In the beginning parts when the narrator of the story is dealing with the conflict we are introduced to some peculiar birds that the protagonist despises for good reasons. They are a product of some amateur genetic mutation or some idiot not doubt. These birds fly around calling out several undesirable curse words and screeching them horribly toward people. This seems as an absolutely nightmare for anyone with a proper sense of decency. I might be off the path here, but these birds could be a symbol of how all animals and pets feel towards humans for altering their genetics and mutating them. This could be a good example as I can only imagine the atrocities that the animals had to go through the experimentation and failure of repeated genetic mutation. There is also humor behind the thought of these birds being the way they are which after research I have come to learn that many of T.C Boyle’s works have this sort of element to them. Now the other animals, such as the bright-red crimson dog, no matter how genetically alternated still fall back into their primal instincts regardless of any kind of genetics, proved by the dog killing the pig.