Podcast Ep 38: The Dog Who Resisted Day Care

Originally published September 20, 2022

Listen: Apple, Podbean, iHeart Radio, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music or your favorite podcast station.

Script

Welcome to True Kinship with Animals: In Short, a mini podcast that gives you bite sized tidbits of true kinship in 3 minutes or less. I’m your host Janet Roper.

Thank you for engaging with this podcast by listening, subscribing, sharing and making a financial contribution or shopping my wish list. Your participation makes my work sustainable and is ever so much appreciated! To support my work, you’ll find links on the show page or visit janetroper.com

I believe, in general, we humans have good intentions about helping animals.

But what if a good intention is not enough?

When I adopted my dog Max he was an active, inquisitive 4 year old with an exuberance for life I simply could not keep up with. With good intentions, my solution was to take him to the local doggie day care to run off all that energy with other dogs. 

When he got back home he would fall into a deep sleep. I told myself this was good and congratulated myself on having the wisdom to pay in advance for the entire month.

Soon, when I would drop Max off, he wouldn’t get out of the car, but pulled back, obviously not wanting to go in. I made him go in anyway because (being the human) I knew what was best and anyway I had already paid for the entire month.

Now I realize I was not working with Max’s agency as he wanted and needed his needs met. Through the lens of true kinship, I realize I robbed Max of his agency and imposed my human needs on him. I created harm for him and our relationship by purposefully placing him in a situation he didn’t want to be in.

True kinship is more than having a good intention or a well thought out solution. 

True kinship is about meeting animals where they are. It’s time to take a deep dive into our own motivations and feelings about our interactions with animals. Are we working in an interdependent way with them or are we, as I was with Max, acting in a way that allows us to feel good about ourselves?

Tough question, for sure.

Here’s an invitation for you to join me on this path of true kinship with animals. My work is devoted to helping you show up in the world for animals from the fullness of your authentic self. I hope this encourages you to look at your relationship with animals differently so that a new place of understanding begins to open for you.

Your financial support makes my work sustainable and allows me to continue providing you with the pro bono resources I offer, such as this podcast. Supporting my work by making a financial contribution or shopping my wish list at janetroper.com shows your appreciation and is greatly welcomed. Thank you for your continued support and for listening to this podcast!

Just for today remember: We all do better when all creatures do better. Until next time, take good care!