Please bear with me as I expound a bit on why I don't own a pet and why I haven't owned a pet for a very long time.
Here's the tale as to why I don't have a pet...
Ever since I was a young girl, our family had dogs around the house and do you know what those dogs did? they pooped {yeah, can you believe it?}and I had to clean it up and then, to show their gratitude and loyalty and appreciation...they ran away...all the time!
I'm sure it was the very strict Italian Catholic atmosphere in our home that set them packing and I'm not sure I can blame them in the least, but it still hurt nonetheless.
When one raises dogs from a newborn pup...it tends to be quite heart wrenching when they take a hike without so much as a goodbye.
When I turned 16; several friends got together and bought me two parakeets. I didn't know anything about indoor birds and had never, ever, ever expressed a desire to own one...never mind a desire to own two. This attitude was fortified when I watched as my mom, while sunbathing in the backyard, was strafed in an aerial attack by several pigeons.
Um......yuck!
Um......yuck!
The birds I received as a gift scared the bejesus out of me because whenever I let them out of their cage they fluttered frantically against the ceiling in an attempt to escape.
I was totally un-sold on owning parakeets when I came home from school one day to find that one of the birds had cannibalized the other.
Um......yuck!
Um......yuck!
When I was 21; a lady I worked with was looking for a home for her son's hamsters.
I didn't know anything about hamsters and had never, ever, ever expressed a desire to own one...never mind two...
...but...
...being moved with compassion; I took them back to my apartment.
Back to my apartment which I rarely visited as I worked in NYC during the day and commuted home to work in Jersey at night.
I was totally un-sold on owning hampsters when I arrived home from work one evening to find that the mommy hamster had made a snack of her two offspring.
Um......yuck!
Let's see, what else?
Oh yes...I took a stray cat into that same rarely-occupied apartment.
I felt sorry for the little homeless soul.
I didn't know anything about cats. I never owned one previously and never, ever, ever in my life expressed a desire to own one.
I was totally un-sold on owning a cat when I arrived home from work to repeatedly find the little "darling" hanging by its claws...spread eagle...from my lace curtains.
I finally had to make other housing arrangements for the little princess.
A last and final incident I'll share:
While in the Air force I was stationed in the Philippines and living in a housing subdivision off base. One day I had a male friend surprise me with a present..
A "watchdog"
Sort of.
It was a watch dog wannabe.
It...was a puppy.
A cute and cuddly Golden Retriever and I named him Barney.
Barney was a pain in my you-know-what.
It wasn't his fault.
He couldn't help it that I was at work all the time.
He also couldn't help it that an influx of Communist insurgents wanting Americans out of their country sometimes kept me from getting off base and home to feed him and let him out at night.
The decision to give Barney to someone who could take better care of him came one morning after I showered.
I looked at the towel I had just dried myself with and noticed a very bloated insect.
Upon closer examination; I realized it was a tick.
A tick filled with blood.
Upon even closer examination; I realized there were ticks all over my little apartment.
They were an advancing army.
They were all over Barney.
They were all over my living room floor.
They were marching up the living room walls and entering my front door from my car port en masse.
I'd never seen anything like it and haven't ever since.
I found out from a neighbor that the ticks were a problem for dogs and especially those brought over from the U.S.
Little Barney was rushed to the Vet on base to be dipped in a solution which would prevent the tick attacks...for a short time anyway.
I didn't think it was very humane to expose the little fella to such a situation and so I gave him to someone who had the time and resources to provide him with the type of home he'd need while waiting to grow up and be the Watch Dog he was originally meant to be.
Based on these several pet ordeals...I hope you can understand the context when I say that sometimes I feel like it's sort of cruel to own animals as it prohibits their freedom to move around as they ought. To keep them penned up seems to go against their nature.
That's just my humble opinion.
I do know fully well the joy pets can bring to humans and as someone who has worked with elderly Alzheimer's patients; I also know how comforting they can be to those who have lost all their kith and kin to the grave...
...but it still doesn't change my mind.
I've already raised my children and having to be home at a certain time everyday to feed and walk a pet...it's not very appealing.
