April 9. Day 99. Barking mad

In the scrum at the dog park

"They're not compulsory, you know." These were the wise words of a now departed family friend of ours. Dogs. No-one is holding a gun against your head and demanding you sign on to pet ownership. She'd say it with each expensive vet treatment, or bill to replace something a pet had destroyed or when her heart was shattered at the death of a beloved fur friend. It is totally voluntary. In the past 24 hours I have been presented with many a good reason to revoke the fur friend agreement or at very least the unpaid contract to house sit a certain beagle. I thought the fire brigade might need to be called in when he became wedged between a water bed and the wall. We managed to get him out. Barely missing a beat he chewed up a shoe or two and then to seal the deal managed to steal a printer refill cartridge and treat it as a chew toy on the carpet. Black ink and pale carpet are not friends and in that moment nor were Fed and I. But it didn't last. Within an hour he was out of the dog house and curled up in the small of my back in bed. Dogs are always pleased to see you and that alone ensures their survival. In any case you can't remain mad with a creature that doesn't know what a printer cartridge is and just wants to play. It may be barking mad but dogs repay you in love for all the bills and the heartache they cause. No-one is holding a gun against my head. In fact, I'm not sure I would surrender the dogs even if they were....