Tuesday 3 May 2016

ALSO BARKED ZARA THUSTRASIA...


My dog has a fine pair of balls - which belonged to her predecessor

On this very day 30 years ago, my dog ZARA was born.  I brought her home on July 12th, and the first thing she did was take a dump on the living-room carpet.  Took me ages to get her house-trained, but she had a very placid nature.  I could take bones from her without incident and she never bit anyone in her 12 and a half-odd years of life.  I took loads of photos of her over the years so I thought I'd show some of them here to mark her birthday.  She was registered with the Kennel Club under the name of ZARA THUSTRASIA, which was a feminization of the name ZARATHUSTRA, as in 'Also Sprach...'

So enjoy the photos and then give your own dog a pat on the head to show how much you love and appreciate it.

"What did you wake me for?" she's asking

The bold Moonmando and Zara

Ain't she sweet?

An old classmate from primary school gets a warm (but wet) welcome

"What do you mean 'Get down Shep'?  Who's Shep?"

Don't worry about me - I'm winning!

"What're you looking at?"

"Hey, it's snowing!"

Zara, with my old primary school in the background

Zara and me on the family estate.  (Cough!)

Having fun in the back garden

"I'll just pose here for a minute!"

Zara Thustrasia - 1986 - 1998

20 comments:

paul Mcscotty said...

My wee dog was very placid / kind as well - you could take bones etc from her with no hassles also. I miss my dog and that’s nearly 35 years since she passed away, it’s a shame dogs (etc) die so soon, 12 – 15 years is no time at all -– I’m going to burst out into a chorus of “Mr Bojangles” soon if I m not careful.

Phil said...

You always miss your pets don't you?
Do you have any now?

Kid said...

What was your wee doggie's name, McS? I miss all three of mine. They were Prince, Tara, and Zara. I miss all my other pets too.

******

Sure do, Phil. I hope there's an afterlife for animals.

TC said...

If there is a Heaven, it is certain our animals will be there. Their lives become so interwoven with our own, it would take more than an archangel to detangle them.
-Pam Brown



Dogs' lives are too short. Their only fault, really.
-Agnes Sligh Turnbull


I guess you don't own a dog, you rent them, and you should be thankful for a long lease.
-Joe Garagiola

Kid said...

Truer words were never spoken, TC. Y'know, I can't understand people who don't like dogs. It's unnatural.

paul Mcscotty said...

For ages after my wee dog passed away I used to "step over her" when I passed the kitched (she used to lie out side the door gwetting a wee heat at the radiator )simply out of habit - strange she (obviously ) never spoke or barked very much but when she was gone the house seemed to be so quiet - my dog was called (don't laugh) "Julie" cute as a wee button she was.

Kid said...

Yes, that's the thing, McS - the house DOES seem so very quiet when they're gone. I taped Zara barking once, just to capture her 'voice'. Still play it on occasion. Got her on video too, running about bonkers.

Anonymous said...

"If there is a Heaven it is certain our animals will be there"...er, no they won't because animals don't have souls and can't go to heaven - don't blame me, blame religious dogma. I've never owned a dog but I can't fail to be touched by their unconditional loyalty. I once knew a woman who said she preferred dogs to people but she had been in a horrendous relationship where her boyfriend had killed her beloved dog just for fun so I don't blame her for saying that. Why don't you have a dog now, Kid ? There are so many ill-treated animals that need a good home.

Kid said...

Why don't you have a dog now, CJ? You had one before. I don't have one now because the older I get, the quicker time seems to pass, which means that if I'd a dog now which lived for 12 years, it would seem only half that at the very most. Zara lived a year longer than her predecessor, yet it seemed nowhere long as that. And there you go talking your usual pants about religion. Animals not having souls belongs to a certain strain of religious thought, but it doesn't represent the consensus of religious-minded people. Cherry-picking again, CJ, just like you accuse religious fundamentalists of doing. Tsk, tsk. You need to let go of the anger.

TC said...

"I think God will prepare everything for our perfect happiness. If it takes my dog being there (in Heaven), he'll be there." -Rev. Billy Graham

paul Mcscotty said...

The Bible does not actually give any explicit teaching on whether pets/animals have souls or whether they will go to heaven or not. However, the Bible does states that both man and animals have the “breath of life”. The main difference between humans and animals in the Bible is that humanity is made in the image of God and Jesus came to save mankind’s souls not animals so maybe they dont need saving and go straight to heaven (if you beleive all that stuff) – the reality in many cases is sadly that animals are far nicer than humans and deserve an afterlife of some sort (except my neighbour’s cat that’s a wee @%& £@ ).

I wouldnt get another dog either - its to sad when the "go" Ive said goodbye to too many loved ones recently as it is without doing it for another wee pal/dog

Kid said...

Everyone should read the full poem from which the following two verses come - it'll break your heart if you're a doggie-lover.


"Well! I've seen men go to courageous death
In the air, on sea, on land!
But only a dog would spend his breath
In a kiss for his murderer's hand.

And if there's no heaven for love like that,
For such four-legged fealty - well!
If I have any choice, I tell you flat,
I'll take my chance in hell."

From "Rags" - by Edmund Vance Cooke.

Anonymous said...

Kid, I wasn't cherry-picking - I thought it was an established religious fact that animals didn't have souls. By the way, I didn't realise you had known Moonmando for so long.

Kid said...

Ah, but you know what THOUGHT did, don't you, CJ? It peed the bed and blamed it on the blankets. And is there such a thing as an 'established religious fact'? Surely there are only established religious beliefs? (Which some people believe as fact, admittedly, but it's not quite the same thing.) I've known Moony from secondary school and Peter from primary. Hey, what can I say? I'm a perpetually popular guy. (Cough!)

Edit: Or was it a cat you owned? I seem to remember you saying you had a dog or cat once. Or am I imagining it?

moonmando said...

Zara was a great dog. Both of you were inseparable,such was the bond. I still miss my own dogs and still feel their presence around me whenever I'm sitting quietly alone at home.

Kid said...

Yes, we were inseparable - I should have been more careful with that superglue. Funny how animals capture our hearts, eh, Moony?

Anonymous said...

Kid, that's right - we had a cat till I was about 10 years old (he was a year or two older than me). He was a Manx cat which meant he had no tail and I'd sometimes get asked why we had chopped his tail off !!

Kid said...

Get another cat, CJ. You need some pussy in your life. (Hey, you're all responsible for your own innuendo!)

John Pitt said...

Awh, what a lovely pup she was! Mine has just jumped off my lap, because he's heard his Mam coming back from the town.Round about 7 o'clock, I shall be chasing him all around the house, trying to get his toys off him! He loves that game and, being small, he can stash them in places I can't get to! He brings out the kid in me!

Kid said...

Yup, JP, dogs are wonderful creatures. Much prefer them to most humans.



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