Close Animal Encounters
Posted at 5:30 AM on May 22, 2009
by Dale Connelly
(36 Comments)
Whenever we get a little frustrated with our human counterparts, it can be theraputic to spend a bit of time with animals.
Kay sent photos from her vacation visit with rescue animals at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. The sanctuary website says about 1,700 animals are living there at any one time, mostly dogs and cats, but there are horses, birds, burros, rabbits, goats, farm animals and "an assortment of other creatures." Including two-legged volunteers.
Kay said befriending the other volunteers is easy. "Ask 'Do you have any pets?' and that pretty much gets you all the way through lunch." Establishing animal relationships is even simpler. She claims to have forged personal friendships with 'about 35 cats' so far.
What's amazing is the remoteness of the location and the willingness of people to make the trip. The fastest way from here to Kanab is to fly to Las Vegas and then drive four hours.
And from the looks of it, this canine is also willing to be Kay's BFF. It makes me wonder what procedures the sanctuary has for prying long-distance volunteers loose and getting them out the door when it's time to go home. Bouncers? Crowbars?
By contrast, Mark, traveling to South Dakota to attend a graduation, attempted to cozy up to a random goat he spotted in Sioux Falls.
Apparently they did not bond.
"No amount of cajoling could bring the goat to even so much as acknowledge that I existed," he said, "though there were some kids who got to sit on it and that seemed to bring a sparkle to it's eye!"
No adoption occured.
I'm pretty sure the goat is still there.
Speaking of twinkling eyes, I felt a glimmer of recognition when I spotted this little cutie earlier in the week. I'm not sure where we've met before.
Former pet? Distant relative?
Anyone else talk to the animals this week?
Comments (36)
wow, Kay - thank you for your care and love for animals. and thanks for the dedication (and, i think, courage) to spend time giving back to these critters that give so much to us.
and Mark - nice goat - looks a bit like Picasso's "Pregnant Goat" and a nice idea for street fun for the kids. in the flesh goats probably wouldn't let kids ride (for long, anyway)
Dale, that tail doesn't say "relative" to me, but hey, what do i know?
Donna, this should be a happy blog day - i'll be reading later but for now i'm going out to enjoy the day with my little herd. As big as Dream is, i think it will be a much larger herd soon.......
Dale and Mike,
Thanks for the PAIR of Toots's - two Tootsies, I guess! I liked the whistling - didn't know he did that too. I can't whistle a note - just wind comes out. :-
I was lucky enough to hear Toots Thielemans at the old Dakota at Bandana Square - with Kathy - and it was a wonderful, enchanting evening. He's a real legend, I agree, Dale.
Everyone have a great weekend - I'll be out in the veggie garden and setting up the hose network. And thank you to all who serve or have served this country - Happy Memorial Day.
Happy Friday, all! The office firewall changes I had to make at work this morning didn't even break my streaming of the show, and I choose to take this as a sign that Friday is going to be a good day.
"Would You Like To Swing On A Star" comes to mind from reading the blog entry, though perhaps encompassing a little less friendly attitude towards the creatures than is demonstrated here.
Ida probably never imagined that her introduction to humanity would so shake the world that she would make a surprise appearance on Google's main page that day! ;-)
Wishing all a great weekend!
CUTE animal pictures, Kay. What a nice way to "spend" your vacation.
Talking to the animals? First, there's my kitty, Isis, who is quite vocal back at me. Then I've scolded some cheeky squirrels and crows; sang "Cheer, cheer, cheer" to a cardinal last evening; and greeted the three fattening rabbits in my back yard. With those tall brown ears, I'm convinced the bunnies are listening to RH this morning, coming thru the open window.
Hi All,
It's been a while since I've visited with the RH community but I had to respond to today's topic.
