Atta Boy, Tanner!

Yesterday the day started with a loud honk of a car horn in our driveway, followed by a frantic knock on the door. I looked out to see the angry face of my neighbour glaring at me.

“Your dog is in our garbage. My husband can’t park his school bus,” she stated in an accusing way as if I’d led him over there deliberately.

I apologized and ran across the road to retrieve Tanner. There he was munching away on rotten leftovers in tin foil, blissfully unaware that he was causing the neighbour to have a conniption fit.

I yanked the stinky rotten food out of his mouth and carried it in one hand while I led him back by the collar to our house.  YUCK! How could he eat that stuff anyhow? What a strong stomach! Amazingly he didn't get sick. What a dog!

Our red Siberian husky, Tanner is almost 17 and has aged a lot lately. He sleeps a lot and we can't take him on long walks any more since his back hips are arthritic making it difficult to walk. He has cataracts and doesn’t see that well.

I’d come to think of him as being old, frail and helpless. This incident has proved otherwise. Seeing Tanner being a bratty imp, still full of devilishness, despite the ravages of aging has reminded me not to be judgmental based on appearance.

How often do we put limitations on a person (or an animal!) and judge them just by how they look? 

Don’t ever underestimate others’ potential by their appearance whether they’re old, poor, overweight, disabled, a different skin colour, small or whatever the difference may be.


I love this photo of Tanner from Winter 2013. Huskies look so good in winter time. It really is their setting. He looks a bit more aged now but is still a beautiful dog. 

I know his time is growing short but he inspires me how he is content in his life, enjoying a good nap and some food. And he still has a spark of the devil in him which keeps us on our toes.

Even an old dog like Tanner is still full of tricks and should not be underestimated just by how he looks. He sure proved that to us yesterday. Atta Boy, Tanner!

Comments

  1. Nisha SanjeevSeptember 13, 2014 at 8:43 AM

    Rightly pointed out Cathy. Most of us judge another by their appearance and age. Their strengths hidden and only visible when we get closer. A status-conscious society shall I say?

    ReplyDelete
  2. NabanitaSeptember 13, 2014 at 11:31 AM

    So true Cathy...We go by looks most of the times and that comes subconsciously... but we must remember appearances are deceptive...

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownSeptember 13, 2014 at 4:08 PM

    Very true, Cathy - great parallel. And good for Tanner - what a beautiful dog! Though why dogs seem to find the most disgusting things delicious is beyond me, LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousSeptember 13, 2014 at 10:41 PM

    Loved Tanner!!! He is so ...mmm..majestic!! :) Your posts are always an inspiration. Keep it going Kathy.

    ReplyDelete
  5. UnknownSeptember 14, 2014 at 12:13 AM

    Rightly said, that we should never go by appearances. Loved the way Tanner's tale was used as an example. And Tanner looks awesome! :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Loni TownsendSeptember 17, 2014 at 10:28 AM

    I don't judge by appearances. At least, I don't think I do. This is coming from the girl with blue hair...

    ReplyDelete

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