Chocolate or vanilla?  That is the question of the day.

The day being our one year anniversary!

By way of celebrating ‘Tails are wagging,’ I baked three dozen cupcakes, another three dozen ‘mini cupcakes,’ and countless dozens of peanut butter, molasses dog treats (recipe compliments of ‘The Doggy Dessert Chef’) to share with friends and supporters.  As I mixed, poured, rolled and iced, the aphorism ‘you can’t have your cake and eat it too,’ came to mind.  The saying rolled around my mind, keeping time with my whisk as I contemplated its meaning.  I decided it did not apply to me, one lick.

Tails are wagging was born out of need: the need to release emotional upset, frustration, anger, and at times, the feeling of complete and utter helplessness.  I grew up on a soy-bean farm.  Our animals were our friends, and we treated them well.  After becoming a pet-owner as an adult, in the real world, I soon learned of the abuse, neglect and unimaginable conditions some animals endure.  I became an ambassador for the animals.  Any animal I learned of that needed someone to fight in their corner.  When you decide to take on that role, that challenge, you open yourself up to a plethora of evil, darkness and ugliness: puppy mills, dog-fighting, culling and hoarding to name a few.  As I look back through the posts, I notice a ‘transition’ within the writings.  Even though the subject matter/cause remains commensurable, the translation seems less angry, less hostile.

I credit the change of style to some of the most incredible individuals, organizations, and animals I have met along this journey: people, who fight battles on a daily basis, and remain hopeful and optimistic and animals, that experience unimaginable cruelty and hardships, yet learn to adapt, trust and enjoy life.

I have also learned, along the way, that more doors open when you leave judgment behind.  I admit, I carry a ‘Hobo’ style handbag some days, and stuff it away temporarily.  I also can’t promise that if I ever met a certain man named ‘Michael’, I wouldn’t use the bag full of judgment to swing!  People do not want to be judged and, under scrutiny, they become defensive.  Sometimes, we are able to make more of a difference by focusing less on the fact that ‘the thing’ has happened and how, or whose fault, and more on what can be done to prevent it from happening again, and make a difference to the situation: the opportunity, that has presented itself at this moment.  This doesn’t mean we won’t be upset, of course.

As I enter another year, I do so with a completely different mindset.  I’m excited about the opportunities that may present themselves and the chance to contribute to different causes.  I’m eager to meet even more like-minded individuals: via the internet, at pet shows, workshops, volunteering and at fundraising events.  I look forward to sharing information and ideas with other animal companions, and a willing, welcoming audience.  I hope to learn what I can from the personal experiences of these individuals, and specialists.  I realize I’m not part of a minority at all.  Vast numbers of individuals are working extremely hard, every single day to make positive changes for our animal companions.

This little dog blog has been instrumental in the establishment of many new relationships and opportunities for which I am extremely grateful.  I start each day with the intention of being open to new ideas that might be of interest to others.  Gathering information, to include in future posts, engages me in the most interesting conversations with some very interesting people.

Thank you for being a part of this journey.  When the goodies are all gone, I look around and see those that celebrate with me.  I feel I can have my cake and eat it too.  I wish I could hand-deliver cupcakes to you all.  If this were possible, I wonder: would you choose chocolate, or vanilla?

I would love to hear your favourite happy-ending, animal-companion story of hope, and/or goodwill.

Thank you,
S.M.& Co.