I'm more plant-oriented than animal so I took a part-time temporary job working in what other's call a garden center but I call a "plant adoption" center. For a small fee people can adopt the plants of their choice while I spend the day feeding, watering and grooming the adoptees. It's the perfect environment for me. Now I have to go get ready for the biggest "plant adoption" weekend of the season. Hope everyone has a safe Memorial Day weekend - and get out there and adopt a few plants for your home!
Good for you Kay -- and those are such cute pictures. I think Dale had a good question -- how can you leave without packing several cute pets in your luggage!?
No pets for me -- I enjoy other people's animals -- sometimes. The extent of my animal conversation is yelling at the barking dog next door (only once), mimicking bird calls and talking to teenage boys (they're not really animals!).
But it sure is fun listening to other folks talk to their pets. Just think of the way you talk to your pet, divulging your deepest secrets, sharing things in private you can't say out loud to people ...
What animals did I talk to this week? Hmmm...well, I feed horses, chickens, cats and a dog twice a day, so we always have conversations around the food. A couple new kittens get special attention in the (vain?) hope I can socialize them in spite of their feral mother.
But my deaf dog gets most of my attention...well, he wasn't always deaf, so just habit, I suppose, keeps me talking to him as if he were my human buddy as I always have.
Since my two bee colonies arrived last Friday, they are my latest fascination...I don't say much to them, but I do spend a bit of time just watching them come and go.
Remember TJ's in Mahtowa tomorrow...Barb and I will be looking for you. Have a good long one all.
what, no ooohs and aaahs about the cuteness of the puppy???
morning, all! thanks, dale, for giving best friends some "airtime"! it's a great place--with kindness and compassion as their guiding principle.
i suppose what actually gets people out the door is the amount of work it takes to care for so many animals and the difficulty of choosing one of many to adopt...
but many, many volunteers go home with a new critter. one of the cool things they do is allow volunteers to take animals on overnights, and many area motels/hotels allow it. so you can take your potential new buddy on a test run or just let a dog or cat have a break from the crowd scene and give him/her some nice one-on-one time.
i talked the most this week with a cranky old tom named papa, a big tabby with a crooked tail. he picks a lot of fights. while i was cleaning in his room, he made one very calculated leap at the broom leaning against a shelf and managed to knock over the broom, spill my fresh cup of coffee on clean floor, and dump dry rags into his water bowl. asked him to take his crabby mood somewhere else---but sort had to admire the precision of his strike at the same time.
mark, nice goat! where is that thing? i grew up in sioux falls and don't recall it from the old days.
(hi, donna)
Whether it's animals or plants, the call seems to be "Take Me Home" by John Denver.
Good morning!
Yes, indeed, I do Talk2theAnimals daily. That's what I do, I'm an animal communicator!
Recently I had an interesting conversation with a fish. He reprimanded his human for telling him she thought it was weird he slept standing up on his fin. He continued: "And you think laying down in a bed to sleep is normal?"
Thank you, Dale, for starting each of my days with great music!
Harmony,
Janet
The people up in space, too!
Got anything in the library from the original "Dr. Doolittle" soundtrack like "Talk to the Animals"?
Side note: can anyone suggest a good Sinatra 'best of' that includes the song "High Hopes"? The compilations that are on mainstream store shelves now seem to be missing that song.
I talk regularly to our three cats, Billy, Lydia and Ruby. Ruby is the best listener.
Hi Mike,
The version of "High Hopes" that we use is on a Frank Sinatra disc called "The Capitol Collector's Series", on Capitol Records, CDP 792160 2.
The cool thing about our dog, Astro, is that he talks back!
just in from milking (or not, as in Alba's case). these first-timers are so difficult! Janet, i was trying to communicate with Alba, but i can't figure out what she wants (well, yes. she wants to be fed and NOT milked). i want to milk her to 1. get milk but also to 2. prevent infection in her engorged udder. so i explained to her that she is a dairy goat; she was bred to be a good producer like her Mom, Dream. but she needs to stand still, not kick, eat quietly, while i gently take her milk. right now she'd rather starve than succumb to my wishes. she's had a difficult time this last month and may still be grieving, but willful doesn't begin to describe her personality. (or mine :-) i've read that you can't stop milking when the doe is kicking but i just can't stress her when i think of what she's gone thru (so she gets her way, which is exactly what i shouldn't do)
anyone have any ideas as to what i should say to Alba?
