It was quite fitting that, after a prolonged drought in our area, it finally rained when I took Rainy to a veterinary clinic to end her life. Our old Whippet had been blind for years and had suffered several mild episodes of vestibular disease. When dog owners observe the symptoms of this disease, many believe that their pet had a stroke. Dogs don't have strokes.
This time, Rainy was no longer able to walk, so I carried my beautiful companion into the clinic and stayed to comfort her until the end. The staff at the Peticote Veterinary Clinic was kind and compassionate and made a sad ordeal easier to endure.
Our Whippets are never permitted to enter a pasture. Alpacas are vulnerable to attacks by predators. The family dog often poses the biggest threat. These days, many people view their dogs as furry children. Dog owners often seem to have difficulty understanding the predator/prey concept.
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"My dog is so gentle and sweet," they say. "I can completely trust him with my children. Why do you think he would hurt the alpacas?"
A dog with a correct temperament—and properly raised—will acknowledge children as part of his "predator family" but outranking him in the family's social order. The same dog will view grazing animals such as sheep, goats, and alpacas as prey to be killed and eaten.
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Rare exceptions are Livestock Protection Dogs (LPD). Selective breeding over many generations has removed their natural instinct to chase and kill. Even members of LPD breeds must be carefully trained before they can be trusted to be left alone with prey animals!
The evening of Rainy's death, I bred several "open" (not pregnant) alpacas. The rain had cooled things off, and I wanted to take advantage of the lower temperatures. How strange, I thought, to make the decision to take a life in the morning and then go on and help to create lives a few hours later.
I reminded myself that Rainy had been loved and very well cared for throughout her long life—long in dog years, that is. Alpacas live, on the average, longer than dogs. Our oldest alpaca, a male named Dexter, will be eighteen years old in December 2012. He is in great shape and doing well.
Readers may contact me over www.stormwindalpacas.com.
