All creatures great and small....

Ever since i can remember, we've always had animals in and around the house when we were growing up ....no, not the mice, rats, and cockroaches type ...but the type we raise, feed, and pet.

as early as i can remember, we've always had pet dogs at home. we usually get them as puppies and naming them was always fun. at first, we usually name them dogs according to their physical characteristics such as their color....we've had Blackie, Whitey, Brownie, and Rusty... when i came of age, i was the one giving them names ...i gave them outrageous names such as Stevie & Wonder, Istapokok, and Doo-Dee-Da & Doo-Dee-Do. when i left home and had a house at UP Los Banos, i had dogs too... Puypuy Da Kuykuy, DJ, Mak-Mak. most recently, i've had Kwang-Kwang. just about the only time the family house in Quezon City didn't have any dog was when all of us were abroad ....and even when i came back, i didn't stay there.... a cousin and her family lived there and took care of the place.

we didn't believe in putting our dogs in chains or in cages... we like them having the run of the place, in some instances, even inside the house. it is always a joy having dogs to care for and love.... however, losing them (through sickness and death or any other means) can be very heartbreaking! they invariably become members of the family ....later, they even share my bed and they sleep on my pillow above my head, by my chest to hear my heartbeat, or by my feet... when they know i'm a bit mad, we sleep back to back!

together with the dogs, we've had birds, fishes, ducks, chickens, and pigs in Quezon City. For a long time while we were growing up, we raised pigs, chinese chickens, and even quails in the backyard to augment the family income.

right now in our rented apartment, as much as i would want to, we cannot have dogs.... that's why we have a pair of african love birds and 2 fish tanks. but in Quezon City, my mom and dad have Doods (a mongrel) and my nieces have Amidala (Ala for short... a Shih Tzu). These two dogs are my "pets" for now and i see them and play with them during our weekly family dinners. i can't wait for the day when we can finally have our own dogs again!