You can't always get what you want...maybe you get what you need.

photo by Geoffrey Robinson

I almost got one! Yes, last week I was interviewed for a Rescue Dalmatian. The one that I had hoped to get was already gone, but I knew that it would have to be based on more than a picture. Animals, like people fall in love with one another. There are chemical reactions that take place and a mutt in a cage suddenly becomes your next pal for life.

What I will get I don't know. I want a two-year-old female but you never know what will fit when you set out to discover a rescue kennel. Taxi came from a shelter when she was about 6 months old. My then partner, wanted to buy a pet and I insisted we get a rescue pup. The shelter we visited was filled to capacity with every manner of beast all barking except for one. In a kennel was this little Dalmatian afraid of the world around her and quite still in all that raucous. We both looked at each other and immediately thought the same thing about her. Our relationship unfortunately ended and I kept Taxi whose loyalty and love would last thirteen years and continues to endure.

I will tell you that this Rescue group of people want to find homes for their Dals. They responded to me in a professional and timely manner and after they got to know me better they broke the news to me that the one I wanted was gone, but unfortunately, thanks to the cruelty of man towards beast they had another bunch coming in from which I could choose.

I am always amazed by how cruel some people can be. It amazes me what they do to children and wonder how it is that people are not licensed to have children much less animals. The reality is that some of our a species are in need of major improvement all around.

The people I spoke with explained their concerns in placing the animals and the checks that they do to ensure that, hopefully, this time around, the beast is placed in a balanced and caring home. Don't think I use the term beast in a derogatory manner; on the contrary, I use it out of affection and acknowledgment of our role as shepherds of beasts and stewards of land.

In the past I have been upset because certain rescue groups, instead of doing their jobs to investigate people they create artificial boundaries and segregate people from outside that boundary from adopting animals. This has happened to me a few times, and I still see the animals listed on Petfinder because of ill conceived organizational policies. A lawyer friend of mine explained that some organizations don't like to loose jurisdiction of an animal when it leaves a State. You must understand that a policy like that can work in California where you can drive for ten hours and be in the same state, but here in the East Coast ten hours gets me to Florida. I won't belabor it; policies need to make sense.

Yet at the same time that I say all this about policies you wonder what makes a person throw small Dalmatian pups in a dumpster for others to luckily rescue. I have a policy for anyone that would do that. Unfortunately, I can't tell you what it is.

After months of snow and some torrential downpours, Spring has returned. Plants are running the marathon to see which one will claim more territory. The first of the daffodils have appeared soon to be followed by hundreds more. After a two year absence and with any luck, I will soon bring home a new master to the garden to lay claim over all the other beasts that frequent it and protect the Kois in the pond. Whether a boy or a gal it will be a Dalmatian. I don't know what it is, I guess it was just love at first sight.