SMALL ANIMAL PARK

 

I am an animal owner.  I have a very active beagle that is always chewing on everything and a sweet, shy, striped cat.  They came from Tulsa animal shelter and they have enriched my life.  They give me so much love, and happiness.  They make me laugh with their antics.  And I really need them in my life at this time because I am going through some big changes.

 

February 20, 2001, my husband of 27 years died.  Three years earlier my oldest son married. So it is just my teenage son and me left now.  The handwriting is on the wall.  My son will one day leave me, either to go to college or just because he grew-up.   I may never meet another person and get married.  So you can see why my animals are becoming so important to me.  They are my companions.

 

And we know so much more about our furry friends then we ever did before.  Dogs are very social creatures.  They do not like to be tied up in the backyard and forgotten.  They have real feelings and real emotions.  No more do people believe animals are just dumb and unaware of what is going on.

 

We want to do the very best for our friends.  We take them to the vet for preventive medicine as well as when they are sick.  We worry about their happiness and if we are doing the right thing for them.

 

We have domesticated them but still they long to be in the wild: hunting, chasing, and running free.  I live in an apartment and cannot let them run wild.  It is too dangerous.  My animal friends could be hit by a car, bitten by other animals, get lost, or fall down in sewers and holes. 

 

My son and I take Sammy, the beagle, for walks but it is still not the same as running free.  And I watch Toby, the cat, staring out the window longing to hunt the birds he sees in the trees. 

 

So this is my suggestion.  Lets build them a natural habitat like the zoo has done with their animals.  I would love to see cages similar to a batting cages or birdcages in the zoo where it would be large enough to let them run free. 

 

The cages would be outdoors and contain shrubs, bushes, short trees, rocks, benches and water.  We would let them off their leash and play with them: running, throwing balls or just watching them hunting bugs.

 

And of course we would need to be able to control the temperate with big fans and heaters.  The summers in Tulsa can get as hot as 100 degrees.  I wouldnt want my pets to get heat stroke or their paws burnt.

 

This could be a really good money making enterprise.  I would be glad to either pay by the hour or get a years membership. 

 

I envision my dog and cat romping around and having a great time.  Afterwards, we would stop at the snack bar and I would get a treat for me and as well as my two pets.

I could sip my soft drink as I talked to the other animal owners and than maybe browse in the pet boutique or shop.  Listen to a lecture by a veterinary or sign up for dog or cat clinics and classes.

 

I can imagine a big pet supply company sponsoring this venture in conjunction with vets and animal kennels.

 

The animal park would be aimed at the low cost owner, just renting the cage or habitat for an hour, the middle class, picking up some animal toys and supplies from the shop, and the upper class, signing up for animal classes and grooming.

 

And everyone would be happy. 

 

By keeping the pets separated in the habitats and insuring they have the proper shots I think the risk of animals hurting or biting other animals or humans could be very well manage. 

 

The vets could come up with ways to control the habitats so the chance of animals infecting each other would also be low.  And of course a waste disposal would have to be set in place.

 

But this is my dream, to see the animals running, romping, and playing free in a control atmosphere and the humans associating with other animal owners, making friends.