A Wonderful Moment

My pit bull has an eye disease called pannus, and goes to an eye specialist in Salt Lake City. When we arrived the other day, I was surprised at all the cars in the parking lot. Zeb loves going to the doctor, so he ran for the door.

Now, most people are probably frightened when they see a pit bull running straight for them. He’s a happy and friendly dog, so I don’t worry much about what he’s going to do as I worry about the reaction from others. He whined and cried when I wouldn’t let him explore and make new friends, so he rolled on his back and wagged his tail. At least he made people smile, and a few came to pet him, telling me they’d never been that close to a pit before.

I asked what was going on, and found out that the vet was having an animal blood drive. People were bringing their dogs in to donate blood for animal emergencies.  Amazingly enough, a lot of the dogs coming in to donate were pit bulls (that are much better behaved than Zeb, I might add!)

A television camera was there, so I watched the interview as they taped it. The doctor was so passionate about his love of animals, and the need for blood in emergencies. I never thought about that need, and would never have known that they have a blood bank for animals. The requirement for donation is that the dog be between the ages of one and seven, and weigh at least fifty pounds. Zeb fits the criteria, but because he didn’t eat before we left, he didn’t donate (he will at his next appointment).

 

My point is really not that I have a wonderful dog, but it’s this: I had one of those moments that every writer loves—finding something new, interesting, and unique. I may never use this information in my writing, but it’s there if I want it. And now it’s there if you want it as well.