Hint: What Not To Do With Your Pet

People and their pets are funny. The animals we share our lives with become part of who we are. Those of us who have the blessing of a animal to care for are among the truly privileged.

My wife and I love our dog. She’s a rescue from the Humane Society, a sweet, slightly goofy black-lab mix that’s as loyal as an Eagle Scout. Playful, energetic, funny to watch play, and fun to cuddle with on a cold night. Our local beach restricts us taking her there for a swim, so we are planning several trips with her so she can get a good natured romp in the great outdoors. That’s what having a pet is all about, right? Quality time, good clean fun, and a bit of time in the healthy fresh air and sunshine.

But after all, she is a dog. If she got away, she could be found without much fuss. She's friendly and very playful, loves kids, and is eager to fetch. besides, she only looks intimidating until you roll her on her back and rub her belly. If the worst happened and she disappeared, reporting her loss to the authorities wouldn't be the worst thing I would have to endure in terms of my not loooking rather stupid. Agree? I figured you would.

Then what in the name of all that’s holy was this guy thinking? Link it if you please:

http://www.wtsp.com/news/watercooler/article/197516/58/Snake-escapes-after-owner-takes-it-camping

I owned a python once. Worst pet I ever owned. Refused to eat. Starved itself to death. Made a mess. Granted, I was not the most informed on keeping a snake for a pet, so I take the blame for its demise. It was a shame. But I have to admit the thought of taking my snake anywhere outside of my apartment was unfathomable. So needless to say, all of you out there can understand my extreme state of “huh?” when I read the story of a Michigan man who took his five foot long boa constrictor on a camping trip with him.  Didn’t any part of this plan seem like a bad idea to him at the time? Wasn’t there someone who could have laid out the potentialities of extreme failure and chagrin when the hapless man would have to present his sorry self to the local authorities and report his predatory snake was on the loose.

I guess not.

He assures the world that the snake is only dangerous to the small furry woodland creatures that abound in the wilderness and does not pose any threat to humans. Wow, that’s a relief. I feel bad for Rocky the Squirrel and Thumper, though.

Common sense should be put on the endangered species list. It’s dying. Quickly. Too quickly for anyone to stop the slaughter. I suppose he either did not discuss his plan or did not have any sage advice to lean on when making his vacation plans. If he did, he should reevaluate his circle of friends.

I hope the snake is recovered unharmed. The speculation that it crawled into a crevice inside the camper as related in the article is both plausible and desired for the animal’s snake. I sincerely hope we do not have another local headline “Woodsman Slays Giant Snake” in the near future. That would be a tragedy.

Isn’t this animal cruelty? Or is PETA happy that the snake once confined in human oppression and captivity is now roaming free, swallowing the forest critters that cross its reptilian path. This is one time I wished the Smurfs were real.

My advice to any reptile fancier is if you are desiring to take a campground roadie with your scaly pals, think again. And again. And again. Do you really want to have to tell Ranger Smith that your highly developed evolutionary predator is on the hunt for Yogi and Boo-Boo?

Chip Grefski