Above the desk where I sign in to work hangs a pin-up calendar whose pet of the month of May is a Shih Tzu in a shiny red wagon. Below the happy pup is the notation that May 2nd-8th, 2010 is Be Kind to Animals Week. According to the American Humane Association , this week has been celebrated since 1915 as a time to “commemorate the role animals play in our lives, promote ways to continue to treat them humanely, and encourage others, especially children, to do the same.”
The collection of Historic Sheet Music, 18oo-1920 in the Performing Arts Encyclopedia is home to sundry odes to the family pet; a song documenting the eternal feud between our favorite animal companions, “Casey’s Dog and Tracey’s cat“; and a soldier’s lament at the loss of his ”Poor kitty popcorn.”
