Oh man! Just when I thought I was getting used to global terrorism and environmental catastrophe, there is something else to worry about. Something you get from someone you love or who loves you. Zoonoses (a name a marketer would die for) is the latest scourge I can get from my pets. My immune system has been weakened by the unconditional love of my two mini schnauzers, Zem and Zoe.
Ask anyone and they will tell you I am completely “whipped” by these two characters. I have been the willing participant with them in just about every type of bodily function one would find in a human child. They are human, aren’t they? Yes, I’ve been tongued a few times, sneezed on, and even bitten a few times during play. I lived another day.
Yes, I’ll say it! They sleep with us. You might find Zoe at dawn curled under my armpit. We share each others’ environment. I personally groom and bathe them weekly, and they have the best of vet care. Of course they don’t appreciate it—we exist for them. Surprisingly enough, I don’t live in fear. A sign hangs in our kitchen: “The more I get to know people, the more I like my dogs.”
I am an Army vet, married to a redheaded Dutch girl, ride a Harley at high speeds, drink single malt scotch, and am coming to grips with my mortality. All in all, I’ll take my chances with my dogs.
This article appears in Feb 17-24, 2011.
