Story of a puppy mom
By Kim Jin-hyeon
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Dogs live in packs because they know how to have social lives. Their way of expressing emotions such as happiness, melancholia, or pain is similar to humans. These traits help them have a more positive relation with humans as well as with other dogs.
Their strong points, senses of smell and hearing, have protected people from dangerous animals or played various roles such as hunting dogs or house ones, faithful to men.
Thus, they were the first domestic animal kept by man 20,000 years ago. The number of dogs has increased to help humans live. In the Roman age, Pulinius (AD 23-79) classified them as house, shepherd, hunting, war dogs, and scent and sight hounds.
After World War II, people began to raise dogs as pets because they helped men overcome trauma suffered from the war. In Korea, in the 1980s, as Baby-boomers had only one or two babies, they also fed dogs or cats as pets to overcome their loneliness.
In the 2000s, rapid growth in the aging population and one-person households, caused citizens nurturing animals such as dogs or cats to increase. Ms. Lee also got a Cocker Spaniel from her friend. In those days, she was independent from her parents, but her mental state was not good.
At that time, the dog helped her keep calm. For example, when she came home sad, it tried to show her various expressions to cheer her up. When she was happy, it helped to make her feel happier. When she got angry, it crouched in the corner and studied her face until her anger melted away.
Through this communication, they made a warm family. Three years after, she adopted two more abandoned Maltese. All of them became brothers under the Spaniel's control.
Thanks to living with them, Ms. Lee's lifestyle improved, having a regular job and maintaining desirable relationships with colleagues.
This year, the dogs are 17 years and 14 years old. They are equal to over 70 years in human age. As a result, they have had various diseases, been operated on over ten times over seven years. Ms. Lee's friends advised her to abandon them, but she didn't want to. Rather, she plans to support them until they die.
All of them stay in her living room when she goes out, where she installed cameras to observe their activities because the Cocker Spaniel is in critical condition. She always checks up on them via her smart phone linked by a wireless circuit.
She thinks it is natural to nourish them because they have lived like mother and children. In the process, the family has shared joys and sorrows. Her life has become richer and balanced. Now, she prays that the dogs will breathe their last breath in her bosom.
The writer (shinykim60@hanmail.net) works at Yeosu Chungmu High School in South Jeolla Province.