Where I Stand—Ruthe Deskin: Pet owners should remember their commitment

Tuesday, Dec. 2, 1997 | 11:56 a.m.

"HOW MUCH IS that doggie in the window?"

This is the season of the year when people start thinking about pets as Christmas presents.

Adorable puppies and kittens are on display at most pet shops to the delight of shoppers and children.

Then there are the more exotic pets -- pot-bellied pigs for example.

Smart and cute, the little piglets became an overnight sensation. Owning one became a sign of chic. They were a sensation until they grew into fat, waddling pigs and required more care than was originally advertised.

Theirs was like the story of the Dalmatians. After the movie glamorized the breed, thousands of Dalmatian puppies were sold. When owners discovered that the breed takes special care and surroundings, the grown dogs were dumped on humane societies and shelters.

I recently wrote of the plight of greyhound dogs whose fate was sealed once they were considered worthless at the racetrack. Fortunately for the greyhounds, the Greyhound Gang in Kanab, Utah, is dedicated to finding homes for the animals.

The plight of the pigs has been highlighted by recent television documentaries, but finding a home for a huge pot-bellied pig is difficult. Many pigs have been abandoned and found abused and starving.

When acquiring any kind of pet, humans must make commitments -- a promise to care for the animal throughout its life.

Pets acquired as gifts at Christmas often end up in animal sanctuaries. That cute puppy becomes a big dog. An adorable kitten grows into a cat. A little pig grows into a big pig. Even that slithering boa can become large enough to squeeze the life out of a small baby.

Before you buy that doggie in the window consider all the ramifications of pet ownership.

Serious pet owners know there is nothing quite like having an animal to love and to love you, and once the match is made it should be for keeps.

High on the pet peeve list are men who blow cigar smoke in my face, and having a piece of luggage bounce off my head as I sit in the seat of an airplane.

Smoking cigars has become the "macho" thing -- even for women -- thanks to clever manipulation of the media by the spin doctors. Whole establishments have been opened showcasing cigar smokers.

For me, there's no difference between cigarette smoke and cigar smoke, except the latter smells worse.

The advertisers neglect to tell us that cigar smokers develop three times more lung cancers than nonsmokers, and cancer deaths are 34 percent higher than for those who refrain from lighting up. People who smoke cigars run great risks of dying from oral, laryngeal and esophageal cancers, and secondhand cigar smoke carries the same risks as exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke. Concentrations of tar and nicotine are higher in cigars than cigarettes. All this is according to a 1989 surgeon general's report.

As for the excess baggage on airplanes, no one could be happier than I to know that the airlines and safety experts are beginning to take notice. How many times have planes been delayed on takeoff waiting for baggage to be stored in overhead hampers? Or how much time is lost trying to deplane when people are yanking and pulling luggage from the bins. ?

There is also the question of how much added weight is stored with all the extra luggage.

Time was when a limit was placed on the size of carry-on luggage, but passengers kept sneaking more and larger stuff on the plane and nobody stopped them.

Now is the time to set some specific rules regarding carry-ons and stick to them.

When some of us were younger and in college, success was measured by a mink coat.

My success, which was purchased with hard-earned money, has been hanging in the closet for years, even before the animal rights groups made me feel too guilty to wear it.

That's life.

Remember the Las Vegas Art Museum in Lorenzi Park?

The floor wasn't quite even and the heating constantly needed repair, but a loyal group of artists and patrons kept the museum running for years until the city took the building and that was that.

Today, the Las Vegas Art Museum is happily situated in the Sahara West Library at 9600 West Sahara Ave. and going great guns.

Wednesday, the museum, in association with ARTV Inc., will present what they are billing as "the most valuable public exhibition of visual arts yet mounted in Las Vegas."

The exhibit will include paintings loaned by local fine-art collectors. A public reception will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. For more information contact Evelyn Cannestra, 360-8000.

SUN reader J.D. says times have changed since he was a boy. People used to pretend sex didn't exist. Now, they act like it's all there is.