animal rights

pasha was a great friend to me - if i was angry, she was angry; if i was sad, she would kiss me, gently stroking her warmth over my state of missing. pasha kept me company for years, rode the coast-tagged states with me to fresh beginnings and helped me learn about myself in seeing my character reflected in hers

pasha died january 23, 2006

i awoke to a thumb from her room, where I found her slumped and grave responsive. tears caked the fur at the meeting of her eye lids. her fur was matted, and I hate to think she didn't get to lick her coat shiny smooth after the last night's bath. but she didn't. i hate to think she suffered through the night. i know she did

i sat with her from 8 something that am until our 7-year companionship ended in her last breath about 8 pm. i dressed her pound, grey, black-tipped bunny body in the new yellow gap pet sweats that awaited her shiny smooth. tommy, her step dad, buried pasha in the back yard. it was cold and wet. i remembered introducing her to snow. she hadn't liked it

when i got pasha she fit a little less than my palm. even at that tiny existence, she was stubborn with spirit. we had a lot in common. and, i miss her still. i wish we could spend another hour, for my apologies. i didn't have the good sense to apologize to her. i was content to hold her, make her comfortable, bless her soul and its safe union with the others i miss

i owe her apologies. in our last 2-3 years, pasha spent too much time in the cage. it was a two-story loft from her step dad. still, it had bars. not all day, but most. our change of residence, my personal and professional obligations and distractions. pasha was no longer allowed free roam of the front room. her nails were clipped less often and her fur trimmed infrequently

i had forgot to scratch behind her ears. i still popped her back side to encourage her to jump and exercise. i didn't realize she was getting old. I thought we had at least another 3 years. i stopped running circles around her, then letting her run circles around me. we had fun. then, we got familiar and changed playmates to seasoned companions. attuned to each other's quirks and predictabilities

pasha wasn't an animal

she was a commitment. she was a personality. she was a friend. she had rights and privileges. and, although i failed to honor them with the vigor of our youth, i knew she had and deserved them. so, while i don't personally know the personalities animal rights advocates voice for - i know they have and deserve rights, too