The RETURN of JEDI

This article was first published in Animal Scene, June 2008
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By Ninang Corie

For a neatnik like me, owning a pet is out of the question. And being childless is no reason at all because my husband and I had sealed a covenant to stay together, just the two of us, forever. But the first amendment to our covenant was ratified when I came out of the hospital after a delicate surgery. Chained near our front door was a puppy gnawing on my old slipper. With the prevalence of petty thievery in our neighborhood as the pretext, I submitted my membership to the silent majority with an understanding that the white-haired rascal would stay out of the house. Despite the black shade on both ears and half of its face that gave it a mischievous guise, the little creature canine surrendered its borrowed toy to my tugging hand. What you see is what you get in pets because, unlike humans, animals have no pretenses.

The puppy competed with the shadow of my husband. And whenever we arrive home, its brown-spotted tail would wag like an electric fan blade with matching yips and yaps to express its excitement. It shared in our food and even increased the consumption of our purified water. My husband would take time in bathing, grooming, and even nitpicking the puppy’s ears for sniping ticks. It is common knowledge that pets provide quality companionship, the reason why pets are popular with senior citizens and childless couples. A lot have been written on the therapeutic effects of caressing pets - from the cure of a simple headache to the astonishing recovery of stroke victims. In fact, some hospitals employ the so-called “pet visit” to cheer up the patients. To a pet lover, touching is the best stress reliever outside of medications.

When the puppy got sick, I didn’t have the heart to disagree with my husband in confining it to the nearest animal clinic. We were about to leave the clinic that night when we heard the puppy whining like a lost orphan. With genuine compassion, my hand reached for the steel matting of the cage. And when the puppy started licking my finger, I yielded to the fact that it had rightfully earned a place in my heart. To animals, especially pets, touching means love. Maybe that’s reason enough why some people treat their pets like an extended family member. It’s good to note that some people love pets but all pets love some people. Jedi enjoys the grooming I give her
When the puppy came back from its sabbatical, it solicited my attention blatantly by constantly following me during my gardening hour. There were times it would ignore dinner unless I supervised her feeding. And although a far cry from Saver, the local wonder dog oftenly featured in television, our puppy easily learned to obey simple commands like sit, stay and stop. Plant lovers talk to their wards but pet lovers have the advantage of eliciting a reaction most of the times. Also, pets can behave like humans when given a fair treatment like our puppy who displayed proper decorum even during meal times where it just stayed under the table with a sheepish façade.

Soon, the yips and yaps turned into menacing barks that drove away pestering solicitors and messengers alike. Often mistaken for a he because of her ruffian looks, Jedi would sometimes present to us her prized trophy of a dead rat. We would like to believe that her threatening presence foiled any thievery attempt. Pets, especially dogs, are very protective of their loved ones. They exude genuine concern in times of distress. The brawny St. Bernard dogs earned their popularity by rescuing mountain climbers in the northern part of the globe and there are heroic tales where pets have forewarned their owners of a fire breakout.

Before Jedi’s first birthday, we acquired a home that we could call our very own. The iron-grilled front porch served as a spacious kennel for Jedi whose pet name is Jeding. But in a month’s time, she got sick again. We hied to the nearest pet clinic in our town of Cainta. The vague prognosis professed the amateurism of the young vet. The next vet was better with his suspicion of bladder stones (after confining Jedi for 3 days). But the fear of an operation got the better of me so we proceeded to Makati for a second opinion. Jedi was again confined. There is truth in the saying that the dog is man’s best friend because a pet and its owner normally develop some kind of bonding. Playing coy while waiting for a bath
During Jedi’s series of confinements, her images haunted my nights. It was pathetic to see her under sedation. Her tongue suffered a big cut due to the misplaced muzzle by careless caretakers. But behind the physical pains, affection was always evident in her glassy eyes. There is that tendency in pets to reciprocate the affection showered on them regardless of the situation they are in. What compounded my worries was the idea that Jedi may have been the IOU of my redemption from the brink of death during my surgery. Superstition aside, I got a feeling that Jedi, like most dogs, would gladly offer her life just to save mine.

After several days of missing Jedi, the amiable lady vet of Animal House along Jupiter street, broke the sad news. It was finally time for Jedi to return home because she was suffering from a heart ailment and there’s no cure. Jedi was very weak so we had to carry her. But as we entered our house, Jedi’s wagging tail temporarily obliterated the hopelessness in my heart. As I lay her down near the doorway, I gave up all efforts in restraining my tears. Unknown to me, my husband had made a last ditch effort by contacting another vet in town who, just over the phone, immediately proclaimed that the dreaded distemper caused Jedi’s loss of strength and photophobia (blindness to light). Enjoying the new year joyride on Jan. 1, 2007
I used to wonder why there are people who treat their pets like their own kids. Now I know because I have been keeping a sort of diary for Jedi containing her medical records, pictures, old collars, shed hair and baby fangs. Jedi was born on the Easter Sunday of 1997 to an askal (unknown mixed breed) mother courtesy of an anonymous father. When my husband got her from my sister-in-law, the commercial of the Star Wars trilogy reissue was playing on the car’s radio. It was a coincidence that my husband was thinking of a name for the puppy that time.

