Ode to a Steer

No greater sacrifice has been made than that of a steer. Well, yes, they are castrated so that they can add weight to their hindquarters and turn into better steaks, but initially they have given up the life of the bull - a life full of testosterone and being the herd's badass.

But I'm here to say that their penises did not go to waste! No, they were stretched, sometimes braided or knotted, dried and then turned into a "bully" or "pizzle" stick. 

Here at the Casa de Rat, they work better than Xanax to keep this foster mom sane.  I always keep a bully bouquet high on a shelf for times when silence or calmness are required.  Since we foster terriers, calm quiet time is like gold: highly valued and with a very high price tag. 

Langley's weekly supply of bully sticks

In this picture you see about $50 worth of bully sticks.  The average Joe would pay about $100 for them but I work at a very nice natural pet store who feels sorry for me and lets me purchase them for my fosters at cost.  This will be Langley's supply of sticks (and my supply of quiet times) for the next 7-9 days.

You all know what a busy boy Langley is and that he needs lots of structured time and something to keep him focused.  Well, when he needs to be in a crate, bully sticks can guarantee a quiet and busy Langley.

There are lots of brands available but our house brand is A.B. Bullies because they are about 2-3 times as thick as most bullies (therefore lasting much longer) and they are also blessedly stink free. It's also a Washington State company, which is nice.

So I thank you Mr. Steer.  Your sacrifice has not been taken for granted.