Unusual Pets

Yoshi! My dog. She is not psychic but she can sing! She graces the photo for this week’s article!

I have begun a job at a local pet resort here in New Mexico. 25 dogs play, bark, and do other such canine things. 25 dogs of different species and personalities. people would say that a dog is just a dog but that is not the case. 25 Independent, individualistic furry friends come to play at the pet resort. Over the years, people have been keeping all sorts of animal as a pet. Over the years, people have been finding pets with special abilities. 

And now let's look at some! 

The first comrade of the human race on our list was a horse name Lady Wonder. Lady Wonder was around the living from 1924 to 1957 and attracted over 150,000 people to her door… Stable… You get the idea. But why? why did so many people come to visit her? Well you know when your dog or cat sense that it's time for food? You know when you jokingly ask them if they're psychic? Well this horse was apparently a psychic! A real deal, bona fide psychic! 

for one dollar, each of those thousands of people could ask the horse three questions. Lady Wonder would answer. 

now you're probably thinking, what's so special about this horse? Well according to reports, lady wonder was said to have helped the Massachusetts state police find the corpse of a missing boy. she also was said to have helped discover oil and predict heavyweight boxing matches. 

Now, the horse was trained to operate a device consisting of levers that activate alphabet cards, thus giving the answer to whatever question was asked. 

and now for the hard part, her owner, C. D. Fonda, actually trained her to move her head and according to her trainers cues, would activate the lever in that area. Turns out she was not psychic after all, she was just a very well-trained lady wonder. 

next on our list is Owney. now Owney was possibly the most well traveled dog in the history of the United States. He was a border terrier and was adopted as the first unofficial postal mascot by Albany New York. He traveled throughout the 48 states of the era from 1887 to 1897 and voyaged around the world during his lifetime. he received postage tags from each place he visited. As time wore on however, old age took affect and Owney was put down. he was preserved with honors and is currently in the Smithsonian museum. 

now the third and final critter on our list has a story that is a bit unusual. 

On the isle of man in the town of Dalby, there is a farm. And on that farm family by the name of the Irvings dwelled. 

in September 1931, the family claimed to hear a persistent scratching rustling and noise behind the wooden wall panels of their home. It was during one of these eventful nights that the scratching in the noises introduced itself as a creature named Gef. now Gef was apparently a mongoose born in New Delhi India in 1852. He was the size of a small rat with yellow fur and a bushy tail and lived in the walls of their house. He apparently said to the family that he was an extra extra clever mongoose and was a ghost in the form of said mongoose. "I am a freak. I have hands and I have feet, and if you saw me you'd think you'd be petrified mummified turned into stone or a pillar of salt. " Gef said one night. 

He supposedly guarded their home and informed them on the approach of guests or any unfamiliar animal. The spirit was a very good and protected the family as well as acting as an alarm clock, scratching and yowling to get the family up. 

many journalists came to try to catch a glimpse of the creature but alas no one was able to spot it. Many locals and visitors however claimed to hear the noises. However in 1945 after the death of the father of the family, they reportedly had to sell the Farm though it was rather difficult for it acquired a reputation of being haunted. Even though the final Irving passed away in 2005, the family maintained the story, explaining that Gef was not their creation and was really there. 

Pets and animal companions are wonderful. We should treat them with respect and honor for that is how they see us. Viva La Our Animal Companions! 

Also Remember too that you can email me at friendsoffolklore@gmail.com!