Thoughts of an “Animal Hater”

Yesterday I was accused of being an animal “hater”.   There seems to be the presumption amongst animal lovers that if you don’t fawn all over their “animaux de la journée” there is something terribly wrong with you. For some reason they assume that I am going to be as attracted to their animal as they are and if I’m not there must be something terribly wrong with me.   These same people would never expect me to exhibit that kind of behavior towards a far more important life choice, like their current lover. 

The fact is that I do like some dogs, like Chester or Bella. Both of these dogs are well behaved and friendly.   Once they have greeted me they go about their “dog business”.   I have been a dog owner and loved my dogs dearly, the operative word here being “my”. I also have owned cats and enjoy their playfulness and intelligence.   What I don’t like is the fact that I am terribly allergic and after my last cat died I decided that breathing was something that I really liked doing.

Yet there are animal owners that are completely irresponsible and it is not that I dislike their animal but I do dislike them.   My neighbor across the street thinks it is just fine to let his dog use my yard as its personal toilet.   I really dislike that neighbor.   And the folks a couple of yards over that let their dogs out all day while they are at work and the dogs bark and bark and bark.  I think they are pretty crappy neighbors.  And the people the that bring their  dogs to public events and then don’t keep track of their whereabouts assuming that I am going to enjoy having their dog  slobber on my clothes, bump into my arm or chair when I am painting, or rub up against me leaving clumps of hair behind.

No, I am not an animal hater, but people well that is a different deal all together.