Aba! I exclaim to myself. Now even dogs are babies but yes this is America. The first time I experienced this it blew my mind when a panel member at a conference described her family as her dog who loved a lot of attention and needed a new blanket.
Then I remembered our family dog which my father bought from that Achimota place where dogs are sold by the roadside and performed a naming ceremony on his way home simply announcing to the household the arrival of Patience.
Here comes Papa entering the house with Patience, walks into the kitchen and from the watchful eyes of his mate goes in to take Nido milk and make a good shake for Patience. Pla, pla and after two attempts our new pet walks away. Not even the petting and cajoling skills of the poor man would make Patience enjoy our valued Nido milk shake. Then later in the evening my mama decides to put two morsels of fufu near her seat for Patience and with the speed of lightning he swallows the first two and many more to follow. Nima ‘kraman’ versus milk? You must be joking.
Unlike my Patience, the pets (dogs and cats) in this country are really pampered. They wear designer clothes- skirts, shorts, blouses and suits. More people are actually getting into designing pet clothing because apparently it makes good money. One website (darlingpetboutique) even has dog sweaters, jackets, T-shirts to fit “XXS to XXL Dogs”. So whether the dog is ‘obolo’ or ‘atiaa’ there are sizes for all.
There are special beds and blankets just for pets. It is so cozy sometimes you may wish you were only smaller and the designer blanket costs about 100 dollars. Then there are special toys that can be bought from animal stores for your ‘baby’ to play with.
What blew my mind was the animal police and animal courts.
Talking about animal police, I am making a recommendation for the immediate ‘deportation’ of Ernest Debrah, the minister for Food and Agriculture for suggesting before parliament that all “unlicensed stray dogs are to be confiscated and destroyed”. What license if I may ask? That is where the animal police will be valuable- policemen trained for dogs and cats and if you find a stray animal just call them and they come rushing with their phones and gadgets ready to take the stray animal into one of the hundreds of animal shelters dotted around this country where they can be put up for adoption.
There is a television commercial which is so emotional you would think it is soliciting help for abandoned children but no, it is for dog adoption. I stopped listening because it infuriated me- ah when we are talking about human beings then ‘kraman’ but well this is America. But that is what dog welfare officials do for a living- look for homes for dogs to be adopted into. America the beautiful!
Then there are the animal courts where animal disputes are settled. Trained lawyers and judges in their gowns go and argue about which animal scared the other and which one is a bully and then fines are imposed. Wonderful America!
Online legal services abound which litigate on behalf of dogs, cats, mice, lizards and ‘bola’ birds which “face daunting legal disadvantages”. So if the dogs that Mr. Debrah wants to ‘demolish’ need legal services I am ever ready to find lawyers to defend their rights to bark and run amok into the gutters of Ghana like my former dog Patience (former because it walked out when the house gate was left open and never came back) and dash into our living rooms posting a different complexion and requiring immediate shampooing. That is their right and I will not allow this to be taken from them.
With only a couple of months left for me to graduate I am beginning to regret having ‘chewed’ book all this while when I could simply work as a dog walker or be a dog day care provider with special discount rates for bed and breakfast. If people go to work I will walk their dogs to enjoy some fresh air or keep them in my home, feed and bathe them if my services are contracted for days.
That is America, where families can be defined to be one human being and a rabbit or a parrot. The next time you hear someone talk about their family please remember to ask whether it is the wow-wow family or the meow-meow one and you will appreciate why I disagree with Mr. Debrah about his ‘demolition’ of Ghanaian dogs. Please go to the embassy and look for the ‘animals’ consular and just secure visas for them for they will be valuable assets here.
Want to have a feel? Just google dog services or dog day care and you will be amazed at the range of services available – anyone looking to be in my dog care business? Just sign on.
I was sorry to read about your views on the animal kingdom (said between the lines). While I agree that in Abrokyire, they treat their dogs much like a human being, I disagree with you on the treatment of animals by a large part of the Ghanaian peoples. I have seen much cruelty to animals and I do not encourage it, especially on a national basis. There is in the bible a saint, who goes by the name of Francis of Asisi. He is the Saint for Animals. It would be good to remember that.
ReplyDeleteMaybe your dog left for a reason. Maybe she wanted a bowl for her own, and not just scraps that were thrown on the floor for her. Those of us that have an animal depended on us for it's existance must treat it with respect. Without animals in this world, we would have no food, and no 'wonders'. Please, it's good to make fun, but cruelty must not be hinted at, even vaguely!