December 15, 2006, This is The Dog, By Mauri Formigoni

Okay, so I get a bee in my bonnet. Someone told me I wrote an homage to this dog before, but she is The Dog of all our dogs and deserves someone terrific. Her name is Kaya, and I swear I knew her in an earlier life. She is wise and very special, and she can see your past and future, honest to God.

She is a medium-large dog with a brindle coat, a very young adult that will give you years of pleasure. She may not overwhelm you with her beauty, but her spirit is sweet and gorgeous, believe me. You need to spend some time with her. She’s a rare treasure.

My baby kittens are slowly being adopted, and I am finally purely glad. It was worth it, and you should consider fostering some very young animals, teach them to love and thrive, and watch someone else fall in love with them. There are other good and beautiful cats.

I love how Jafar looks, though he isn’t a close friend, yet. Come see him and he could surprise you with good manners. They are always a surprise, aren’t they? You don’t get to know them until you have them home, and then it all begins. I’ve never regretted a cat I adopted, even the killer bitch of the female cat house that was short-listed because of her behavior. She sleeps at my feet every night and I adore her. So come by the SPA and have a look. You might be surprised by what you find.

I will write soon about our recent great fiesta, but it is too soon and I am too happy. I want to thank all of the SPA supporters and volunteers who made this an excellent day for us. More to come. My love to you all.

I am so delighted when people appreciate this column. For me this is a joy, and I look forward to writing about my latest discovery. I can’t imagine not doing it. It is just a lovely part of working with animals. We are still very full, however. Recently, a volunteer found a dog walking on only three legs, took him to have him checked out, was relieved to find it was a treatable cut, and took him home for a week or two to wait until he can come to the SPA. Even our own people must wait for a space. He is adorable, and I’ll show you his photo when the time is right.

Please consider volunteering to be with our babies. It gives one such joy and hope for the future, believe it or not. It fills my life and others’ as well. Come down to Los Pinos 7, just off Calzada de la Estación, between 12 and 2pm to visit and tell us that you are interested in volunteering or fostering (taking young babies home to grow a bit more), or call 152-6124 to make an appointment with our vet, Cristina, for vaccines or sterilization. It’s done at cost, which is why we have fundraisers, you see. Or call me at 154-5930 for more information about the animals I’ve written about. We keep our costs low so that anyone can care for their pets. It’s worth it!

Mauri Formigoni is an Associate Professor of Visual Arts at the University of Illinois, a long-time San Miguel resident and a lifelong animal lover. She can be reached at 154-5930 to answer questions.