Not being able to behave with a measure of spontaneity in my life...well, I am just not a person interested in being tethered that way.
uncaged.
...the poor hamster spent its days running on a wheel...getting nowhere and yet ever trying to run from its cramped quarters.
...the birds spent their time out of the cage trying to fly through the ceiling looking for an escape hatch out into the expanse of freedom they knew lay beyond the sheet rock.
...the cat spent its time trying to pry open my windows and spring out were it not for those blasted lace curtains ensnaring its claws everytime it made the attempt.
...the dogs...well...each and every one of them spent their time trying to escape as well.
And come to think of it...
...every goldfish I ever placed in a bowl...
...and every little seahorse I purchased by sending in a self-addressed stamped envelope...
...and every ant in every ant farm...
they all met with the same demise...
...Death...
...and very likely due to boredom from being trapped and lonely.
Melodramatic...I know, but I had to make you aware of my stance on pets as I segue into the whole point of this post which is:
Local Dog Parks
I admit my ignorance.
I had no idea there was such a thing as a Dog Park.
In fact, when the Renovation of the Surfside Beach Library was complete and I drove around the perimeter to view the changes; I was stumped as to why there was a big grassy area enclosed by a chain link fence next to the parking lot.
I found out today that it's a Bark Park.
While reading about the Bark Park in Surfside Beach; I then had to find out just how many of these parks there might be in the Myrtle Beach area.
I found that there is a Barc Park in the Market Common area.
And further; I found that quite a number of folks have taken the time to write Reviews of their Barc Park experiences.
I was reading these to my daughter tonight while she was drifting off to sleep.
You know how sometimes you just get tickled by something and you're not really sure why?
Well that dynamic was at work as I read off each Review.
They just kept getting funnier and funnier.
One person wrote that they drive 48 miles each way to bring a pet dog to the Market Common Barc Park so that they can romp around and play with those of his own species.
(not the owner, the dog)
Why didn't we have these issues in the 60s and 70s when I was growing up?
Maybe its just a sign of the times, but I'm not sure what to make of it.
Anyway, I said all that to point out that there are places to take your dogs where they can find other dogs to hump and lick and sniff and brawl and take a poop with.
And while I'm at it...I'd like to also commend those Hotels which offer Dog Parks as a part of their Amenity packages.
Very, very smart.
1. Surfside Beach Bark Park
(Check out the list of rules and regulations. Makes me wonder if it's worth it just to enter a fenced in rectangle patch of grass)
2. The Barc Park @ Market Common
(The Reviews here are a great form of entertainment while you drink your morning coffee)
3. List of Dog Parks/Hotels with Dog Parks in Myrtle Beach Area
If you're aware of places which I've not included here, please drop me a line and let me know!!
I didn't know anything about hamsters and had never, ever, ever expressed a desire to own one...never mind two...
...but...
...being moved with compassion; I took them back to my apartment.
Back to my apartment which I rarely visited as I worked in NYC during the day and commuted home to work in Jersey at night.
I was totally un-sold on owning hampsters when I arrived home from work one evening to find that the mommy hamster had made a snack of her two offspring.
Um......yuck!
Let's see, what else?
Oh yes...I took a stray cat into that same rarely-occupied apartment.
I felt sorry for the little homeless soul.
I didn't know anything about cats. I never owned one previously and never, ever, ever in my life expressed a desire to own one.
I was totally un-sold on owning a cat when I arrived home from work to repeatedly find the little "darling" hanging by its claws...spread eagle...from my lace curtains.
I finally had to make other housing arrangements for the little princess.
A last and final incident I'll share:
While in the Air force I was stationed in the Philippines and living in a housing subdivision off base. One day I had a male friend surprise me with a present..
A "watchdog"
Sort of.
It was a watch dog wannabe.
It...was a puppy.
A cute and cuddly Golden Retriever and I named him Barney.
Barney was a pain in my you-know-what.
It wasn't his fault.
He couldn't help it that I was at work all the time.
He also couldn't help it that an influx of Communist insurgents wanting Americans out of their country sometimes kept me from getting off base and home to feed him and let him out at night.