Hopefully Jedi will be with us for a longer time. And I guess she would because she is enjoying our final covenant – an unconditional permit to sleep with us in our airconditioned bedroom.
Jedi's birthday in 2007

WELCOME 2009

Narrated by Epoy, Tisoy and Twinkle

Epoy: The holiday season is really hectic for us especially with the deafening sound of firecrackers which my ears couldn’t handle. I just stayed in the bedroom since the day before Christmas up to the coming of the new year. Whew, I was nearly traumatized by the acoustical torture.


Tisoy: As for me, hindi po ako takot sa putok. During the new year’s eve nga po ay nasa terrace lang ako at pinapanood ko sa paglusis sina Ninang, Ninong at Mommy ko. Of course, nagugulat din ako sa putok pero hindi talaga ako natatakot. Mabuti nga at umulan kaya hindi gaano ang ingay.

Twinkle: Pasko, konti lang ang bisita. Pero noong December 30, aba, maraming tao dahil may palaro raw sina Ninong sa mga bata. Eh naiistorbo naman ako dahil nasa tapat ng toilet sa second floor ang pugad ko. At ang ibang bisita, naku, ang te-arts, ha? Doon pa sa upper toilet gustong mag-cr. Sige, nainis na ko kaya hinabol ko sila, hihihi. Unang biktima ko yung niece ni Ninang. Susunod na biktima ko yung cousin ni Ninong na talagang nagtitili sa takot sa pagtuka ko, hahaha.


Epoy: As per our tradition, we visited Mamu for our new year joyride. Mamu is Ninang’s mother. After lunch, we proceeded to Tagaytay. Oh, my, plenty of vehicles and the road to Picnic Grove was really jampacked so we detoured back to the rotunda. How about Caleruega? That’s a monastery by the highway going to Nasugbu, Batangas. Caleruega is like a park with a church on the hilltop.
With Ninang by the Caleruega roadside parking

Tisoy: Pagpasok sa Caleruega, aba, nag-cr kaagad sina Mommy kaya ako… nag-cr na rin sa damuhan, hehehe. Maginaw po, naku, nanginginig ang buntot ko pag humahangin. Buti si Kuya Epoy laging karga ni Ninang pero ako nakatali at hatak ni Mommy ko. Pumunta pa nga kami sa hanging bridge. Ayun, medyo natakot ako dun. Tapos nagsimba kami. Bilib sila dahil behaved ako sa church.
Karga ako ni Mommy sa tapat ng Caleruega church

Twinkle: Hindi ako kasama sa Tagaytay, huhuhu, bantay bahay ako laban sa akyat bahay.

Epoy: On our way home, there were fireworks coming from Pagcor, Tagaytay. Neat, nice to see. I wasn’t afraid because we were just inside the car and I was carried by Ninang. There was a little traffic so we stopped by Max’s for dinner. The wind was punishing and worse, it was sprinkling, brrr.

BULILIT - THE DOG WITH MANY NAMES

This article was first published in Animal Scene, Sept 2008
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By Ninong Alex

Is there a caregiver for sick pets?

This idea came to my mind when an officemate of my wife gave us a pure-bred pekingese. Very cute at two months old, the energetic puppy was an instant hit in our home. But before we could even think of a name for it, our newly-acquired pet exhibited a seizure. Gasping for air, the puppy’s two big round eyes were wet with tears and its face was seeking succor with the continuous spasm of its abdomen.

We really thought it was the end until, in a stroke of luck, our maid had the mind to place the fawn-colored puppy in front of a running electric fan. In a matter of seconds, the seizure subsided. With that heroism, we officially declared our maid as the adoptive mother of Bulilit.

The next day, I had the fancy of taking our lamb-looking pet for a car ride. Placed in a small basin on the car’s floor, my diminutive companion seemed to be getting the feel of the car’s movement but before we could leave our subdivision’s gate, Bulilit exhibited another seizure.

Epoy at two months old.
My wife called up a friend for advice. The veteran dog breeder, however, made a grim pronouncement that the seizures would be more severe as time goes on and that Bulilit is lucky if it would live for a month.

Placed inside a milk carton, my wife and I watched Bulilit sleep fitfully with the comfort of the electric fan. And that second night proved to be the turning point in the puppy’s fragile life when my wife suggested to make Bulilit our nocturnal boarder. Amid my strong refusal to the idea, I couldn’t say no because I also want the puppy’s remaining days to be comfortable at the very least. That was the night that Bulilit started to sleep inside our airconditioned bedroom. And that was also the night that I felt genuine compassion for our miniature pet (hence the change in pronoun).

For the convenience of Bulilit, I bought a cage on the following day. It was actually a portable pen for fighting cocks, the one with slender green bars woven like a big cyclone mesh. After encasing it with a soft nylon screen on all sides, the cage would serve as Bulilit’s crib in the days to come. Unlike a real dog kennel, our special cage is airy, spacious and light in weight. However, the last factor proved a disadvantage after a few weeks because Bulilit would carry his kennel anywhere in the house.