Good morning Heartlanders! Catching up on all the blogs this week, didn't have time to read until late yesterday.
I've always been a fan of animals, but mostly allergic to cats and horses, so I stick with dogs. I have my 11 year old lab Willy hanging out with me right now. Been contemplating adopting a boxer from mnboxerresque.org. We grew up with Boxers, and a have a soft spot in my heart for all of them.
This weeks topics, Movie Villians. I'm really surprised no one mentioned Lord Voldemort from the Harry Potter series of movies. My favorite is the Wicked Witch, since I can do a pretty mean "I'll get you my pretty...." My favorite memory of my father is when he would be sitting in his chair behind us while we were all sitting on a blanket munching on popcorn while watching either Oz, or The Birds, and he would yell really loud and make us all jump, and popcorn would go flying.
Cover songs: Dale, do you happen to have that Peter Sellers, and someone else do that Beatles version of "She Loves You"? I love too many cover songs to even mention.
Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend all! Yea Summer!
Jennifer
Hi Dale-
Our Swiss Miss is back visiting for a few days and leaves early next week. Do you have anything Swiss (or German) you could play after 7:30 Mon or Tues? Thanks! Good weekend to all. Am going to go talk to the dog some more....
Dale, do you have Autumn to May (peter paul & mary for one) in the library? Lots of animals in there...
Good Morning!
Busy morning kept me from the blog but I did meet a Moron Shark on eBay that turns out to be less warm than the goat from Sioux Falls. A shame really since my eBay experience has generally been really good.
Cool story Kay but you don't say how many of the cats are coming home with you. Or is that the 35 to which you refer? I think the goat had a pre-pubescence bias as the kids that were climbing on it were having quite a good time.
As for that last picture Dale, I think many families have such a member but generally prefer to leave them as an elusive memory.
Have a great holiday weekend everyone!
I know we're running out of time today, but can you fit in Dr Doolittle's Talk to the Animals or Puppy Belly Dance? Thanks!
Barb, I work with preschoolers. On some occasions they get so wound up that the best thing to do is to firmly and kindly say STOP! Too many words and they tune you out. But, stop is a word they get. Maybe it would work with Alba.
(A hug from a caring adult also works wonders...have you thought about hugging her?)
Perhaps Barb could discuss Chevon recipes with Alba?
I love animals! I grew up with a dog that we treated like a little person, so that's essentially what he became. My wife is a cat person and they're cool too. When I first met her, I'd go over to her house and talk with her cat. I'd say something to him and wait for a response. Initially, he'd just stare at me and my wife said, "He just doesn't talk," then she listed a bunch of reasons he was traumatized. But within about a week, the cat would start giving me little responses, and I'd respond back. Within a month, the cat and I would be having these in-depth conversations. My wife was amazed. No big trick...most pets are social critters, which is why they're willing to hang out with us chunky humans with our fancy thumbs.
I just talk to Charlie the Cat, the birds that come to my feeders (we have an indigo bunting this week, first time!) and the deer and bunnies and squirrels and ducks... you get the idea.
Kathy, I like the plant adoption thing. I know of a group that does a plant exchange -- they all bring pots of what they have too much of in yard and go home with something new! Another form of recycling.
(Hi Janet Roper! I'm also Abby, used to work front desk at NWW in Wayzata...)
Puff The Magic Dragon chokes me up every time. And I'm almost 50! Jeez.
Good Morning RH,
I just woke up. Indeed, this is a jolly blog day!
Kay H - the sculpture walk is on Phillips Ave. unless they moved it because Phillips is under construction this spring.
