Teddy
Can a dog resemble both a teddy bear and President
Teddy Roosevelt at the same time? If so, Teddy is that dog. He is curious yet gentle,
protective yet warm, serious yet loving.
Upon meeting Teddy, the first quality you will notice,
besides his beautiful tiger striped brown and black coat, is his curiosity.
Every little noise and smell will catch his attention, sending his ears straight
up. He is obviously eager to see and experience the world around him. When on a
leash, he will tug a little – just wanting to smell the flowers and meet new
people. However, once he finds out where he is, he will stay protectively by
your side.
TeddyÕs selflessness is inspiring: while he is
definitely curious, he is always aware of his surroundings. Nothing goes
unnoticed with him, so he is the perfect protector. While he will do all of
this for you, he never seeks out attention (however, he secretly loves it!!).
When he meets a new person, he is purely curious and observes how they behave,
yet once you start scratching under his ears and let him get to know you, he
will melt into your side. At the same time, Teddy is, unusually, not much of a
licker or barker; he just loves for you to pet him. Although he is older, his
years give him the wisdom, bravery and tranquility to be the perfect companion.
Always aware, good with new people and animals, low
maintenance but always loving and loyal, Teddy will fit into almost any new
home. The best match would be an owner that needs some protection, comfort and
companionship, but also isnÕt afraid to reward their pet with love and
attention. If
this sounds like you, Teddy could be your perfect dog!
Because Teddy is so new to Austin Pets Alive!, we
know little about the environment in which he was raised. Since Teddy cannot
specifically tell us what happened to him before Austin Pets Alive, I will try my
best to speak for him and describe his past based on the strength and awareness
he has today.
The first time I opened my eyes, I looked straight
into hers and knew what love was. I spent about six months with my
moma before I was picked up and taken to some place where they said they could
find me a new home. Those six months
were the best of my life. She gave me the security to engage in my favorite
activity— exploration. When I needed food, my moma found me some; when I felt
tired, my moma stayed awake to watch guard; when I was sad, my moma made me
feel loved.
Then, my life changed.
Two men found us, my brothers, sisters, mom and me,
in the alley where we lived, and they separated us. I havenÕt seen my family
since, and I am now seven years old. Once the men took me to a place they
called Òthe shelter,Ó I had no one to look out for me; I had no one to find me
good food; I had no one to bathe me or pet me or love me. I had to learn to take
care of myself.
For example, I have not had a comfortable night of
sleep since I lived under my motherÕs protection. Now, I am the protector. I
sleep with my ears up so that I can detect every noise. I will not let any
threat slip by me; I will not become vulnerable. Because I am now the protector
of my own life, I cannot go exploring as often as I like. Every once in a
while, when one of the nice, familiar ladies puts me on a leash, I will let my
guard down, and I will search around for new playmates and interesting
activities—that, however, is not as often as I would like it to be.
Since being split up from my
family, I feel I do not deserve loving attention. I should have stood up and fought for my motherÕs freedom, but I failed
her. Although I miss warm hugs, rough playtimes, and ticklish scratches under
my belly and ears, I never seek out new friends. Since I lost my moma, it takes
me a while to open up to new dogs, and for that matter, people. I have only two
best friends at the shelter; we look out for each other, but I wish it were
more. I want a real companion. I want to fill the spot that I lost when I lost
my mother. I want to protect someone else in exchange for just a little bit of
love and comfort. I want all of this, and I hope for all of this, but will it
happen?
Dogs are amazing. Teddy is amazing. ÒEvery species
and every aspect of its environment h[as] to power to remind [humans] of what
they could manifest within their own life.Ó[1]
For example, our spirit animals can lead us down the correct path. My spirit
animal, the turtle, Òcan guide you on how to bring your focus back on your
core, and from this empowered position, turtle points out, you can become fully
aware of what goes on around you, without losing your sense of self, trusting
that you are protected.Ó[2] All
animals have the power to enlighten humans as long as they allow themselves to
respect every kind of animal.
Although they cannot talk, I believe that dogs can
somehow sense what people are feeling, and this is definitely Teddy. When I
first met him, I took him for a walk. A man walked past us and Teddy
immediately placed himself between this stranger and me—all to protect me.
He has a remarkable awareness of where he is and whom he is with. I first let
him smell my hand, and he immediately trusted me and defended me. He also led
me around the path we were walking on because he knew where he was.
This was the first time that I have ever really
studied a new dogÕs behaviors and personality traits. I actually enjoyed it,
but this surprised me. I did not know what to expect when I first started the
project, and I did not know if I would be able to discern what TeddyÕs special
features and qualities were. I thought he would be like every other dog. I was
scared that I would not do Teddy justice. However, I did it! I am also really
proud of myself for doing it! I purely opened my eyes to Teddy, observed him,
and played with him. He may not be the most adorable puppy at Austin Pets
Alive! or have the most loving affectionate side, but Teddy is truly a special
dog that I now have a soft spot for in my heart.
