I’m sorry.

I feel the need to apologize to pet lovers, owners, and just people in general.

“Why? What did you do this time?” You may ask. It isn’t necessarily something I’ve done, it’s something us passionate pet people do ALL THE TIME. We judge. We think everyone should treat their pets exactly the way we treat ours, we think everyone should think and be just like us when it comes to pets. We think everyone should do as we do. Because We Are Right.

We’ve become so passionate that we are now extremely intolerant and just darn right hateful to those that overstep the very thin line we’ve created.

“Jennifer, what are you talking about?!”

Ok, here’s the deal. I’m anti-shock, choke, and prong collar. I don’t think they’re the best way to train or walk a dog. In my opinion they can be easily misused and considered abuse. There are a lot of trainers that swear by them, and say “When used properly they are a great tool” I don’t believe they need to be used EVER…if you have the patience to figure out what the pup needs and works around his needs you can humanely and positively train him.

With that said. I caught myself becoming a little judgmental, thinking I shouldn’t care for the pets that have owners using methods I don’t believe in. I had to reevaluate my thinking and motives. If I cut off those that use these aggressive tools I’ve cut off any ability to help change their thought patterns. If I chastise them or bully them into stopping these methods they’ll just cut me off possibly leaving the pup in the hands of another pet sitter or dog walker that may not go about things in a more positive manner. How would I be able to make a difference then?

Another example. ADOPT DONT SHOP Us passionate pet people are all about adopting and rescuing that we tend to judge those that purchase a pure bred dog or cat from a breeder. We’ve become so intolerant and hateful that we can’t recognize decent, responsible, loving, breeders and pet owners that are doing their best for the pet and or breed. We’ve become so blinded by our passion we’ve publicly shamed those that are not in and don’t deserve to be in the same puppy mill category.

I’m one that talks to my dogs and cat and to all my furclients. And I’m pretty sure they totally understand me and I even imagine them responding back in some form or fashion. I believe all animals have emotions and are very similar to us humans. What I forget is…and we all forget…they do not feel and understand things like we do. This becomes an issue when a family or person needs to re home a pet. Passionate Pet People come out of no where and have to voice their opinion. And usually in a very judgmental way. Those that say “You’re just being lazy and selfish for rehoming” Or those that say” You shouldn’t find someone to take your pet you should relinquish it to a rescue” etc. We’ve become so blinded in our passion that we don’t/can’t see a person’s (or the pet’s) current situation. We have to state our thoughts of how you should do this or that. Or how we would NEVER do this or that. And unfortunately we just don’t SEE you. When did we become so INHUMANE in our humaneness?
The whole pit bull, bully breed, certain dogs ban. That one irks me like you have no idea. Just typing that brought my claws out….Seriously. Are we really that ignorant … Still? See?! See how easy it is to become intolerant and angry? “Woosa” Ok. I do understand peoples fear, those that want to protect their little pups and their human children. But that brings me back to the whole blinded by our passion thingy. I grew up with a step mother from hell. She was a red head. And in my childish mind was evil. For a long time I stayed away from red headed women, and if I came across them I was ready to fight if need be. (really personal I know, but I need to paint a picture) It took many years, almost in my 40s to realize my step mother was only 18 trying to take care of two 7 year olds that weren’t hers and that she was clueless but really trying to be a good wife. We make these judgements by one personal experience or a friend’s personal experience that we don’t recognize how limited our thinking has become. Each dog is different. Each dog has a personality. Each owner is different. There are some (unfortunately a lot of) irresponsible owners but that doesn’t mean every dog of a certain breed is just like this one or two that you may have known or heard of.

And us bully breed advocates. We are there too. We’ve become so hateful to those that fear our babies that we actually can’t see them or their fear. We forgot that we actually have the tools to help those that fear our babies. As long as we don’t isolate and bully.

Crate training..Or NO crate training. This has become a war in certain forums.

Raw diet, kibble diet. Canned Diet. This is a heated subject…and so is Cesar Millan…OMG! I can’t tell you how many times I thought WW3 was on it’s way because of a discussion on CM.

The pet sitter world is oh so judgmental. I won’t tell you how catty us pet sitters can be. We have our opinions and everyone else should think and do just like “me”. We work with pets so much I’m afraid we’ve lost our humanity.

Pet People are passionate. We love our animals. Sometimes we’ve almost become animals within our passion. We’ve alienated our PEOPLE.

We have got to snap out of it.

So I apologize on behalf of all of us Passionate Pet People. Us judgmental pet folks. To those that have become victims of our lashings.

And here’s the kicker. Everyone of us has it buried within to become so passionate you can’t SEE the other.

So PLEASE.

STOP before you make a comment about your thoughts and opinions. PLEASE don’t alienate those that could honestly use your help.

REEVALUATE your thought patterns and techniques.

Division is not a positive tool and will not help your (our) cause.

That’s my rant for the day. I love you all (with very little acceptation HAHAH!)
And know we can all make a change, we just have to be careful how we go about it. We should be as compassionate to humans as we are to the furkids.