When Chepi first came to me, I had just had my German Shepherd, Jak, put to sleep, on the veterinary clinic table, while still under anaesthetic. I was heart- broken over the loss of my beautiful Jak and knew I would find it hard without him.
Chepi, a five month old German Shepherd, was in need of a new home and I was in need of a companion. She had an abundance of energy and vitality and was forever bringing articles of clothing and shoes to the cottage, from the landlady and landlord’s house across the lawn. I would look out the kitchen window sometimes to see Chepi running around in circles, underneath the rotary clothesline, with the corner of a sheet held in her mouth. The first time I introduced her to my horse, Sunny, I remember when I sat on his back, how she looked around for me and was so happy to see I hadn’t gone anywhere, that I was just on Sunny’s back. Hanging out with these two, was the best therapy for my soul.
Chepi always had a sparkle in her eye and was keen to engage anyone in a game. Her playfulness helped me to lighten up, to laugh and have fun. She was my constant companion, making outings and the day to day routines enjoyable and companionable, as well as sometimes challenging.
Just as with any animal that I have been lucky enough to have in my life, an acceptance and love for me, from them, was felt and I was able to respond. I have made plenty of mistakes while interacting with my animal kin, some of which I am not proud, but they have been endlessly forgiving and allowing of me to make those mistakes and still walked beside me.
Without conditions, animals can demonstrate a ceaseless acceptance of who we are, a non-judgemental, tolerant and ever-forgiving attitude towards us, despite practices of exploitation inflicted upon them, by us. Providing we do not actively create fear in them and, even if we do, many continue to serve, to be loyal and to still be with us, without prejudice or discrimination, giving us chance after chance to come good.
It may be an animal’s complete acceptance of an individual person, someone who other people may even avoid and dislike, that has the possibility and capacity to warm the heart of that individual. With that animal, a person may feel safe, accepted, liked or loved and that they have a friend, which of course they do. Unlikely alliances may be formed between some animals and people. We may be confused by this and query an animal’s loyalty if we, as people, do not see the core of the other person and we believe them to be unacceptable in some way. Thank goodness for the goodness in animals, that they respond to something else.
What are the qualities of this love expressed by animals? Perhaps non-judgement, tolerance, forgiveness, acceptance and a lack of conditions placed upon the person to be anyone other than who they are. Our beliefs, looks or status, do not come into the equation. We might see this as pretty clean loving. We can blow it, of course, by being unkind and causing an animal or animals to fear us, to be traumatised. Given that we are seen as predators by most animals, an attitude of genuine curiosity, patience, respect and humility, on our part is essential for developing true trust with the animals.
We will always have our personality/ego responses and reactions to life’s daily happenings, just as the animals do too, but beyond this, do we have the capacity, like them, to return to a centre that fundamentally accepts life for what it is and doesn’t judge? It may be unrealistic to expect us, complex beings, with all our layers of “stuff” to have such authentic responses to life, unless we do the work of self-reflection and becoming more self-aware. Let us have appreciation though, for their willingness to “give us a go”.
Sometimes, animals behave in ways, that do not warm our hearts and we react to this, not realising what is really going on. Maybe this is a sign that something is not right or maybe they are simply behaving in a natural way that is being true to their species. On reflection, it could also be an indication to us, that we are being shown something within ourselves, an attitude perhaps that needs some help to turn around.
Animals in their wisdom and the truth of who they are, can be very expressive and by their responses to us, indicate that we may be behaving or thinking in a way that is not honest. I have found horses to be very good teachers of humility and authenticity. Things do not slip by them unnoticed. They can be very forgiving, allowing us to bumble along in our ways as well as sometimes “giving” us a helping hand with our egos, if we are open to this.
Dogs, of all our animal kin, seem to be the ones who really keep coming back despite some appalling human behaviour. Their capacity to forgive, to be loyal, to be affectionate, is deserving of recognition and honouring. When it was time to let Chepi go, to be free of a physical body that was weighing her down, I really felt, in the days that followed, such a loss of her unconditional love for me. I had been befriended and loved by my previous dogs, but because I was older and had more life experience and awareness, I believe I was better able to recognise the gifts she had offered me.
There is so much room for growth in relationships and no less room if they be with an animal or animals, than with another person. They are just different, that’s all.
A favourite quote of mine by Chief Seattle
“What is man without the beasts?
If all the beasts were gone, man would die from a great
loneliness of spirit.
For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man.
All things are connected.”