Your dog is in peace now

So Poms and I went to this huge mall in Irvine to see what we can do there when his brothers arrive here in the US next month.

We went inside Hallmark where all Chrismas cards are incredibly on sale. All 18 colorful holiday cards with envelopes are now down to $1.00 each. And yes this is the best time to buy Christmas cards to use for the next holiday season.

Anyway, as I was browsing at the different colorful and out of this world birthday cards, bee called me. With his sheepish smile pointing at the "sympathy cards" I was a bit annoyed. I approached him with a questioning gesture and before I could say "there's nothing funny in sympathy cards" I saw the cause of his entertainment.

The front card read "Sorry for the loss of your dog", and beside it "Your cat will forever be missed." Believe it or not, I almost forgot we were in a public bookstore. I tried to keep it down but I never thought that dogs and cats here are really like humans. I mean given that they have a special shelf in all groceries for dog/cat accessories, a huge clinic for the dogs and cats bigger than our health centers in the Philippines, a bakery for the dogs (yes they have these small cupcakes that look good enough for humans), believe it or not health insurance for the dogs and cats, and the sympathy cards for those mourning for the loss of their pets now that's really something.

Maybe because people here are usually alone and need someone to be with especially when they get old. Because unlike in Manila, parents' precious ones here upon reaching the age of 18 are off on their own as if they're no longer their property. So they turn to their pets who are good listeners, good companions in the house, and eventually become their best friends to cheer them up and lighten up their days especially when they badly miss the humans that once lived in their houses.

I could just imagine how attached they are to their pets. On the brighter side, I envy the rights of the dogs and cats here. In Manila only those who can afford can do that high maintainance and annual doctor's check-up for their pets. I wish we can do the same, rich or poor, famous or not but of course that would happen if the health care is well available and helpful to all Filipino people. Humans first. The question is how far is that future.