Hurricanes and Pets

So this past Friday, as I was waiting on my $217.63 oil change, Fox News was doing a play-by-play of Hurricane Ike--aka Hurricane Catastrophe--and was interviewing the people who refused to leave Galveston, TX, which was in the direct path of the storm. Many of the good people of Galveston had taken heed to the many, many warnings and began trekking north, to higher ground and safety. Evidently they had taken the official word from the good mayor of Galveston seriously: "If you choose to stay, please tattoo your name and SSN on one of your forearms so we can identify your body later" Yet, for some reason, some of the good people of Galveston were still going to "ride out the storm."

Let me just say, that would not have been me.

This next part is really going to upset the sensibilities of my wonderful co-teacher, but I'll live. The broadcasters managed to find a woman who was remaining in Galveston, in the direct path of Hurricane Catastrophe, with the warning to tattoo identifying marks on her forearm, while the wind was whipping furiously from the ocean, and as the sea devoured the land, because she did not want to leave her two dogs.

Yes. The two dogs.

Now, here's what I don't know if she knows: dogs can swim. Dogs can swim better than people. Here is how I imagine the conversation going, if the dog also has the ability to talk.

"Rover, because Hurrican Ike is coming, and I don't want to leave you, I'm going to keep you in the house where we'll be safe. It won't matter that our house is 30 feet below sea level or that I live in a one level ranch house. I"m staying with you."

" I can swim."

I'm sure the poor dogs were staring outside, at all the other animals dashing to safety, and plotting for a way to get out. I'm sure, that in the dogs' heads, the only thought was a way to get to the water, not staying in a locked house that was sure to fill up with water and keep them all trapped inside. I'm sure the dogs were angry at this well-intentioned, poor misguided woman and wanted her to just open the door a smidgen, so they could bark for other dogs to help them get to safety.

I'm all for throwing the pets in the back of the car on our way to safety; but, if the pets won't fit, I'm also all for leaving out a bag of kibble, attaching two flippers to the back feet, and saying a prayer on their behalf--while I dashed out the door, and headed north to higher ground.

I wonder what happened to her.

*M*

PS--I totally support dogs for pets and I thought about getting a puppy last week. Dogs bark at intruders and will possibly eat one. I am 100% for single women having dogs.