a fruit basket for everyone and a brand new bed for me. Everyone showed it to me and pointed at it. I stared at it for a full ten minutes to show my appreciation. Then I crawled under the front desk and stuffed myself into an old box I like and fell asleep. When I woke everyone was at lunch. I climbed out of my box and stretched. Then I headed to the lunch table to begin staring. I was offered bits of cheese and a piece of ham even though I know someone had a tuna fish sandwich. I could smell it from where I sat on the floor. I stared at the offensive offerings in an attempt to hold out for some tuna. When this did not work, I ate the piece of ham and stalked off.

     I made my way over to a jack russel who was boarding with us. He started barking at me, so I sat down in front of his cage so we could get to know each other better. This seemed to anger him. He continued to bark and then he kicked his water bowl, causing some of the water to splash my paw. Although I like to befriend all pets that come to stay with us, I do not like to be splashed, so I wished him well and left, reminding myself that I would have to set aside ample time to clean my paw thoroughly. This would interfere with my next nap, but it's all in a day's work for me.

     As I walked past the next cage I noticed another boarder, a collie, who wagged and smiled in my direction. I gave him my best welcome stare and told him how distinguished he looked in his Thundershirt. Courtney came over to give him some jerky treats. I smiled at the collie but glared at Courtney a little just in case she was the one who hadn't shared her tuna with me. I stayed with the collie for a while until he curled up and looked sleepy. Then I decided to do the same.

Rescue

What does it mean to be rescued? According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of rescue is, "to free or save from confinement, danger or evil."

When Napier's Horse and Animal Sanctuary was raided, over three hundred animals were removed. As their ordeal began, they waited to be discovered. Once they were, they endured until action was taken. As the process of removing them from squalid conditions began, they laid their fate in the hands of those who moved in to treat them. Our very own Dr. Bonda was there to administer medical attention during this rescue. He donated his time and his services to the effort. He laid his hands on several animals; seventy in all. According to Dr. Bonda, he observed no aggression among those he treated; no intent to harm. There was only fear; clear evidence that these animals had come from a state of hopelessness and despair into a new arena of hope.

I think it's safe to say a rescue is a journey. Once the confinement and danger are removed, there is room for renewal. Once safe, a pet can heal from the trauma experienced and go on to become a precious, loving animal full of gratitude. Dr. Bonda found all the animals he treated to be adoptable. Please consider a rescue when thinking of adding a pet to your household. With a little time and patience, you can take a wonderful journey with them; from the darkness into the light.