The Cone Affair!

 I have noticed several times, a cone-shaped object hanging around a dog's neck. I used to wonder why the owners put such an object around their pet’s neck. What exactly was the reason behind it! The first thought that came to my mind was, perhaps it was part of dog-fashion. I have seen many dogs with fancy collars, fancy leash and colorful clothing around their bodies. I wondered if the cone was also part of pet-fashion. 

 But then, I remembered the blinders that are put around a horse’s eyes for limiting its field of vision so that it keeps focused on the road or track. I concluded perhaps the cone around the dog’s neck was for similar purpose. Perhaps it was meant to train the dog to walk in a straight path instead of getting diverted by objects around.

A few days ago, while going for my routine morning walk, I again saw a dog with a cone around its neck. My curiosity finally got the better of me. So, I decided to dig deeper and find out the exact reason for the cone.

According to one source (Wikipedia), it seems there is a specific purpose for it. First of all the cone is a medical device, referred to as Elizabethan Collar, E-Collar, Buster Collar, Pet Ruff or Pet Cone. It is also humorously referred to as Treat Funnel, Lamp Shade, Radar Dish, Dog Saver, Collar Cone, or The Cone of Shame!  

The Cone of Shame! I couldn't help remembering that famous “Walk of Shame” from the incredible TV serial, Game of Thrones! I was so disturbed for days after watching that unbelievable episode!

Interestingly the term Elizabethan Collar was borrowed from the “Elizabethan Ruff” which is a projecting, large, starched, stiffly pleated or crimped collar worn by men and women in Western Europe from the mid-16th to the mid-17th century, most famously during the Elizabethan era in England.

As I mentioned before, the cone has a medical purpose, mostly used for dogs but also for cats, horses and other animals. Its purpose is to prevent the animal from biting, scratching or licking its body, generally, but more specifically to prevent it from disturbing any wound on its body so that the wound heals properly. These days whenever I see a dog with a cone, I cannot help but try to figure out where the poor thing must be hurt or wounded.

It is so amazing how there is so much of history and science behind a simple thing such as a cone around a dog’s neck. Curiosity is not always bad! It does enhance one’s knowledge about things we encounter through our daily lives. This could be a very trivial or mundane information for the pet lovers. But for me, it is a new, interesting information.

I am not exactly a pet-person or particularly an animal lover. It does not mean that I am against animals. I am just not comfortable with them. But as an exception, I do have special fascination for horses. Perhaps it is the effect of watching all those wild west cowboy movies during my growing days. I still watch the movies I missed while working in the Middle East, including Bonanza, with fourteen seasons of marvelous story telling. I love watching videos of horses galloping with their noses flaring, their mane flying in the wind, their muscles rippling and the rhythmic sound of their hoofs. It is exhilarating just to watch them galloping away. I find there is something quite majestic about horses.

I am a bit of an artist. I used to dabble in black & white sketches on drawing paper, sea shells, and ceramic plates. One sketch was a full page face of a horse. It was a thrill drawing its head with its flaring nostrils with those beautiful eyes and the majestic mane around its neck. We have a collection of horse figures in our house, in various sizes made of ceramic, glass, brass, and other metals. We have a big canvas painting prominently adorning our living room, a painting of a group of horses in flight.

Ironically, my experience with horses has been mostly through pictures and videos. The closest I got to a horse was while riding horse carts during my childhood. Another close encounter was when I felt the hot breath of the horse on my face, as it lifted its forelegs high in the air and was coming down right at my face. That is altogether another story!

Season of Mass Pollution

The season of mass pollution has started. It starts from late August and goes on until the end of October. There will be all sorts of mass pollution in the form of air pollution, noise pollution, water body pollution, garbage pollution. 

We are one of the countries facing extreme pollution issues in several parts of the country with breathing problems and visibility problems. Everyone knows about the environmental issues but very few are willing to take responsibility. It is always either the government’s problem or some other person’s problem. Certainly not my problem.

By chance if someone or some group, which rarely happens, raises or addresses the issue, or even voluntarily takes initiatives to tackle the issue, they always end up with opposition and confrontation from various groups of people. Sometimes the opposition is quite hostile and aggressive because any change one tries to suggest could be hurting someone’s or some group’s religious or cultural sentiments. No one wants to adapt social & cultural practices to demands of clean and healthy environment.

Under such circumstances, one cannot blame anyone trying to feel safe. Selfish motives and misguided sentiments are destroying every chance of social & economic development. Meanwhile, we rejoice in noise, filth and chaos and under pseudo cultural superiority over other first and second world countries.