Thursday, December 11, 2003

$26.00


The Friday after Thanksgiving is always one of the most-busy shopping days of the year. Retailers everywhere are counting on big sales to kick off the "Christmas" season and it's amazing what $26.00 will, or won't, buy these days.

For about $26.00 you can purchase the following:

Two large pizzas from Pizza Hut, one two-liter bottle of Coke, one order or breadsticks.
Three movie tickets.
18.5 gallons of the lowest grade of gasoline.
12 ounces of Godiva chocolate.
The latest Laurell K. Hamilton book in hardcover.
One Stila lipgloss in plum.
One spa pedicure, without tip of course.
One pair of curvy boot-cut jeans from Old Navy.

The life of one dog.

Friday I had to make one of the hardest decisions I hope I will ever have to make--the decision to put my dog, Tipsy, to sleep.

She had demodetic mange and it was slowly, but quite surely, consuming her life. She was a stray/mut who showed up one day at my place of employment. I fed her, end of story.

The decision to end a life is an agonizing one.

How can you put a price on the love and affection a four-legged companion can give you? Those brown eyes were some of the saddest and most joyful I've ever seen. I absolutely squalled at the Vet when they came to take her away. She jumped up on me, paws on my chest, panting and trying to lick my face, so very happy. She had no idea that in less than an hour her life would be over. I loved her so much. It killed me to see this disease eat away at her skin leaving nothing but open, bleeding sores and constant itching and pain. She had such a sweet, sweet, spirit about her. I've never seen a more loving dog. She used to sleep on the floor on my side of the bed so that I practically tripped over her when I got up in the morning.

She was not just an animal, she was family.

It seems to me her life should be worth more than just $26.00.