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Yesterday, I lost my all time best friend "Muffie" a lahpsa-poodle and I am
absolutely devastated by her passing. She accompanied me to several APSA
meetings and she even attended evening sessions where she was warmly welcome
and loved every moment of it. People by the scores would stop and talk to her
and me. The NBC Today show focused on her one morning as I walked with her in
Manhattan before the meeting sessions started. My life and being revolved
around her as a full family member and buddy.  Perhaps that is my failing and
I am hurting now. But if I had to do it over again, for all the world I would
do it the same.

Overall, we social scientists, policy students, and ordinary people just do
not get it..that there is something unique and very special about our animal
friends that transcends far above their biological being. We should study it
more..not using animals as subjects..we need to get away from that
altogether, but to try to understand the meaning of what the animals truly
are and adjust out laws accordingly. Surely they are not mere property or
inconsequential pets as the law so treats them or as mere items on a
biological scale. Many animals, especially dogs, cats, parrots, and the sea
mammals have conscience, morality, and spirit well beyond the degree we
credit them.  We are insensitive to their being as creatures that are
deserving of far greater protection and tolerance than given by present laws.

I am going away for a few days to try to heal a bit.  I have learned the hard
way that there is something very sacred about animals indeed. The native
American Indians knew it and they incorporated
their understanding in their laws and customs. National, state, and local
laws need to change to reflect the sacred nature of animals and the sacred
importance of them to people.

Stephen Miles Sacks


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