When I first saw all of the dogs in their cages at
the corner of South Congress and Gibson, I felt sad. I wish that there was a
loving and comfortable home for every dog, and I wish that dogs did not have to
live in Òalternative homesÓ because their owners do not want them or can no longer care for them. However, once I met Teddy, I started feeling a
little better about the situation. He has amazing qualities and is an inspiring
dog even though he was not raised in a ÒnormalÓ loving home. If it is possible
for Teddy to understand the importance of protection, awareness, and affection
even though he possibly never received these in his life, it is possible for animals
and people to understand these attributes without ever having experienced them.
By spending just a little bit of time with Teddy, I saw multiple, great sides
of his personality.
When I started to write the blog for Teddy, I felt
nervous but excited. I was excited because my blog could make a difference in
TeddyÕs life. Teddy is such a great, unique dog: I want to help him, but it is
possible that my blog could have no effect, and this idea scared me.
Once I started to cross the barrier between Teddy and
me, and I started writing from his perspective, the words came easy, and I had
a very good sense of how he came to be who he is today. I thought that writing
from TeddyÕs point of view would be the hardest part of the assignment, but I
think that from spending time with Teddy, I really connected with him and
understood how he thinks. It is true, as Adam Smith suggested, that Òwe have no
immediate experience of what other men feel, we can form no idea of the manner
in which they are affected, but by conceiving what we ourselves should feel in
the like situation.Ó[3] By
just observing Teddy, I noticed his curiosity, protectiveness, and how he was
first distant and then warmed up to me. From identifying with his
characteristics, I was then able to put myself in his place and write from his
perspective.
This project was truly informative. I had no idea
that I had the ability to understand a dog like I understood Teddy. I did not
realize how important it is for all humans to have sympathetic imagination and
Òthe feeling or emotion, when a person is moved by the suffering or distress of
another, and the desire to relieve it.Ó[4] If we do not have sympathetic imagination, we cannot
connect to other beings and we cannot understand what they are going through. Once
we can acknowledge and understand other animals, we can learn great things from
them. This was my first true experience with sympathetic imagination, and I
learned more than I can describe.
Honestly, after this experience, I want to continue
visiting and playing with dogs at Austin Pets Alive! I believe that at least a
little bit of attention will give these dogs the strength to keep hoping for a
new home. I hope that sharing my love will give them and teach them the ability
to love their new family.
Appendix for Rhiannon at
Austin Pets Alive!
[See attached print out of
this blog and pictures published on austinpetsalive.org]
Rhiannon:
Independent – Affectionate – Calm
Right now, Rhiannon
needs a little love: her motherÕs house burned down in the September Bastrop
fire. Her mom had no other choice but to ask APA to help Rhiannon find a new
family.
Rhiannon is a
beautifully independent cat, so she would be much happier with someone that
only wants one cat. Her velvety, dark tortoiseshell-colored coat stands out in
a unique way, and she is perfectly content lounging by herself. Rhiannon is
also affectionate and playful when she needs some lovin'. Rhiannon is a very
sweet girl, but when she is not in the mood to be held or played with, she can
be a bit skittish. YouÕll know sheÕs ready to cuddle and be loved when she
scratches her heads against your shoes or when she slides your arm across her
back to get your attention. Otherwise, she will keep to herself and live her
life the way she wants too: lounging on her bed and eating her favorite treats.
She is very calm but aware around people while she is okay with dogs.
Even though Rhiannon is
older, this black and blonde tortie cat has lots of love to give. Just let her
be in the mood to play or cuddle, and she will return all the love you give
her: this is because she will know that you saved her. Her quick love licks
will remind you that you will always have a best friend by your side. Although
she misses her old home in Bastrop, she is looking for a new family, and she is
ready and willing to bond with a new parent!
All APA! foster
kittens/cats are litter box trained, tested for FeLV/FIV, spayed/neutered,
vaccinated, treated for worms/fleas, microchipped and come with a 30-day health
insurance plan.
If you have additional questions about Rhiannon, please
send an email to adopt@austinpetsalive.org.
URL for blog (including
first draft of Project 1:Teddy; TeddyÕs pictures and video; RhiannonÕs Bio for
APA!; RhiannonÕs pictures and videos):
URL for TeddyÕs video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msMlJ2n1oCc
Word Counts:
Teddy:
á
Total Word Count
without quotes: 1573
á
Total Word Count
with quotes: 1696
List of Illustrations:
1.
At the corner of
South Congress and Gibson, Teddy and I went for a walk. [5]
2.
TeddyÕs Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msMlJ2n1oCc [6]
3.
Teddy is very
interested in everything around him. When I pulled out my camera, he
immediately looked up at me. [7]
4.
Here, Teddy is
paying close attention to everything going on around him: he closely watches
the other dogs and people. [8]
5. Rhiannon
lounges on her play tower and gives herself a quick bath. [9]
6. RhiannonÕs
independence is the thing that makes her stand out; she does not mind being
along and observing everything around her. [10]