THE ZOMBIES

A dog knows.  We can see it in their eyes, smell their dead spirit. A dog knows when a human has gone zombie.

My dog pals and I were watching an episode of Pit Bulls and Parolees one night. (Great show by the way.) It was the show where the leader of the human pack hires a new parolee just released from a New Orleans prison.  One of his arms didn’t work.  The parolee had gotten hurt while in prison. The after effect was that the nerve endings in his left arm were damaged leaving his arm much like a zombie’s persona: present but not functioning. It’s there but feels nothing; it’s alive, but dead.  So it is with the human heart after it suffers a profound loss. The human is left with a heart still beating in the chest – physically alive – but emotionally dead. 

Humans don’t understand how to deal with these zombie humans. The human heart, in this situation, is not like a lizard’s tail that grows back when it is released to ensure the creature escapes the clutches of a bird. These zombies are more like people who fall into a freezing lake and live to tell about it even though they had been under water 18 minutes. The frigid waters place the body in cold storage, so to speak, slowing the heart so the brain doesn’t suffer the effects of oxygen deprivation. Hurt humans are kind of the same way.

Dogs see zombie humans and know they are suffering from heartbreak. We know these humans have a heart beating in their chest but don’t have the capacity to use it in a way that expresses love in a normal fashion. Many dogs, me included, have survived great suffering on the street. We remember the bad of the past but live in the present, so we grieve but tend to get beyond the hurt faster. Humans not only remember bad things but also tend to take up residence with them. This is when they walk around like zombies.

Why, you may ask, would I bring up such a sad topic during the holidays? - Because humans, as bright as you may be, tend to do the dumbest things for the heartbroken. Counseling, pills, funny movies may help but they don’t help the heart heal. A dog is one of the best gifts you can give the walking dead. A puppy under the Christmas tree is not just about a cute gift for a kid; we are more than chicken soup for the spirit. Dogs, even older ones, heal the human heart. We connect with zombies in a way that makes it easier for them to grieve the past while also letting go of it.

So here’s my lesson for the week: Instead of thinking that a puppy from Santa is only a good idea for children, go to the kill shelter near your home and pick up a dog for the zombies in your life. These may be a senior citizen whose mate has passed, a neighbor whose best friend just moved away, a newly retired neighbor adjusting to being home alone all day.  The adjustment and shock of these times can make the heart hard.  A dog keeps the heart soft. Go! Today! Take these people to your local kill shelter and help them find their zombie slayer. You save a dog; a dog saves a human and the zombies stay away for the holiday.

LETTER FROM A FAN

Hey Parker:  

My name is Tuxedo because my coloring makes me look like I’m wearing a monkey suit.  I’m a cat and not inclined to be all mushy about nice humans, but ever since my owner abandoned me, it’s made me a little humble. I live in a field (see photo) along with numerous dogs dumped (by their owners) in the same area. One of the dogs left in our field is pregnant. (See photo of “Ranger”.) It’s lonely but we get by. Groups of people around the Dallas area are trying to help us. Would you please recognize them in your blog? Maybe your human readers will get the hint and adopt us. Thanks to…

• Denise Victor for leaving food and water each day

• Ducky Bob’s for donating some wood for a temporary shelter, Bud Vore for building the shelter; Gary Stacy (of AspenMark)

  for donating the shingles for the shelter. (See photo of Bud the builder.) Up until now, we’ve been sleeping on an old

  mattress without cover from rain, sleet, cold or heat. Until you find us homes, we have our new shelter to hide in.

• Pam Duffy and Tony Boich for delivering the shelter the day before a terrible cold front came in to our area

• Patti Watts for the warm, dry, clean pads and blankets in the shelter

All of us need a home (hint, hint) but it’s nice to know that until we get one, there is a place where we are more comfortable.

- Tuxedo

Dear Tuxedo:

Despite the fact that some humans are scumbag enough to dump dogs and cats like you and your pals on the streets, it is nice to know that others care enough to make it easier for you to survive. Thanks to all the humans trying to help. Now readers, let’s find homes for my abandoned buddies. If you can help with food, vet bills, foster or permanent homes for any of these poor dogs and Tuxedo, please contact my foster mom – Jet Parker at 214-677-6727 or email her, jet@platinumrainmakers.com.