We live by the ‘No Mercy’ Rule
-
This is Franklin. A friend of mine in Arizona adopted this fellow when he was no bigger than a grape (or something like that), and now he eats salads by himself.
-
Sunny belongs to Chambers Williams. From what I understand, Sunny is a cat. I’m not real familiar with cats, but I like Sunny
They are there for us. They stand behind us, making us better. They are good for our souls.
No, I’m not talking about spouses, partners, girlfriends, boyfriends, “other” friends, and bosses.
It’s our pets, people. Come on, catch up a little, will you? Spouses, partners, girlfriends, boyfriends, “other” friends, and bosses just seem to suck the “living” right out of you.
C’mon, that was good for a grin, wasn’t it?
The Courier News started promoting a “Love My Pet” thingy about a week ago. Chambers (Williams) and I posted photos of our “favorite” pets on The Courier News Facebook page letting our readers know we want to see a photo of your pet and get a little history/story/anecdote about the critter.
See, we love our pets at The Courier News.
We talk about our pets more than we do any breaking news story.
“How’s Buster?” Chambers has asked me more than one time.
“He’s Buster,” I say.
And that’s enough. Chambers has met Buster. In real life and through my stories about him. I will say this, Buster is a unique individual. He’s all puppy and snarls and sharp, pointy teeth. And Chambers is a pet-friendly kinda guy (which is putting it mildly). Paws Grooming in Clinton knows Buster as well. I’ll save that story for anoher time, but suffice to say Paws goes out of its way to work with the two of us, so Misty, thank you for making Buster welcome when I know he’s a ... Well, a Buster.
I’m not sure where I’m going with this, so I’ll stop.
How many times have you felt “down” or “blue” or “stressed” and then your pet (dog, cat, turtle, parrot, lizard) did something that made you feel better? Well, just all the time, right?
I’m including a couple of photos of some pets with this column. I’m also going to include a few resources if you think an animal is being mistreated.
You don’t want me, Chambers, or anyone else who loves their pets (and all animals) coming after you because we have a “no mercy” rule.
Seriously.
• Anderson County Animal Care and Control strives to protect the animals in our county. Please report any suspected cases of animal neglect or cruelty by calling 865-457-6244.
• Clinton Animal Control cruelty prevention and citizen complaint investigations: 865-457-3112. Office hours are from 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• City of Oliver Springs: 865-435-7274
• Oak Ridge Animal Shelter: 865-425-0794
• If you suspect animal cruelty, submit an official tip online or by phone: 800-540-SPCA (7722). The more thorough you are, the better you will equip SPCA humane officers to investigate your complaint. When reporting animal cruelty, please DO speak slowly and clearly.