Epoy with Ate Jedi and Ninang Corie
So as not to destabilize the emotional well-being of our 5-year old askal (*Jedi – our beloved askal was featured in the June 2008 issue of Animal Scene Magazine) my wife also had her join us in our bedroom at night. We were conscious of the divided attention and we also feared for the askal’s jealousy.

As protection for droppings, old newspaper served as flooring of the special cage. And small as he was, Bulilit was so smart as to learn good toilet manners in just two days. The vibrant puppy would bark or would become ambivalent whenever nature calls. But the old newspapers remained for a time as part of the acclimatization period.

Before the first week was over, I was awakened at midnight to the sound of shuffling papers. Still drowsy, I thought someone was reading the newspaper. It didn’t occur to me that I was about to witness an inconceivable scene. Jedi was near the cage, staring intently at the two pieces of torn newspaper while Bulilit was in the act of tearing a third one. Successfully producing another cigar-like piece of paper, Bulilit carefully inserted it under his cage as if offering it to Jedi. Little did we know that there was already a bonding between the two.

Due to the regular seizures, which we thought was epilepsy, Bulilit was officially renamed Epi. But it didn’t take long for Epi to become Epoy. And Epoy’s adoptive mother suddenly realized that the seizures only manifested at around noon time when the summer heat was most terrible. And so it was the heat that was causing the seizures. Our amateur prognosis was professionally confirmed by our vet. As a bonus, the vet said that the puppy will outgrow the seizures in no time at all.

Epoy was so endeared to us such that he had elicited so many pet names. His adoptive mother calls him Yoyoy, sometimes Yoyong or Yongyong, at other times Yoyok or Epyok or even Poyok or Poyong. My wife calls him Poypoy or Popoy. The kids still call him Bulilit but sometimes Pyong-pyong or Prum-prum. It seems that I’m the only one who calls him Epoy because even our vet calls him Empoy.

Aside from the seizures, another fear factor was that our askal may hurt the pekingese by accident (Jedi hadn’t shown any offensive stance though). We took great care in putting a demarcation line to separate the two dogs.

But one time we were surprised to see Jedi and Epoy both sitting by the doorstep like bosom buddies enjoying the fresh air while watching the street for passersby. We really didn’t know how that scenario came to be until Epoy made another daring escape in front of our disbelieving eyes. The intelligent puppy pushed the lightweight kennel near the step to the kitchen and after seeing a gap on the floor, Epoy slithered his body down on the kitchen floor then ran back up the living room to join his hesitant playmate. That was the time we attached soap containers to Epoy’s portable kennel in order to restrict the movement somehow.

Epoy at 2 months old with his adoptive mom
Understanding that Epoy is a lapdog, we always bear in mind that unlike Jedi, who is an askal, Epoy couldn’t use a collar. And his only place, aside from the parquet of the bedroom, was the clean concrete or anybody’s lap unless otherwise he was answering the call of nature. And he may be the only dog who gets a washing after urinating or defecating. Talk of motherly love.

And it came to pass that Epoy had shed off whatever it is that was bothering him. We now clearly understand that sheer excitement or stress coupled with unbearable heat could cause the seizure. In his regular car rides, Epoy would take the front seat beside me with the aircon vents directed at him. And if my wife was with us, Epoy would be on her lap. Of course, he had ceased using his kennel after his first birthday.

Before Epoy’s 5th birthday last June, sad news greeted us on the driveway. There was a trace of fresh blood in his urine. The high creatinine in the lab test results pointed to kidney problems. And making matters worse, there was our dog breeder friend again with his grim prognosis that Epoy would not last a month.

Epoy on his 5th birthday on June 4, 2008
Fortunately, the doomsayer was wrong again. Epoy’s condition turned for the better with the prescription diet. The vet admonished that table food is too salty for dogs. And as a complement to the salt-less diet, we are giving Epoy a daily dose of banaba and sambong tea to facilitate better circulation of fluid in the kidney. After just a week of intensive nursing, Epoy was back to his ebullient self.

A real smart dog, Epoy knows if I was off to the office because he would just give me a cold stare. But if I was just on an errand, he would run after me on my way to the garage. We surmised that Epoy could discern what type of clothes I am wearing. And, yes, he is addicted to car rides.

Even with my inborn lethargy in mornings, I don’t mind giving Epoy a regular back scratching when he wakes me up. His soft barks in the early hours serve as the adrenaline for me and my wife. The little dog with a big role in our life, that’s Bulilit.

GREETINGS to pet lovers

Epoy, the Pekingese and Jedi, the Askal

Created on this lovely day of January 6, 2009, this blog is dedicated to OUR PETS and to all other pets and, of course, pet lovers as well. Kindly post your relevant comments and keep on coming back to read new postings.

AJS
Editor

Tisoy, our mischievous spitz-pomeranian

Twinkle, our mysterious rock pigeon