Memories of Pets

When I was a kid, I always tried to put my hands on pets, one way or the other it was a way of relaxation, companionship and warmth.

One of my favourite memories was ironically my uncle Lino's pet dogs, which though I never owned them, they occupied a very special place in my life. I was then done in college and my eventually my uncle had to take me in his place, as besides being an activist with lost causes, my "job" eventually needed my a free place to stay.

Though I had my other relations in Baliwasan, Mampang who wanted me to stay in their homes, I opted to stay with my grumpy uncle Lino, who had indeed grumpy dogs who had attitudes.

I remember Bogart and Bulldog, both ASKALS (asong kalye breed for short), who were black and brown respectively. The first time I brought my worldly possessions in his house (which consisted of books, my clothes and books), these two dogs were staring at me from a distance after barking.

It took my cousin Albert, Kerima, my Auntie Cion and my Uncle Lino to hold these dogs who viewed me as an intruder. (they should, i ran away with their owners possessions when I was younger). Eventually, Bulldog, the brown dog was slowly edging his way towards me sniffing me. Coming from a family of dog breeders (almost every Santos had a dog in Zamboanga and took dogs not as a hobby but as a part of their living), i also tried to pet the dog, who immediatley asked me to scrath his rump and his chest.

The other one, black and grumpy like his patron would always stare at me with suspicion, always watching.As time passed by, Bulldog begun to like me , as whenever I would arrive from work or one of my rallies, he would rush out to the gate or door and jump at me as a sort of welcome. Indeed, I was quite emotionally scarred in my younger years, being away and living on the street and on my wits, it was quite a relief that the family "welcomed" me home.

Yes, it was then a comforting thought that here was a house where I was always welcome, despite my follies and galivantings, Roy was welcomed... and the dogs were proof.

I spent quite a significant number of years when I was young in that house, and when I had the occassion, I would visit and sleep in the same room.

Back to the dogs, yes... these dogs even shared a part of my lovelife. (when I was courting two girls there, Marianne, my neighbor who also had dogs... and Cynthia).

Funny as it seems, although this part youd only find in telenovelas or cartoons, Bulldog and Bogart both had Marianne's pet dogs as friends (or more). That made my memories more funnier and fonder whenever I remember these dogs, who would chase out the Orofel dogs so I can sneak out a love letter or two at the mailbox for Marianne.

They provided security for my Uncle who was a grumpy and fiery editor of several newspapers, attacking any corrupt official in Zamboanga City. And when unwelcome people came, the dogs simply barked and chased the poor unwelcome fella away from his house.

There was also a neighbor's dog who in all places decided to give birth in our porch, which eventually give us a litter of puppies who dominated the household of Uncle felino. But that wasn't over yet, we were still going to have another one.

One day, we found a hybrid mutt lying weakly along the side of the road, Kerima picked the pup, brought it home and started the whole series of interbreeding ang genetic mixing up of breeds; Hootch who had claws, small serrated teeth and grumpy attitude.

So from the time I left the houshold for Manila in 2000, I never expected to see the dogs. However, when i came back in 2003, some of the dogs were still there and funnily, they simply snuffed me and "recognized" and went into the whole habit of jumping at me. So from that time thereon I realized, the dogs knew I was part of the household and when I went back in Zamboanga, I simply stayed with Uncle Lino...reminiscing my memories of younger days and not to mention being pestered by these loving dogs.

The last time I went to Zamboanga was last Summer, it was only Hootch and another dog, I cant recall-his-name-was. And hootch was back to her jolly self barking and jumping at me.

I heard recently that all of Uncle's dogs died and that he and Auntie Cion were having second thoughts of raising dogs only to be heartbroken when they die. But then again, they'll realize, that indeed pets are an integral part of living on, as I later found out my cousins were asking their parents to have new pet dogs.....

And then perhaps when I go back to zamboanga, maybe a new yelp across that house would be heard welcoming a traveller who once spent his younger years there.