Are dragons real?

Many people have told me that dragons are mythical creatures. But I don’t believe them. I have always wished I had a dragon. The dragon is my all-time favorite animal, next to the dog. In my car I have two dragons, one sits on the dashboard; the other rides the seat behind me.

Yesterday I had a conversation with my friend J and she told me that there are dragons in the book Hunger Games, but since J knows that I am one for violence she said that I may not like it.

That’s true. I am not one who really likes reading stuff with violence in them, after all there is so much violence already going on around us.

My love for dragons comes from reading Christopher Paolini’s books, Eragon, Eldest, and Inheritance. I loved the movie, How to Train Your Dragon and was amused at the girl dragon in Shrek.

But, my two favorite dragons are Saphira and Toothless.

Paolini’s Saphira has a special link with her rider Eragon. And, they can communicate with their minds. Hiccup is a Viking who refuses to kill dragons. He creates a special bond with Toothless and together they save the Vikings.

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I don’t know about you — but I still make wishes, and believe that they will come true.  I know if I wish hard enough — the universe will hear me, and my wishes will be granted.

As Christmas is fast approaching, here’s my list for my pets, all pets around the Philippines and the world, too.

More parks where we can walk our dogs. In the village where I live the dogs are not allowed in the park. Matter of fact, there is a fine if human companions are caught walking their dogs in the park.

My suggestion: Make an area where we can walk our pets, or better yet, make a rule that only pets on leashes can be walked in the park.

Responsible pet owners/walkers. I run/walk in the village where I live five, or if possible, six times a week. Since it is early in the morning, I see a lot of helpers walking the dogs. Although I have noticed that there are some of them who pick up after the doggies, most of them don’t. I guess they think that it is too early in the morning to get caught by the village guards. 

More homes feeding stray cats.  It is great that there are so many homes that have cat food near their gates for the strays in the village. Great.

Lolong be freed.  I wonder whatever happened to the saltwater crocodile Lolong who was caught in Agusan. I wish that he would finally be returned to his own habitat, rather than remain a show and tell pet for the Mayor.

No to arctic penguins in the country. I actually wish that all zoos and aquariums and ocean parks would close — animals in the wild are meant to stay there. But, I wish more than ever that the penguins, which are currently housed for show and tell in the Manila Ocean Park, be returned to their natural habitat. I wish we could show a little more compassion for our animals, as they too are part of the balance of nature.

No more cruelty towards dolphins. No more making them do tricks. I wish people would just watch them, and that there would be no groups that would catch them and keep them in small fish tanks.

More convictions for any cruel acts done to animals. This year was a good one for convictions. The people who posted the cruel acts they did to some animals have been convicted. The people who run the Pitbull dogfight ring in Cavite have also been convicted. The student from UP who bragged about the way he stomped a cat to death was also convicted. I hope to see more people come forward to report any cruel acts done to our animal companions.

More adoptions from animal shelters. If you are looking for a pet, why not consider adoption.

No sale of endangered animals. There are still some shops and individuals that sell animals that are endangered. I guess the only way the sale will stop, is if people become more responsible and stop buying them.

More spaying and neutering of pets.  I have been told often enough that a spayed or neutered pet is a healthier pet. Of course getting your pet fixed can save you from unwanted pregnancies. 

More people will bring a pet into their homes. As a very biased pet-lover I know what kind of love a pet can give. It is something that I wish all people could experience. I think it will make the world a better place to live in, if we all experience the love of a pet.