Already Perfect

March 25, 2011

I'm sure we've all heard about how magazines and the media are negatively affecting our body image, giving us a false sense of what is "perfect" in the looks department. Now apparently, this bad habit has carried over to other mammals as well.

You see, recently I added to my home a new baby boy. He's a bit prickly, quite literally, and is super sweet for a critter covered in spines. This is WALL-E (named after one of my favorite Pixar characters), my new hedgehog, and he's blind in one eye.

Despite how sweet he is, he'd apparently been turned down by many potential owners because of his disability. He wasn't "perfect" and they didn't want him. Even the breeder was surprised when I eagerly told her I'd love to give him a home.

That slight white dot in his eye is all you can tell of his troubles since he's just as active and healthy as any other hedgehog would be at his age. You see, hedgehogs don't have very good vision to begin with, and rely mostly on their senses of smell and hearing to get around, so that one blind eye doesn't slow him down a bit.

Many disabled animals are just as active, loving and playful as animals without disabilities, but since they aren't "perfect," they often have trouble finding homes. DisabledAnimal.com is a website trying to change that by connecting those willing to open their arms to a pet with disabilities with those trying to rehome one.

So if you're thinking of getting a pet, just remember that if the animal is anything like my little hedgehog, they are already perfect, disabilities and all.

Jennie V.
South Independence