A Dog Named Cricket

I am coming to the party late, but this post is triggered by the Governor Kristi Noem’s story about shooting a 14-month-old puppy. I have always known that other people assigned different values, meanings, attitudes, and beliefs about dogs. But I had never heard boasts, and self-congratulations associated with those differences. Her story rocked my “dog paradigm” to the core and it has taken a long moment to respond. (For a definition of paradigm: https://tinyurl.com/3up7wcpx )

The original report by the Guardian (https://tinyurl.com/5675cuc3) tells the story, and I do not need to repeat it. There has been a tsunami of response, from across the political spectrum, most of it very negative. (https://tinyurl.com/59759e2k )

The dog, named “Cricket”, was a German Wirehaired Pointer briefly described as “The need for running in the great outdoors is a must! says one veteran owner. 'This breed will not be happy to be on the couch all day.' GWPs are bright and eager, but their independent, inquisitive nature might frustrate novice owners. Early socialization and puppy training classes are recommended and help to ensure that the dog grows into a well-adjusted, well-mannered companion. Wirehairs crave human companionship, and undesirable behaviors can result if they are regularly left alone for long periods of time.” (https://tinyurl.com/duyn5jpj )

According to Forbes, (https://tinyurl.com/3szj76cb) 66% of American households have a pet, 97% of whom consider the pet a family member. Over 65 million households have at least one dog, and 54% of dog owners have at least some regrets about having a dog, mostly about expenses.

These days, most Americans do not consider cats, horses, or dogs to be food. Other places do. We don’t see an equivalence between a horse and a cow. Is that because we have culture-heroes mounted on horses? Hi-ho, Silver! Away! Are dogs sacrosanct because of Lassie, or Balto and Togo of the Nome Diphtheria run? I do not know of American culture-hero cats, but they can be and are heroic on occasion (https://tinyurl.com/3zbww9e3). And the Ukrainians love them on the battlefields.

We don’t eat dogs, but we do outlive them. In my adult life, I have euthanized six dogs, all of whom were dependent on me to make the right decision at the right time. Those are hard, hard decisions made under stress. Almost sixty years ago, I had a dog put down before her time. That decision still eats a hole in my soul and is the foundation for the revulsion I feel about the boasts and self-congratulations of the Noem story.

I will say no more, but to quote Donald McCaig, from Nop’s Hope,

“Dogs are notorious for hope. Dogs believe that this morning, this very morning, may begin a day of fascination, easily grander than any day in the past. Perhaps the work did go badly yesterday, perhaps the humans are wild with sulks and rages, but this morning can yet be saved: don't humans understand anything?
Every morning, in dog pounds all over America, [and Kristi Noem’s house], hundreds of dogs awake to their last day with gladness in their hearts.”