While reading Phil Gentry's story about the friend in
Missouri who keeps ferrets as hunters, I thought of a similar
experience I had several years ago. I was walking my first
ferret Hun-Hun in a park one beautiful day. He finally got
tired of slithering through the grass and scratched on my leg
to let me know he wanted to be carried. I draped him across
my shoulder and he contently watched the world go by.
I had seen out of the corner of my eye a older man watching us.
He walked up to me eyeing Hun-Hun with a look of annoyance.
He asked if the ferret was a pet and I answered yes. He replied
that he owned ferrets but they were only used for hunting and
that I had obviously "sissified" this critter and they were
not meant to be kept as pets. I just turned and walked away,
filled with anger and pity for him. He is entitled to his beliefs
but what a narrow, small world he must live in that allows no
love from a precious creature as a ferret.
     However to make a long story even longer...That same
day Hun-Hun and I were camped out under a shady tree, Hun-Hun
curled up in my lap. There was a wedding taking place in the
nearby rose garden. A little boy all dressed up in a tuxedo
spied us and came running toward us. His eyes grew wide with
delight when he saw Hun-Hun and he asked if he could pet him.
I said sure! As he reached he hesitated and then asked if Hun-Hun
would like him even if he was black. I was very saddened because
of the lost of innocence in that child. I told him that Hun-Hun
didn't care what color he was, Hun-Hun is all the colors that
we are. Black, brown and white.
     I guess the moral to the two stories are intertwined.
Animals can do so much for us. Their most important gift to us
I believe is the companionship, love and the bond they
provide to hold humanity together. Too bad some people
only question the usefulness of animals as how they can serve
us, not how we as compassionate humans can better serve the
animals.
                                  Peace and happiness to
                                  all animals and humankind
                                  in this holiday season,
                                  Judy and the black, brown
                                  and white Weezul & Teebone
 
[Posted in FML issue 0672]