Saturday, July 18, 2009

Walking the Dog, Cat, Bird, Ferret, or You Name It

One of the true pleasures of having an animal companion is being out in nature with your pet. We receive letters from people who walk their cats regularly. That's a sight we haven't had the pleasure of seeing yet.

We have observed people walking a family of ferrets on leashes. One woman carried her multi-colored bird -- squawking and talking -- on her shoulder around the lake.

It's delightful for us to take our cocker spaniel Leaf for walks around the wonderful lakes and ponds here in Minnesota. He picks up what one of our friends calls his "pee-mail" report while sniffing every tree, trashcan, and blade of grass he passes. People stop to pet him. Sometimes, he's receptive. Other times, he just wants to be left alone to enjoy his communion with nature.

Last week, while we strolled along the path surrounding beautiful Lake Harriet in Minneapolis, we spotted a new addition -- the Lake Creature.

Passersby told us that this prehistoric creature was first spotted on July 8, 2009. Fortunately we had brought our camera, so we were able to take pictures.

The Lake Creature is not as scary as the Loch Ness monster but he reminded us that dinosaurs roamed this area millions of years ago. Perhaps the Lake Creature is our own Jurassic Park remnant of that bygone era.

Visit www.angelanimals.net/lakecreature.html to view the pictures. Also visit www.lakecreature.com to read about this interesting and fun Minnesota project that causes lake walkers to do a double take and children to say, "Ooooo!"

What creatures have you seen on your walks with animal companions? What types of unusual pets have you observed people walking?

Allen and Linda Anderson
Angel Animals Network
www.angelanimals.net

1 comment:

Lyn said...

When we moved from the country to the suburbs, our cat, Spooky, was no longer allowed outside alone. We bought him a leash and halter, and HE took us for walks. He was our constant companion and walked wherever we were: on sidewalks, motel corridors, and elsewhere. He did not like roadside rest areas however, where the smells and noises of the semi's really fightened him.

In his 20's, Spooky could no longer walk long distances, so we bought him a cat stroller. Everyone in the neighborhood came out to see what I was pushing around--lots of fun, especially for the young children.

Spooky passed over the Rainbow Bridge just short of being 22 years old. We still miss him and the joy he gave us by allowing us to live with him. Lyn