Some call them “fur babies.”
To others, they are known as “man's best friend.”
However, most people simply call them pets.
They have all of these things, but they also play an important role in many families and are treated as part of the family.
I've been thinking about pets a lot since last Saturday, when my niece Bonnie called her mother to tell her that Tonka, the dog she and her husband had owned for nearly 11 years, had died suddenly that night. .
Tonka was a big part of the family, so of course we were all upset. I laughed when he brought the ball to me to throw, but he wouldn't let go of it for me to throw. It was just a silly game, but it was part of his “welcome” when I visited.
I was amazed at how well Tonka “obeyed sit, lie down, and other commands.” Because the pets I had weren't trained that way.
This week I thought a lot about Tonka and her parents, but I also remembered two other dogs who recently passed away. One of his is a Nittany owned by my nephew Chuck his junior and his wife Kathleen, both of whom are Penn State graduates. Nittany passed away a few weeks ago.
My niece and Donna's dog, Archer, also passed away this week after an illness, and the extended family recently lost three “fur babies.”
All animals were treated like “fur babies” and received lots of hugs and attention. This is how pets should be treated.
When I think of these dogs, I think of Sadie, a dachshund who has been a part of our family since before my son was born. He lived until he was about 15 years old.
Somewhere in my memorabilia is a blue ribbon with a card stating that Sadie once won a ribbon at a Saegertown pet show for having the “loveliest family.”
We don't know how they won the title, except that other awards may have already been won. But we all loved the idea that the judges gave us that honor.
My kids also had a hamster (not my idea, definitely not my favorite) and a turtle, but they only stayed for a few days after Sadie tried to eat it.
My son also had goldfish for a very short time. He won it at the Crawford County Fair, but it only lived long enough for Ed to take it home. I don't think he even had a chance to name it. But he enjoyed it for a little while.
That's what we should do with our pets, enjoy them and love them.
Real pet owners do that. They are more than just household animals. As special as their names are, each has their own unique personality and behavior that makes them special.
I don't know why our dachshund was named Sadie, and I don't even remember if our hamsters and turtles were named, but I remember those names fondly, and this week I was reminded of them. I did.
Funny thing is, even though I didn't like hamsters and turtles, I didn't think much about them until Tonka passed away, reminding me how blessed we are with our pets.
My heart also goes to Watch (who was supposed to be a guard dog), Sniffy (who spent most of his time sniffing things), and Smiley, who probably got his name because he made his brother smile. I went back to my childhood memories.
I can't remember how I ended up owning a dog, but I remember it as part of my childhood.
I also remember when my father read a Bible verse at Watch's “funeral.”
I think it's interesting the memories we have of our pets and what they meant to us. Fun, laughter, smiles, and tears when a pet dies.
But I'm glad they were a part of our lives.
Thinking about people and their pets made me wonder about Jesus and whether he had pets as a boy.
We'll never know for sure because the Bible doesn't specifically say he did that.
I'm serious, so I googled it and found out I wasn't the only one who had this question.
According to some theologians, it is unlikely that he had any pets, as he did not come from a wealthy family and I have never heard of pets other than cats owned by wealthy people. That's what it means.
According to tradition, therefore, it appears that Jesus did not have pets. I'm sorry. Because Jesus loved humans, I think he would have made a great pet owner. Animals were created by God, so Jesus must have cherished them.
We don't know if he taught his pets tricks or how to respond to commands, but perhaps he did so when he was young, before he began his ministry.
I think he would have chosen special names like Patience, Sunshine, and Lovely that reflected not only Jesus' personality but also meaningful words.
We'll never know, and as I've often been told, “What difference does it make?” (which I often find myself thinking when I ask crazy questions like this).
Whatever their name or nickname is, “fur baby” or whatever, I know it. Our beloved pets are a gift from God, not only bringing us joy, but also reminding us that not all friends are human.
And even if they can't “talk,” they communicate their love in ways that no one but other pet owners can understand.
That's why we feel so happy to have pets in our lives.
Jean Shanley retired from the Meadville Tribune, where she served as community and society editor.
