I admit I am horribly jealous of my cousin who went to China and held a baby panda. It is beyond me to explain how much I love almost all animals. My heart is in a near constant ache for animals because I love them so much. I’m so envious of my cousin’s opportunity, that every time my little dog finds stairs just too much to handle, I ask if she will pretend she is a baby panda so I can hold her. (I try not to pick her up too much because I don’t feel right about taking so much advantage of her diminutive size). I like to think it works out for both of us, she get’s a free ride on the stairs and I get to pretend I live with a baby panda. Every once in a while though she reminds me that this is some sick speciesist game I play, but she allows me to maintain the ruse to avoid the stairs and because I feed her. She considers the pros and cons every day before she lets me pick her up.

Years ago, there was a test floating around the internet: What dog breed are you? My mother in law was angered when I was deemed a Border Collie. She wanted to be a Border Collie, but was a Lab. I, too, was slightly miffed to receive crazy Border Collie — too athletic, not so very funny! For research purposes, ahem, I took two different tests today— my results? Mutt (yes!) and on the second test? Yep, still Border Collie (sad trombone.)

So my poor little dog who just wants to be a boss dog — born with short legs and is now slightly blind and hard of hearing —First there’s me pretending she’s a baby panda, and then there’s the Border Collie understanding her to be a little lamb. Sorry, little dog, we didn’t make the world and none of us can control how others view us. Sad Trombone, indeed.

But don’t think for a minute I’d actually trade my little dog for anyone else. She’s perfect and she’s playful enough to put up with our shenanigans!

Madeline Fan

Baby Panda