There are millions of dogs in the world, but who knew you could find so many of them on the internet each day blogging their little tails off? I was totally shocked three years ago when I began, uh, let’s say helping my dog to blog. I dubbed myself his assistant and we began to chronicle his life on a blog. I found this to be a really fun hobby and a way to write anything I wanted. My dog became the jaded, sarcastic, but humorous curmudgeon (think Andy Rooney) of the dog blog world. I didn’t have to take responsibility for his rants. After all, it was his blog. The surprise came when I discovered there were so many other people who were also blogging as their dogs. Add to that number all of the cat bloggers and even the occasional turtle, rabbit or goat and you have a community worthy of its own name and zip code if only it existed in the real world.
All of these animals are great friends in cyberspace and it’s easy to get sucked into this alternate universe where you make animal (and people) pals all over the world. Everyone is very supportive and… well, just plain nice. I think that’s the hook and explains why this has become so popular. Cards are sent freely to commemorate any and all occasions. There’s a Christmas gift exchange and birthdays and blog anniversaries call for grand, virtual parties. Prizes are given in fun contests and awards doled out to favorite bloggers. Sad times are also acknowledged, especially when a dog becomes very ill or dies. The outpouring of sympathy for the pup who has gone to the Rainbow Bridge is truly amazing.
Not all dog blogs are started just for fun. Dogs who have been given a second chance have a serious message to get out and they tirelessly promote the “Adopt, don’t shop” mantra of The Humane Society of the United States as well as all animal shelters and rescues. Some of their parents are volunteers (hardly any dog with a blog is referred to as being owned… they are members of the family.) Whether they foster dogs, drive transports to get dogs to different locations where they’ll have a better chance for adoption, or run their own rescue organization, they are all passionate about making things better for the shamefully staggering number of dogs who are neglected, abused or become homeless each year. They are considered heroes to the rest of us.
More and more dogs are also showing up with a Facebook account or at least their own page. This makes perfect sense since they can advertise their most recent blog post on Facebook and reach a larger audience. Add Twitter for even more exposure. Yes, dogs are definitely making their presence known on the world wide web. Has the internet finally just gone to the dogs? And who’s left to chase the squirrels?
Author Unknown, http://www.petloss.com/rainbowbridge.htm, Pet Loss Grief Support Website
The Humane Society of the United States http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/adopt/tips/top_reasons_adopt.html, The Humane Society of the United States