13. Bless the Beasts and the Children
“Bless the Beasts and the Children” is a song written and performed by Karen and Richard Carpenter in 1971 for the documentary with a very similar title. It’s about poaching and I haven’t seen it. Most likely I won’t watch it. Killing animals for tusks or anything else is abominable and a huge threat to the planet.
You may have heard of Strongheart, the work dog, war dog and Hollywood star. He was a German shepherd whose real name was Etzel von Oeringen. His movies include The Silent Call, North Star and White Fang, all from the 1920s. He came before and led the way for Rin Tin Tin. When both filmmakers Larry Trimble and Jane Murfin were needed in New York, Allen Boone was called on to dog sit. The deliverer of the dog spoke to Strongheart with intelligence just as he would to a smart person. Boone was willing to have the shepherd stay with him. The dog entered the house and moved from room to room like a building inspector. Then he went outside to do the same. When he finished, he gently licked one of Boone’s hands, in approval.
At night Strongheart was on the bed with his head near Boone’s head. When asked to turn around, he did, but then wound up as before. Allen found out that Strongheart, reacting to various sounds, did this to protect his temporary keeper. The dog understood Boone more than Allen did Strongheart, but the former realized that he could pick up signals and know what the shepherd wanted. The canine had toys to amuse himself that he would get from the closet and then return them there when he was finished playing. He also came around to help Allen in what he was doing.
Boone had a relaxed schedule each day. Strongheart changed that by demanding Allen rise at six a.m. Retiring for the night at a certain time was ruled by the dog too. One day Allen asked himself if he should finish writing or head for the mountains with the canine. He decided on the latter but so did Strongheart, without consultation. Just as animals can understand and respond to what humans are saying, Allan found that Strongheart would know what was on Boone’s mind even if his boss hadn’t opened his mouth. Allan was told that this was a natural instinct that most dogs possessed.
When a visitor appeared at the house one day, Strongheart didn’t eat him but wasn’t very friendly to the guy who was on a mission for magazines to write articles on the dog. The shepherd fangs were flying and the visitor was glad he was wearing brown pants. The next day, Allan discovered the guy wasn’t a writer after all but a dog trainer out to see what made Strongheart such a great movie star. A similar response happened in Los Angeles when Boone met with his friend and his associates. Strongheart didn’t like one of the people, who turned out to be a dishonest promoter and was later indicted.
When Allan left Strongheart home alone, on his returning the dog anticipated his arrival. In fact when Allan decided to leave his work place, the shepherd stopped what he doing – dog stuff – and moved to his observation spot. Mohave Dan, the desert rat, told Allan:
There’s facts about dogs and there’s opinions about them. The dogs have the facts, and the humans have the opinions. If you want facts about a dog, always get them straight from the dog. If you want opinions, get them from a human.
Strongheart died on June 24, 1929 at the age of eleven. I’ve mentioned Boone earlier relative to ants, rattlesnakes and skunks. You can read about his amazing encounters with animals in his mid twentieth century book, Kindred With All Life.
Brian Hare is an animal scientist who has done numerous studies on many species of animals. Along with his wife, Vanessa Woods, he wrote the book, The Genius Of Dogs: How Dogs Are Smarter Than You Think. It sheds a great deal of light on animal intelligence, even though the title might suggest that the book concentrates only on man’s best friend. Hare’s book discussed many scientific trials that he and his wife conducted.
Former psychoanalyst Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson has written more than a dozen books on animals. The title of his 400 page book, Altruistic Armadillos, Zenlike Zebras: A Menagerie Of 100 Favorite Animals gives you a good idea of what’s inside. Writing about four pages on each, Masson informs and amazes readers with just how smart these creatures are. He talks about animals that aren’t so familiar to us: bilby; bonobo; cochineal; echinna; kakapo; dugongs; okapi; pinnipeds; tuatara; yeti. Jeffrey mentions the myths and then sets the record straight as best as possible. In some cases, not enough research has been done so he admits that he and others just don’t know about a creature. At the back of the book, he lists alphabetically – but only three books for each animal – more references and reading suggestions.
Do animals have as much intelligence as people? Many scientists say no because of communication. Not only did Strongheart listen to the individual that delivered him to Boone, he also understood him and responded. Dogs and many other animals manage that with barking and body language. It’s up to humans to understand the conversation and continue in it. If the licking of Boone’s hand by Strongheart doesn’t convince you of the dog’s smarts, I hope that the other animals I’ve mentioned result in a change of heart.
Like humans, flying creatures and those with four legs have limitations. However, outside of pigeons, they don’t drop bombs on hospitals, nursing homes or on innocent people. They don’t wage war against other nations using nuclear weapons. Animals don’t own homes with 10,000 square feet or more and rely on fossil fuels for the utilities. They don’t take more out of the earth than they put in. Animals are like the Native Americans who take only what they can use and put back more into the ecosystem that they remove.
The animals in this and the previous chapters are all heroes. So are their caretakers. Together, they’re inspirational as well. Animals are intelligent, reasoning, emotional and above all loving, caring and faithful servants. Once in a while they may not like a person, but this feeling is justified. Even after a dog leaves a present for his master and hears about it – it’s not an anniversary, Christmas or a birthday – Fido forgives and continues in his devotion. This love is unconditional, just like that shown by God for his children, who fail at times.
Speaking of the Creator, a bible passage in the book of Genesis says man should have domination over every creeping creature that moveth upon the earth. Obviously, many people misunderstood this last command. Either that or the translation wasn’t quite right. As far as we know, God created the animals first and then man. Science tells us that humans followed the dinosaurs and the other creatures. This order is true whether you’re a creationist or an evolutionist – some people are both. What follows is a reading list. One book I should mention is the one co-authored by John Lloyd and John Mitchinson, The Book Of Animal Ignorance: Everything You Think You Know Is Wrong. Please give your pets the love and respect they deserve.