Monday, December 20, 2010

Hero Dogs... and People Too

Nala, the hero pit bull
Everybody loves dogs, especially hero dogs. But if a pit bull started yanking on leash, would you give in and go where it wanted to go? Let's be honest, not even Lassie would have been all that successful if the people around her were as impatient and non-dog-following as most of us, trudging around with pooper scoopers and tight leashes, ready for the deed to be done and return indoors, or running from point A to point B with no time for dog-inspired detours. Hero dogs just wouldn't be all that successful without the people who pay enough attention to know the difference between "Squirrel!" and "Mayday!"

Here are two stories of hero dogs and people, too.

Pit bulls may be one of the least trusted of dogs, but on December 6, with snow on the ground and temperatures in the teens, a volunteer dog walker for the Redmond, Oregon, Humane Society, following the lead of a pit bull named Nala, saved the life of a blind cocker spaniel named Chadwick that had gotten lost and seemingly passed out in a ditch in the snow. The blind dog, who only a month earlier had been adopted from the same shelter from which Nala was being given a nice stretch of the legs, had escaped his new owner's home. The owners had searched desperately for the dog, but where they had failed, Nala succeeded.

As the volunteer for the Humane Society was taking Nala for her walk, the dog began to pull on her leash, something uncharacteristic for the dog. As the persistent Nala kept pulling, the volunteer finally gave in and let Nala pull him along. He followed Nala to a ditch, and there they found the small, blind, black and white dog curled up in the snow. (Read the full story. Or, if you are interested in adopting Nala, a relatively long-term resident of the shelter, visit the Redmond Humane Society.)


On October 30, Paul Horton crashed his bike on a route he had made many times before without incident. He went over the handle bars, landed on his head, and was paralyzed from the chest down. He had no way of getting help, and there was no one else in sight. But his dog, Yogi, stayed faithfully by his side, until there were people he could employ to help.

Paul's neighbors, out for a walk, could have simply ignored the barking dog, assuming it would run back to its master, or they could have caught it and taken it home, assuming the dog was simply lost. In either scenario, the paralyzed Paul might have remained hidden and died of his injuries. Fortunately, the couple that Yogi found were out for a stroll, recognized that the dog was behaving strangely, and chose to follow the normally calm, quiet dog back to his injured master.

So the next time Fido wants to wander off the trail, before tugging the chain and saying no, maybe give it a second thought. Just in case.



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Friday, December 10, 2010

Music to Give a Zombie a Kick in the Happy Pants

If you don't love music, then I'm pretty sure you're a zombie, and not just your everyday human-in-a-rut zombie, a reallio, trulio undead, apocalyptic, past-your-prime and losing-chunks-of-rotting-flesh kind of zombie. 

Music is one of the most powerful expressions of the human condition. (And actually, saying "human" condition is a bit rich on our part. I mean we've all seen those videos of birds and dogs and pussycats and crickets who make and feel the music, too.) But music is more than just a reflection of our emotions and experiences, it has the power to affect our moods, to transfigure our outlook, to heal what's hurt and broken, and to bridge the infinite distances between one human (feline, canine, cricket, creature/being) and another.

Sometimes we need the solace of music that lets us know that we are not alone in our feelings of sadness, anger, frustration, heartbreak... And sometimes we need music that can inspire, encourage, and remind us that life is beautiful, magical, and full of wonder -- music that can lift us out of a funk and make us happy.

Here are some of my favorite happifying songs (who knows, they might even give a zombie a kick in the happy pants):

And for some alternative opinions, here are some quotes on music:
“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” — Plato

“Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.” — Confucius

“When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest.” — Henry David Thoreau 

“Music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest, heals the heart and makes it whole, flows from heaven to the soul.” — Unknown