The Story of Duke

Duke was a sweet little fellow; a Jack Russell looking puppy, maybe 6 months of age. Duke was relentless and fiercely loyal to me. He followed me home without a leash, enthusiastically passing house after house as we walked home together on a hot July afternoon. The only problem was that Duke wasn't my dog!

Luckily, Duke had a collar and tag that even more luckily, stayed on him the entire time he was lost. After walking around home to home and calling the phone number on the tag (no one was answering), I decided to take him home and call Long Beach Animal Control. Long Beach Animal Control is sometimes criticized, but my experiences with them have always been positive, and this was no exception. Even on a day off, I was able to contact them with my and Duke's information so that they could locate his owner.

After about 2 hours his owner finally called, and Duke was reunited with his grateful owner. I explained to them the importance of keeping a puppy secure. Right afterward Animal Control came by my house, and were glad to hear of the happy outcome. A simple dog tag and collar saved the family much grief.

After formally studying ethics and philosophy for many years, I've come to believe that a primary motivator of animal care should be empathy. Unfortunately empathy is not something that can be taught in schools nor trained during a staff meeting. It is something that is attained only through maturity and realization that animals and their companions experience life much as you do. Like other pet owners, I've suffered grief from losing a close companion animal; I've become nervous at the thought of expensive veterinary bills, and I've experienced the thought of having lost my pet, if only temporarily. Empathy has its upsides too, as I was glad to enjoy the pleasure of the reunion of Duke and his family.