The Price Of Life; The Price Of Death

When I was in Standard 6, I wanted a pet of my own so very badly. After thinking it over, I settled on asking my parents for a dog. (After being told I confirm-firm can't have a horse. In the apartment we lived in. -_-''') Dee gave it some thought and when he finally agreed, he turned to me and asked:

"You want to pay for the dog?

Or you want to pay for the food?

You pay for one, I pay for one.

 I let you choose." 

Whoa. Tough decision for my 12-year-old brain at the time but I very wisely (IMHO lah) chose to pay for the dog. One time pay, kautim. Can cuci tangan di. =p


So, after looking through Star Classifieds for the perfect breed at the perfect price for a few weeks, I finally found the pup I thought could be The One. As a family, we took a drive to the breeder's home, I took a look at the little pup with droopy ears on wobbly legs hiding behind her mom, and that was it. I was sold.


Unfortunately, she was a little too young to be brought home there and then – she was a newborn who was still nursing – so I went home empty-handed but totally googly-eyed and giddy-headed with the idea of becoming her mistress and having a living thing that I can love, raise and call my own.


A week later, we went back and I handed RM340 over to the dog breeder. It was a pretty hefty sum for 12-year-old me with a 50sen daily allowance – applicable weekdays only. RM340 to bring home a tiny little Black and Tan Miniature Pinscher, one that was so tiny she could sit in the palm of my hand, that I later named Princess. (Took me awhile to decide on her name.)

That was 15 years ago.

But time flew by in the blink of an eye.

That tiny little Black and Tan Miniature Pinscher we brought home grew up, grew old, and yesterday, I had to make a trip to the local SPCA with the family to hand her limp, lifeless body over for cremation. It wasn't a pleasant experience to say the least. And considering the fact that they're the SPCA, I kind of expected a little more kindness and compassion in light of our loss.


Anyway, like it is with human Death Certificates and human cremations, I had to fill up an information/request form before they would carry out her cremation.

15 years ago, Dee and I had the talk about her expenses – buying her and feeding her. But that talk did not include the possibility of any cost involved in her death. Maybe cos you don't exactly think about pet death when you're getting a new pup. I know I didn't. But there we were. At the SPCA. Filling up a form, and signing away the body of our Princess.

I paid RM340 for her life in 1996.

I can surely pay RM30 for her goodbye now.

In fact, I secretly wished the latter cost a little more. Because her 15 years with us was worth so much more than the RM30 it's seemingly been reduced to.


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Related Posts
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• Princess [Monday, January 31, 2011]
• A Little Longer Than Awhile, A Little Shorter Than Forever [Monday, January 31, 2011]
• We Are Family. Father, Mother, Princess And Me. [Tuesday, February 01, 2011] 
• The Grieving Process Is A Funny Thing [Tuesday, February 01, 2011]