‘Idoglatry’ You read right.

The word is “idoglatry” and I believe I coined the word that applies to obsessive adoration, devotion and excessive expense made for a pooch.

Idoglatry is the modern application of idolatry, where the Israelites worshipped a man-made cow just like the metal charging bull in the financial district of Manhattan, New York.

I am not hating on man’s best friend, the dog, maybe just annoyed at some of our best friend’s best friend or paw parent for their affectionate excess on their dogs.

I have four mixed breed Great Dane X Belgian Malinois and I have spent money feeding, housing, vaccinating them. Their vet, Doc Joy, makes house calls but that is as far as things go.

They all have to earn their keep by barking and creating an illusion that they will confront intruders and defend their pack. So far they have managed to fake it, even making someone’s bodyguard pee in his pants.

I treat our dogs as “working dogs” first, pets second. They chase rodents, one is a snake’s worst nightmare, but all know how to charm guests for a stroke or a treat. They all have names and are treated with tough love. No unauthorized barking, no stealing food and no fighting

I don’t take them to the nearby “paw friendly” malls, because they are discriminated against by ignorant managers who assume that the aggressiveness or ferocity of a canine increases in direct proportion to its size.

They obviously have not seen how big dogs are usually terrified or dislike yappy, nippy toy dogs. No matter their size, I have seen them cower or run away from a yip-yapper with their tail between the legs.

But that does not mean that big dogs are saints. I have seen one shake the brattiness off a runt that tried to nip at its heel. No wounds, no injury, just a serious dose of behavior modification.

I remember a popular song back in the 70’s titled “Cats in the Cradle” sung by Harry Chapin. It was a play of words then, but I never imagined I would see dogs in a stroller in a mall, puppies with their own cradle or dogs wearing diapers.

I believe all this is the work of an association of evil men in mall basements figuring out how to make people spend more and more money by force or behavior modification of paw parents.

I’m sure that diaper sales in the Philippines have quadrupled over the years because dog owners have been forced to put diapers on dogs. The same goes for disposable plastic gloves, paper towels or wipes that have become a “must carry” for dog owners or walkers.

This may be the correct practice in the interest of hygiene and responsible ownership. But what is natural about wrapping pup and fur with a diaper and making it look like a four-legged burrito, forcing it to wallow in its shit and piss?

What is the potential hazard and threat of millions of diapers, plastic gloves, wipes and paper towels consumed and disposed of by paw parents? We complain about billions stolen by Cong. Tractors but don’t consider the serious cash that could fund your future.

Unlike city slickers, we literally shovel dog shit, bury them or mix them into soil. We get 10 seconds of exercise, burn 0.5 calorie and complete the food cycle of nature with no plastics added.

Why require paw parents to buy a stroller intended for a human infant and place a dog in it. Those dogs are a lot cleaner paw-wise than the feet of customers who are not required to wipe their shoes at the entrance.

Place the dogs on the floor and the cute babies back in the strollers where they belong.

Malls have zero acoustic controls, and so all those yapping puppies definitely ruin many customers’ experience. More irritating than the constant yapping of dogs is seeing how indifferent or inconsiderate some dog owners are.

They have not taken the time to discipline their dogs not to bark at everything that moves. In contrast, parents are often embarrassed or quickly respond to a crying baby. Bad mother but not bad paw parent?

Worst is when you see dog owners allowing or placing their pets on upholstered chairs in many coffee shops. Cat or dog hair can trigger asthma for people with allergies. And would you bring your dog to someone else’s house and let it sit anywhere it wants? Probably not.

Speaking of going overboard on money spent for cats and dogs, paw parents have howled excessive prices charged by veterinary clinics in a country where millions of Filipinos can’t afford quality health care. This is emotional hostage and is the payback for idoglatry.

If you are a paw parent, please reflect on the consequences and effects of idoglatry on your finances, your life, even your future. Yes, being a paw parent gives immediate emotional gratification from a pet that loves you unconditionally – except cats.

But falling into idoglatry, just like any form of idolatry, has serious consequences on your human and divine relationships. The dogs and cats live short lives, require care like an infant and become a serious financial loss.

Yes, it loves you; yes, it’s loyal to you, but it doesn’t complete you. What it could end up doing is distort your values and expectations from human relationships and ultimately disconnect you from a divine relationship with God.

God is a giver, cats and dogs are takers. But those who persist in idolatry or idoglatry ultimately lose it all. Everything has its place, know where your heart is.