The least attractive animal

After reading the column my friend Laura wrote about Wylie, her constant companion, I thought one of my tributes to seniors and otherwise not perfect animals was in order.

You see, I am attracted to the underdogs. The animals which humans have, for one reason or another, rejected. It could be because of their age or maybe a disability. Show me a dog who is deaf, I am all over that. Blind doesn't faze me.

Every day, all over the United States, dogs and cats are killed because they are not perfect. They may be considered too old although old is a relative term to me. They may be missing a leg, be blind or deaf and the common thought of many shelters is they are unadoptable. I say this: They are wrong.

There is no perfect dog because perfect means different things to different people. Some people love long-haired dogs. Some people wouldn't have a long-haired dog for anything. Some folks are attracted to the short-haired bully breeds while other like the long look of a greyhound or whippet.

Like Wylie, Laura's dog, my Buzz was one of the rejected throw-aways. He was old, heartworm positive, skinny, covered in vermin and no one wanted him. Day after day I watched him lay on his bed and watch. He watched as everyone walked past his kennel. He did not show a personality at all. In fact, I wondered if he even knew how cute he was. (most dogs do)

Adopting Buzz was one of the best decisions I ever made. He will be 9 in December. He is no longer skinny and besides taking a thyroid pill once a day, relatively healthy.

So if you are planning on adopting a new companion and family member, please don't overlook those animals which might fall under your radar. The older, not so perfect pet might just end up perfect in your eyes. The alternative for many of these animals is death.