Augie is the currently 14 year old or so pound puppie I gained joint custody of in January 2007 when my wife and I entered into cohabitation. Sally had wonderfully and heroically adopted Augie the Doggie many years prior and had rescued him from death row at a local animal shelter for the apparent capital felonies of being cute and generally adorable.
Augie is obviously of mixed ethnic origins, being the color of a German Shepherd, having pointed(what my seven year old nephew refers to as "medium floppy") ears that fold over in a curious manner, the legs(approximately 5 to 6 inches) of a Corgie and the face of a gentleman. Most suggest Corgie/Shepherd upon meeting Mr. Aug(also known as Dr. Magic, Magic Man, Mr. Good Guy, The Big Blopper, among others), despite the unimaginable mating visual image that conjures up in one's mind.
Iggie was one of the canines of my youth. Born a litter of one to my brother's dog, Iggie had the obvious appearance of Beagle, though her mother bore no such resemblance. Iggie, also ethnically diverse, had tri-colors--mainly brown, black and white. She had a Beagle face in color and dimensions, but her primary body color was white. Against this white background was a multitude of black spots, somewhat reminiscent of a really cute Dalmation, a curly tail, and a classic Beagle saddle--however the saddle had apparently slipped during gestation and was firmly attatched to the left side of her torso, not at all centered on the back, such as a saddle is usually located on a horse about to be ridden or an AKC registered Beagle.
MomCat is the(one-time feral) mother of my permanent family kitten, Bluebelle. Momcat is a temporary guest in my basement(she is clawed and "outdoorsy" like her mate, also presently residing in my basement--Bluebelle being "indoorsy" and declawed and permanently residing with the now elderly, glucosomine/chondroiton-ingesting mildly arthritic Augie on the first floor). Momcat is multi-colored, attractive(in fact she's earned the nick-name "Bootiful") and adapting well to, and in fact enjoying, the luxuries of indoor living.
While honorable mention must certainly be made of Trixie, Gout, Lennie, Bluebelle, Mao and Mollie Brown--the other central felines and canines involved in Unabashed Left's 53 years on planet Earth--Augie, Iggie and Momcat deserve special mention and are the subject matter of this particular blog.
Trixie, Gout, Lennie, Bluebelle, Mao and Mollie Brown have all brought many delights into my life, and most certainly have demonstrated moral character above and beyond, great humor, compassion, unconditional love, affection, playfulness, unbridled loyalty, forgiveness and most certainly have extended my longevity as well as all the other mammals, birds, reptiles, and all the warm and cold-blooded creatures who have graced my family over the years.
But I salute Augie the Doggie, Iggie(proper name Ignatz) and MomCat for specific life-saving behavior.
My introduction to "The AugMan" had not even been close to auspicious. My first offical 'date' with my future wife[whom I had already known on a non-romantic friendship basis for some time] had gone well, and we were entertaining each other on her den sofa when Augie took apparent umbrage to my presence. He barked. And barked. And barked. I was, to say the least unimpressed and articulated my views to my date. From that initial inauspicious beginning, Augie demonstrated an open mind and eventually decided that I was a bit better than dirt and proceded to forge an inseparable bond with your's truly.
Augie took a depressive with severe and threatening personal thinking on one particular occasion and turned him around from despair to delight in less than 45 seconds with just two paws on the couch, one face-blop and one turn of the head. He has also been right by my side, never more than 20 feet away throughout the devastations of two different and severe illnesses.
Iggie took a carload of drunk high school jocks with baseball bats barreling towards a long-haired hippy-type high school student[ your author--the one and only Unabashed Left :) ] and scared them back into their car(only to assault a poor victim down the road later that night) and saved my behind, besides being a source of companionship and love at a time in my existence when that also saved my life.
And MomCat went missing in the basement just long enough one time to inform Unabashed Left that he was capable of love at a time when he was in doubt about that capability and also saved my life--rendering it much more worth living, as well.
Pets are family, and Unabashed Left highly recommends adopting one, or more, who might otherwise be killed(or "put to sleep" if you're fond of euphemisms) today if you are in a position to provide food, shelter, veterinary care, but more importantly love. Most importantly, love.
The oil spill sponsored by Tony "Wayward" Hayward and Doug "Not At All Subtle" Suttles in the Gulf of Mexico has caused way too many families to make the nightmare decision to give up their pet family members because they can no longer put food into their human family members, let alone the cats and dogs they so love.
Animal Shelters along the Gulf have been bloated, and many kittens and puppies have been and are being killed due to the malicious money-grabbing felons in the BP boardroom. The Louisianna chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has been providing veterinary care, shelter, food and outreach to help heros like Augie, Iggie and MomCat stay at home with their families. Please donate generously today at la-spca.org
On behalf of Trixie, Gout, Iggie, Chairman, Cricket, Blarney, Lennie, Mao, Mollie Brown, Augie, Momcat, Sam, Sam II, Pugsy, Bluebelle, Bonnie, Clyde and Unabashed Left; we thank you.
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