Second Chance: Valentine Ideas

12 Feb Second Chance: Valentine Ideas

Dear Pet Column, can you recommend some good Valentine gift ideas for my animal loving boyfriend?  – Sincerely, Drifty Gifty

Mae West

Hi Drifty,

Ahhhh, Valentine’s Day the perfect day for snuggling, petting, kissing, and purring – but really so is every day. I know that some people think it is so Hallmark and conventionally predictable to celebrate Valentine’s Day – but what the heck, life is short and if we can’t take a day to celebrate LOVE than life just became even shorter.

I was chosen from among the many homeless pets here at Second Chance to respond to your question for a reason. My name is Mae West, and not because my namesake was a sex symbol – although I do think I am rather sexy– but because she lived with passion, risk, and bravado despite social pressure to censor her – such as those that poo poo Valentine’s Day– and that is how I choose to live. That is also what Valentine’s Day is about for me. So you can bet a pound of catnip that I am going to answer your question straight on.

Animal lovers on the whole are compassionate, kind, and generous people. They want gifts that acknowledge these qualities within them. Be it your partner, your neighbor, or better yet someone you don’t even get along with that well…Valentine’s them up with something that makes the world a brighter place.

Chocolate? Overrated. A gift in the recipient’s name to your local humane society? Priceless. Flowers do brighten the planet, but what about planting some bulbs or a tree in an animal lover’s name? Or you can make a donation to your local animal shelter so you can name a homeless pet after the recipient. Declare Valentine’s Day as hug-your-neighbor-and-a-homeless-pet day! How about a hot date to your local animal shelter to pet some kitties (my personal favorite) and walk some dogs? And while a simple card with your gift is always nice, a heartfelt, soul-exposing letter really kicks it up.

Just make sure that whatever you are thinking about – whoever the recipient might be, purely platonic or otherwise – the gift makes your heart rate accelerate because it pushes you closer to the edge of real living.

So take a risk and give in to your passions, be brave and show someone, anyone, that you care about them – and then make it a daily habit.

“You only live once, but if you do it right once is enough,” Mae West

PS – As one many of the Hollywood kittens here at Second Chance, I speak for all of us well-socialized and highly adoptable furry potential family members when I say Happy Valentine’s Day & share the love! And if puppy love is what you are looking for, you should meet Muffles, a 14-week- young Blue Merle Catahoula with more loving in his soul than an army of love crusaders. Muffles is deaf, so he is looking for a very special Valentine to teach him how to navigate the world safely.

Muffles

Editor’s note: It’s no secret. The Telluride region is dog heaven. Well, pet heaven. Unless you are one of our furry friends who gets caught in the maw of neglect and abuse. Then heaven is on hold until Second Chance Humane Society comes to the rescue. Second Chance is the region’s nonprofit dedicated to saving animals’ lives and promoting responsible pet parenting and human-animal bond. In her weekly blog, executive director Kelly Goodin profiles at least one, generally two of the many animals now living at the no-kill shelter, Angel Ridge Shelter, a dog and a cat, hoping to find them loving permanent homes. The column is sponsored by Ted Hoff of Cottonwood Ranch & Kennel, who from time to time exercises his skills as a dog whisperer, partnering with Kelly and her staff to help train a particularly challenging animal.

Ted Hoff &  Magnificent Mae

By the by, there is no better place to park your pup than Cottonwood whenever you head out of town (for locals) or are heading to town and staying somewhere that does not allow pets. Consider joining Ted’s Very Important Dog (VID) Club for added benies. (Details on Ted’s website.)