Marisa 'eM' Louw

As a veteran Pekingese owner and volunteer at Pekingese Rescue of South Africa, I feel it my duty to inform other and potential Pekingese owners about the breed. Unlike other people who write about the breed, I will not do a 'copy & paste job.  What you read here is based on my experience with the breed, which spans more than 15 years.  During this period, I have had 13 Pekingese, ten of which are still part of the family.  The pack's age ranges from six months to 13 years. Therefore, I feel I am more than qualified to educate others. Note that I am NOT a Pekingese breeder and never will be. The Pekingese is a small dog that stands roughly 25cm tall and weighs between 4.5kg and 6.5kg.  It has a long coat with very distinctive ears, of which the fluffs often reach down to the floor. The dog is recognised by its very flat face, large eyes and short, stocky legs that give it a funny duck-like gait. Firstly I would like to bust the myth that this dog breed's ...

Last night I watched Shark Bait: Gordon Ramsay on DSTV and felt sick to my stomach at the cruelty to sharks, whose numbers have fallen by more than 60% off the west coast of South America over the past seven years. While watching, my thoughts drifted to a recent debate I started on Facebook.  Photograph:  Paul Hilton Does not eating meat and not using animal products such as leather make a positive contribution to the inhumane slaughter and abuse of animals? From the comments on Facebook, I can say that 95% of those who commented do not feel it will make a positive contribution.  Everyone is, however, at one with the fact that people should instead take action against these activities that lead to abuse rather than simply discontinuing the use of the animal product. Gordon Ramsay, last night set a perfect example. He confronted restaurant guests, chefs, fishermen, port security and many others single-handed.  He went out there and witnessed how an endangered...

I have volunteered with Pekingese Rescue of South Africa for the past two years.  Several Pekingese came to me as fosters; some I adopted, others I cared for until they found forever homes.   The majority of fosters I have taken in are special needs Pekingese.  Mostly severely traumatised and aggressive towards people.  Never before have I taken in a foster who did not settle into my pack within a few minutes until this past Sunday.   Coco and Chanel were taken from a breeder about two months ago and found a forever home immediately.  They, however, refused to be cuddled and shied away from people.  Their forever home, unfortunately, turned out to be the opposite, and after only two months with their new parents, they are now in my foster care and up for adoption again.  Why?  Because their new parents had to move house and the place they found does not allow pets.  This is a discussion for another day.   I did not realise how badly...

Standing on my tippy toes, I could barely see through the crowds gathered to watch the fashion parade.  That’s what you get for being a shorty. And this is not the event you’d wear high heels for.  The Rand Easter Show is not one you strut around on high heels unless you have someone to tend your blisters at the end of a long day. The models are from all walks of life – tall and slender, short and bulky, young and old.  Hair styles varied from short and sleek to dreadlock-like manes.  An assortment of outfits by professional and amateur designers is on show. I’d seen enough and decided to leave, but that’s when it caught my eye, those facial features that I fell in love with three years earlier.  A broad forehead.  Prominent, large brown eyes.  High-set cheekbones on a wide, square face and a big nose with a flattened side profile. I just had to meet the model, so I made my way through the crowds to the backstage area...

  Mary Shelley, the author of  Frankenstein , once said:  "Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change."   No shit!   A little more than three weeks ago, our landlord casually informed us that he is leaving for Australia in just over three weeks. We have to find alternative accommodation because he will be selling the property.   Sudden?  Holy crap!  We did not see that one coming at all!   So, we have been frantically looking for a new house for the past three weeks.  Just this morning, our offer to purchase a beautiful home in Parys (not Paris, unfortunately) has been accepted, and we are moving during the first week of April.   But I don't want to write about our new home just yet.   Ms Shelley hit the nail right on the head with what she said, but I think she meant that significant and sudden change is a total mind-fuck.   Since that horrible night three weeks ago, I have not been abl...