We were enjoying a beautiful October morning. The sun was just becoming visible above the Atlantic, and surfers filled the water, waiting on waves. A group of dolphins followed the wake of a shrimp trawler, foraging for food. Pelicans and gulls were dive- bombing the water, and grackles bounced around the rails of porches.

It was a tranquil site; medicine for anyone even remotely interested in nature. A variety of dogs followed their owners on the beach. Long haired chihuahuas, stately golden retrievers, ancient labs, all wandering around. Then we saw the rats.

Nasty rodents with hairless tails, foraging through the garbage like demons willing to eat anything and likely to spread disease to anyone who came close. All of a sudden, it dawned on me that cute little bunny rabbits do the same thing.

A news story last month involved a woman calling the cops because her ex boyfriend dumped mice in her apartment to terrorize her. Aside from plagiarizing the movie

Willard, this also raises the questions: What if he had used cats or chickens? Would the cops have become involved? Can someone be terrorized by animals we think of as cute?

Why do we like some animals and abhor others? Several are obvious. Scorpions, roaches, and mosquitoes have no business on the planet that I'm aware of. Squirrels are cute at first but tend to get irritating quickly. But many of the others are seemingly random choices.

Dolphins are intelligent. We see them as almost human. Tuna? They taste good. Dogs, cats, and horses were originally wild but domesticated by humans to be used as work animals or companions. Pigs, cows, and chickens; dinner comes to mind.

Cute creatures like penguins and koalas are more likely to get public donations than less attractive members of the primate family. If the platypus ever gets endangered, he's in trouble. For the record, emperor penguins are Miley Cyruses where animals are concerned. Studies prove them the most popular, most photographed, and most financially supported of all animals.

Some scientists in Africa may be changing the trend. Rats are being trained to sniff out unexploded land mines in Mozambique. Centuries of foraging for food have given them supersensitive noses. These nasty little rodents have also proven easier to train than dogs and because they are lighter, they don't set off the bombs if a mistake happens. Besides, they're rats. It isn't a big loss. They have even proven more capable than any of the current mechanical vapor detectors.

Rodents are also being used in Tanzania to sniff out tuberculosis. They can detect traces of the disease in saliva samples of patients. Soon we might see rodents in a different light. Will more people start to see the cute side of the little devils? Are we near a time where kids play in the yard with rats instead of puppies?

Will we start seeing a darling little white pure bred with a red sweater and a bow in his tail? How about fashion models carrying one of the trendy mixed breeds of rodents with cute names in her purse? Don't scoff. Not so long ago, dogs used to be wolves.