[graciegirl]

Novelchick.

I am trying to think how to begin. I am an animal lover and I also love people very much and am blessed with wonderful friendships. The animals in my life and in my friends lives add a layer of richness to all of our lives. I have friends who fear and as a result dislike dogs and cats intensely and that is a pity. Sometimes that attitude comes from a bad and frightening experience as a child and sometimes it is from their parents fears. I don't think everyone should be a pet owner just as I don't think everyone should be a parent. I have never been bitten, my daughter was when she was at college and went to pet a dog tied to a post outside of a store. She never thought it was anything but her fault for going up to a strange dog and trying to pet it.

Not very often does an animal jump on me or sniff me when I go visiting. None of my friends bore me with their dog tales or their dog pictures. I am a VERY grown up senior and I personally can only think of one person that I knew in my life beside my daughter that was bitten by a dog.

I just want you to know that most of us do have very full lives and do not obsess about our animals, we just love them and they are sweet and giving back.

Part of the joy of the Villages for me is seeing the doggies walking their humans down our street and in the squares. But that is me.

I don't have dogs, just two counter walking cats.