Dog days...

I am old enough to remember what it was like to have a dog in the good old days. It was usually a mutt, someone's accident. We usually only saw the vet if it got hit by a car, because there were no leash laws. It ate table scraps and occasionally got a bath, usually in the summer, on the lawn. If it died, you buried it in the backyard, and got another one. My, my. Times have changed. Not only has Boo had a regular series of well-baby visits to the vet, he has special ear washing stuff and teeth brushing stuff. He is altered, of course. I had a moment of pure regret thinking of him losing those dear little cajones. Though he is not purebred, he cost a fair bundle because he was 1) obscenely cute and 2) reasonably small. An eye injury when he was little cost me $150, almost as much as he cost me originally. Well, my times have changed, too. I got the reminder postcard from the vet, time for rabies and Parvo/DHLP boosters. Groan. Another $200 for 20 minutes at the vet. But, what's this! Vaccination clinic at SuperPets! So, off we went yesterday, arriving at 3:50 pm for the 4 o'clock clinic, only to find it wasn't going to start till 4:30. So we spent the better part of an hour in line with the other pet owners who were seeking financial relief. Boo left a little dividend on the store floor, but no matter; there were paper bags and paper towels at regular intervals just for this occasion. In front of us, a couple brought their pug puppy, talk about cute. And behind us was a miniture schnauzer puppy, about the size of a guinea pig, sooooo cute. Boo weathered the wait by sniffing at the cat carrier that was being pushed along by a young couple. I stole a glimpse when they took it out, finally, a gorgeous tortie. Boo weathered the shots well, not even a squeal. He's been a little laid back ever since, like he has not even gotten off the bed to lick my cereal bowl, I may have to just put it in the dishwasher without his help. Ah, the joys of pet ownership in the 21st century.