Just Plain Al

By Linda Spurlin

Some mornings when I stagger to the bathroom and peer into the mirror, a bleary eyed, frazzle headed creature peers back me and wonders why it is my husband loves me. But then I wash my face, consume vast amounts of coffee, and greet the day as another average American housewife. No kingdoms will be won or lost in my honor, and yet I am flattered to be considered average. Average is an ok place to be. Unless you’re a dog.

People like to brag about owning the smartest dog, the dumbest dog, the prettiest, the ugliest, the biggest or the smallest dog. But I have yet to met anyone who brags about owning an average dog. So what the pounds are full of? Yep, you guessed it. Average dogs! The cuties and beauties are snapped up in a heartbeat. But the average ol’ black dogs are sitting there on death row wondering why people just walk on by them.

Take Al, for example. It isn’t awesome Al, or ugly Al, its just plain ol’ Al! But inside Al’s plain ol’ gangly black body is the heart of little boy. Al loves to splash in the creek. His best friend is his food dish; not because the dish is all that exciting, but because it’s the only toy he has. He throws it up in the air and carries it around proudly until he drops it and the game begins again. But when someone comes to see him, do they see this little boy in a black fur coat? No. They see a plain ol’ dog that looks about as interesting as last week’s leftovers.

It’s the same story with cats. It’s not the Garfields that get dumped. It’s not the show stopper kittens that nobody wants. It’s the average joe cats, who could catch the same mice and warm the same laps as the more polished pussies, that hunt the ditches for rodents and sneak up on porches hoping for a drink of water.

There’s an old saying, ‘all cats are gray at night’. When the lights go out, that black dog won’t look any different then the red one. The gray striped cat looks just like Garfield in the dark! Love knows no color. And, just like the average person, the average looking dog or cat didn’t choose his looks.

When you consider your next pet, remember that the fancy kitty will have a better chance of finding a home then the plain one. And I can almost guarantee the pretty dog will be going home with somebody. It’s the plain dogs with the beautiful hearts that will still be sitting there waiting. Will plain ol’ Al play with his dish forever instead of a real live family? Will the plain striped kitty find the lap of true happiness? Read this article next month to find out, or call the Colville Pet Refuge Humane Society at (509) 732-4126, or Stevens County Cat Care at 935-MEOW to reserve a plain ol’ dog or cat for your very own!