Pesky .... And Proud of It!

If they keep track of those sorts of things I'm sure this summer may go down in the record books as the summer of the mosquito. They are rivaling Canadian mosquitoes - which are a force to be reckoned with.  Yesterday morning I had to check a humane trap that we'd set for a lost dog. It was only a short trek into the woods - but by the time I got to the trap, the buzzing was deafening.

No dog in the trap, just an ungrateful raccoon who took off without even a backward glance or a "thank you, ma'am" for the cozy bed, tennis ball and Solid Gold Green Cow tripe that we'd baited the trap with. As I hightailed it back to the road with a thousand hungry mosquitoes following me, I remembered one of my favorite quotes:

  "If you think you're too small to be effective - you've never been in bed with a mosquito". - Betty Reese

I like being a mosquito advocate for animals.We have a dedicated group of them in Wisconsin. We're like pesky flies - writing letters to politicians, pet store owners, irreputable breeders. We never go away - just when they think we have - bzzzz - there we are again - annoying as hell. 

We were a whole army of mosquitoes (flock? herd? gaggle? what's the word?) last year during the state legislative session while we were trying to get the Commercial Dog Breeder's Licensure Bill passed. In the end - the legislators gave up trying to swat us away, we were deafening and annoying - and the bill passed unanimously through both the House and Senate.

Our numbers continue to grow - there are countless animal lovers willing to take up the cause when they realize how effective they can be.

So whether you are a mosquito army of one, or of thousands, never doubt that you can make a difference in the lives of the animals you love.