My wife can watch a news report about 100 innocent people being slaughtered without visibly responding, but if she sees someone kick a dog in a movie, she becomes visibly shaken and upset and has to turn her head. I haven't told her about Michael Vick, and I don't think I will. I know she won't be able to handle it. There's something about people and dogs.
It must be the centuries of loyal companionship that makes it easier for us to hear about a person being murdered than a dog being killed. Much like we've bred dogs to protect and serve us, we're bred to care for them and treat them as members of our family. It's easy to dislike a person, but it's difficult to dislike a dog. I can vouch for this fact from personal experience.
I never wanted a dog. Shortly after we got married 11.5 years ago, Taryn begged me to let her get a puppy. I stopped fighting it and we bought Booner, a Maltese/Yorkie blend. I always thought of Booner as Taryn's dog, even though I've shared the bed with Booner every night for 11 years. Although she still looks like a puppy, Booner is getting older and I know she won't be around forever. I often joke about the day we get our freedom back, but the fact is I know I'll miss her. She's always there, she's awfully loyal and she's a part of the family.