The decision to give Barney to someone who could take better care of him came one morning after I showered.
I looked at the towel I had just dried myself with and noticed a very bloated insect.
Upon closer examination; I realized it was a tick.
A tick filled with blood.
Upon even closer examination; I realized there were ticks all over my little apartment.
They were an advancing army.
They were all over Barney.
They were all over my living room floor.
They were marching up the living room walls and entering my front door from my car port en masse.
I'd never seen anything like it and haven't ever since.
I found out from a neighbor that the ticks were a problem for dogs and especially those brought over from the U.S.
Little Barney was rushed to the Vet on base to be dipped in a solution which would prevent the tick attacks...for a short time anyway.
I didn't think it was very humane to expose the little fella to such a situation and so I gave him to someone who had the time and resources to provide him with the type of home he'd need while waiting to grow up and be the Watch Dog he was originally meant to be.
Based on these several pet ordeals...I hope you can understand the context when I say that sometimes I feel like it's sort of cruel to own animals as it prohibits their freedom to move around as they ought. To keep them penned up seems to go against their nature.
That's just my humble opinion.
I do know fully well the joy pets can bring to humans and as someone who has worked with elderly Alzheimer's patients; I also know how comforting they can be to those who have lost all their kith and kin to the grave...
...but it still doesn't change my mind.
I've already raised my children and having to be home at a certain time everyday to feed and walk a pet...it's not very appealing.
Not being able to behave with a measure of spontaneity in my life...well, I am just not a person interested in being tethered that way.
uncaged.
...the poor hamster spent its days running on a wheel...getting nowhere and yet ever trying to run from its cramped quarters.
...the birds spent their time out of the cage trying to fly through the ceiling looking for an escape hatch out into the expanse of freedom they knew lay beyond the sheet rock.
...the cat spent its time trying to pry open my windows and spring out were it not for those blasted lace curtains ensnaring its claws everytime it made the attempt.
...the dogs...well...each and every one of them spent their time trying to escape as well.
And come to think of it...
...every goldfish I ever placed in a bowl...
...and every little seahorse I purchased by sending in a self-addressed stamped envelope...
...and every ant in every ant farm...
they all met with the same demise...
...Death...
...and very likely due to boredom from being trapped and lonely.
Melodramatic...I know, but I had to make you aware of my stance on pets as I segue into the whole point of this post which is:
Local Dog Parks
I admit my ignorance.
I had no idea there was such a thing as a Dog Park.
In fact, when the Renovation of the Surfside Beach Library was complete and I drove around the perimeter to view the changes; I was stumped as to why there was a big grassy area enclosed by a chain link fence next to the parking lot.
I found out today that it's a Bark Park.
While reading about the Bark Park in Surfside Beach; I then had to find out just how many of these parks there might be in the Myrtle Beach area.
I found that there is a Barc Park in the Market Common area.
And further; I found that quite a number of folks have taken the time to write Reviews of their Barc Park experiences.
I was reading these to my daughter tonight while she was drifting off to sleep.
You know how sometimes you just get tickled by something and you're not really sure why?
Well that dynamic was at work as I read off each Review.
They just kept getting funnier and funnier.
One person wrote that they drive 48 miles each way to bring a pet dog to the Market Common Barc Park so that they can romp around and play with those of his own species.
(not the owner, the dog)
Why didn't we have these issues in the 60s and 70s when I was growing up?
Maybe its just a sign of the times, but I'm not sure what to make of it.
Anyway, I said all that to point out that there are places to take your dogs where they can find other dogs to hump and lick and sniff and brawl and take a poop with.
And while I'm at it...I'd like to also commend those Hotels which offer Dog Parks as a part of their Amenity packages.
Very, very smart.
1. Surfside Beach Bark Park
(Check out the list of rules and regulations. Makes me wonder if it's worth it just to enter a fenced in rectangle patch of grass)
2. The Barc Park @ Market Common
(The Reviews here are a great form of entertainment while you drink your morning coffee)
3. List of Dog Parks/Hotels with Dog Parks in Myrtle Beach Area
If you're aware of places which I've not included here, please drop me a line and let me know!!
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