So much emphasis is placed on the horrible things people do to animals and I am convinced that for whatever harm is done to a creature by a human is what that human would or could do to another human being. It is of my own personal opinion that lack of feeding, watering, shelter and any other act is not an act of kindness and all fall under the classification of animal cruelty. Abandonment included.
Thank goodness there ARE wonderful people in the world that see animals in the same wonder light that they see humans. These people not only spread their love and friendship among people they meet but animals as well.
Through word of mouth a few years ago a very kind person heard a heart breaking story concerning an abandoned guinea pig in a park. Immediately after work this person arrived to find the guinea pig as she was told. The poor thing had been abandoned in its cage with moldy matted bedding, old decaying vegatables and matted fur so snarled and tangled and dirty that the animal barely resembled what it was.
The guinea pig traveled to the home of this kind Samaritan where it was given a bath and some serious grooming and after awhile began to resemble the animal and loved pet it was going to be. This fluffy soft animal lived for many years in a warm, sweet smelling hibitat, snacked on only the best in vegatation and eventually learned to communicate with it's squeals and coos.
I was amazed to learn this past Christmas when this guinea pig came to visit us that these soft quiet creatures like to sleep and burrow in hammocks. And sure enough in the corner of "the guinea pigs world" was her hammock and in this hammock she'd fall asleep for the night and nap during the day. All of us had come to love this fur ball and were amused at anything this guinea pig would do.
For seven years this guinea pig had a wonderful home filled with love. She had come so far from the day she was found abandoned and almost dead in the park. She had established communication with the one person that saved her and loved her.
It's love that we pour into our pets and it's unselfish dedication that we have given them that makes it so very hard and almost imbearable to lose them in death. This 7 year old guinea pig stopped eating suddenly and was rushed to an animal emergency room. The next day it went into surgery to remove a small tumor on its neck. The tumor was successfully removed but with the probability that the animal would not make it.
The guinea pigs owner, determined to give all the comforts of home one final time, took it home to be surrounded the other family pets.
Little Iris died last night and today our hearts are so heavy. She's already being missed.
Rest In Peace "Iris Ladybug". You are missed.