Your pictures are awwww inspiring and so are you, girl!
Barb - you need a goat whisperer.
I was amazed with that bird list you posted yesterday at the end. You are a bird-call aficionado! If you've never seen the Conan O'Brien clip where he's in Central Park bird watching, do so! If that doesn't make you laugh, I don't know what!
I talk to my cats, but I have one in particular that likes to be sung to. Usually I sing "Brown-Eyed Girl", substituting green for brown. She climbs into my lap and peers into my face intently.
Maybe try singing to Alba?
Barb in Blackhoof and Cynthia in Mahtowa -- will you be around all day at the Wurst Festival, if a person by some wild chance managed to get there? How would one find y'all?
Duh - I was asleep at the wheel. One of the Toots's sang "Take Me Home" this morning! I was typing in a song request during that song, so it didn't totally register with me, so ignore the John Denver comment. I need a long weekend!
barb, i think singing to alba might be a great idea! also, if she allows it and likes it, grooming her with small strokes (as if replicating a mother's licks) can be calming to some creatures--
and of course, bribe her with treats!!!! this is the time-honored way to get animals to do what needs to be done :-) if she gets a favorite treat for standing still, it will surely help.
Mark -- if you're still on blog, can you share when you start your new job? Hope you can still be part of our community -- I always enjoy your posts.
Do you have to wear the shirt and tie routine? If I got an office job again, I don't know that I have anything appropriate to wear anymore!
Barb in Blackhoof - you MUST see the movie "Story of the Weeping Camel", a National Geographic documentary made in 2003 about a Mongolian camel that had a difficult delivery and wouldn't nurse her baby. It is just amazing, about the lengths her "people" went to, to get her to milk. I cried and cried.
I am a behavioral scientist, yet I cannot influence my Welsh terrier to stop stealing important papers and objects. I don't know how she figures out what what is important and what isn't. She has me exactly where she wants me, as the only way she will drop said objects is if she gets a treat. She gets a real thrill when people chase her, plus she's fast, so speed and brute force don't work. I talk to her alot but it doesn't seem to make any difference.
Joanne - I start this Tuesday (yikes!) and suspect it will have an impact on my RH blog participation but I'm glad you enjoy my posts. It was a tough decision; revenue stream or freedom to post at will on the RH blog but the revenue stream won out (go figure...). I will still be posting on my own blog (click my name) since that doesn't have the same time constraints but it's mostly about biking and my left wing politics so it's not quite the same as posting here.
thanks Everyone for all the tips on winning poor Alba over to milking. Gail - thank you for reminding me - i DID see the Weeping Camel; any cellists out there? i praise her, brush her, give her hugs - all of which she will stand for. but when i reach to milk her..... i'm being patient with her and i love her dearly, so i'll keep trying. treats won't work with her. her Mom Dream and her Aunt Dodger would stand for black oil sunflower seeds. Alba is stronger than that. i'm pretty sure this has to do with having kids and then no kids.
no chevon recipes for her, Chef. and Maureen, i might try one word with her. Donna, will check out Conan O'Brien clip - do you whisper to goats? or do you, Sherrilee?
thanks again - we'll keep you posted.
our two cats, Bubba and Julius, think having to earn your living is such a weird concept......
BArbara in Robbinsdale...I hope you get this, it's late Friday afternoon by the time I got back to the blog to catch up. Barb and I will be at TJ's maybe an hour or so between 11 and noon. the Festivities continue, but we are going to go see what we can do with Alba. She MUST be milked. Wish us luck.
How will you tell which is us? Hmmm...I'll tell Barb to wear an orange scarf.
I'll see if I can find a goat pin.
Hope to see you there. Happy weekend everyone!
- Become a Member
- Member Connect Accounts
- Leadership Circle
- Sustaining Members
- Member Discounts
- Become a Sponsor
- Tax Information
- Planned Giving
- Vehicle Donation
- Donate Stock