Archive for the New Commentary Alert Category

Rescue: Lasting Salvation or Quick Fix?

In spite of my vow to limit my exposure to what now passes as news reporting for my mental health, it’s impossible to escape the rescue culture that is deeply entrenched in our society. The devastating earthquake in Haiti has yet again brought this to the forefront, both in its [...]

Wolves in Our Parlors, Dogs in Our Minds

Novelist Marcel Proust said that “…every reader is, while he is reading, the reader of his own self.” The same can be said of writers who, whether they want to or not, often tell the reader much more about themselves than the subject about which they write. Such [...]

A Universal Human-Companion Animal Bond Resolution
If the title makes you think that I’ve succumbed to the hyperbole that permeates all things companion animal from (gross!) canine butt-covers to adopted pets as holiday gifts, fear not. The title represents the distillation of numerous good resolutions into one that will be easy to remember even when feeling [...]

Free Holiday Gifts for Pets and Their Owners
It’s that time of year again when thoughts about holiday gifts creep into our minds more and more often. Only this year as last, finding the funds for even token gifts is out of the question for many people. But not to worry. There are several great gifts [...]

I blew it. I didn’t realize until I started to prepare the blog for this month’s commentary that I never uploaded one for last month’s. So in keeping with all the sales the economists are saying we’ll have this holiday season, this month you get two commentaries for the price of one.
First the [...]

Eating My Words: Redefining the human-companion animal bond—again

One nice thing about not being a commercial success is that I can change my mind about things as I gain more knowledge and experience. I can say “Whoa, was I wrong about that! This makes ever so much more sense!” without losing sponsors or watching the value [...]

Animal Health and Behavior and the Vista Effect
Several months ago I brought a new computer that came with a Vista operating system. Since then I have discovered that Vista’s development apparently is the result of linear more-is-better thinking. What that means is that, if the program didn’t address a particular user need to start with, [...]

Financial Hardship and the Human-Companion Animal Bond

As you may have noticed, the number of articles and reports about animals being given up or put down because their owners lack the financial wherewithal to provide for them has increased as the general economic picture has become bleaker. In virtually all of those I’ve read or heard, [...]

Companion Animals as Targets of Impolite Human Comments

We all know people who have no qualms about making hurtful or boorish remarks to others. In fact, such people are common enough in our society that learning how to deal with them gracefully is just another part of becoming a mature adult. But what’s with the people [...]

A (Sorta) Book Review of One Nation Under Dog
Years ago a friend, who is as knowledgeable in his field as I am in mine on my better days, and I were discussing books. Our conclusion was that, relative to any particular subject, there are two kinds of books. Those written from the outside in, and [...]