Honoring Snowflake

The photo of Ted Cruz's dog Snowflake, alone at the front door with the family on vacation in Cancún, created a familiar image: that of a dog, forlorn and abandoned, without his people friends nearby.  The picture isn't even a close-up, yet you get a sense of how Snowflake felt.  Or how you think Snowflake felt.  Dogs have long conveyed human emotions, particularly to those of us who've lived with them.  Even my porcelain and brass dogs have something to say:

Here's one that belonged to my dad.  Apparently a cocker spaniel, he displays on his side an image of the Statue of Liberty's crown and torch with the words "New York."  I assume that my father bought this as a souvenir when he visited the city as a kid.  There's a certain nobility about this dog, even with the distracting tourist image: his earnest face, his steady stance, and his gaze into an unknown future.

This scottie was my dad's, too, though she's more worn than the spaniel.  She reminds me of Snowflake, Ted Cruz's dog, though her house is more appealing than his posh, uninspired facade.  In contrast, her cheerful orange door stands out against a green wall and a bright blue roof.  Nonetheless, our scottie is chained unhappily outside.  Her misery is palpable.  Still, I'd rather be her than Snowflake.

I think this is a Boston terrier, which, though usually white and black, can also be white and brown.  My dad probably had this little guy because he reminded him of his dog Jiggs.  Though his house isn't as colorful as the scottie's above, Jiggs isn't chained.  His demeanor is completely different: bold and energetic, Jiggs is poised for adventure.

The last two are mine, bought when I was a child as I searched for dogs that looked like our Sparky, though neither of these resembles him.  He was primarily a lab, while these are spaniels, and he wasn't missing a leg.  Despite Sparky #1's disability, though, he doesn't complain; his loyal, obedient watchfulness is impossible to miss.

Sparky #2 seems sad, but not uncomfortable with his sadness.  He's curled up, meditative, pondering his life with humans.  No doubt we made him sad sometimes, but not as sad as Snowflake must have felt when the family left for Cancún.