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Only a
Dog
Do you remember
thinking it was time that the
kids learned some responsibility and scanning the
newspaper ads for a cheap dog for sale? Do you
remember bringing home this little ball of shivering
fur and putting her out in the yard
on a chain that was
too heavy on a night that was too cold? Of course you
don't remember this. After all, she is only a dog.
Do you remember this
baby crying because she was
afraid and alone? Do you remember screaming at
her to be quiet and finally going out there to kick her
to drive home the lesson? Of course you don't
remember this. After all, she is
only a dog.
Do you remember the many
times you noticed her
water bowl was empty and her food bowl was
covered with mold and thinking that it was the kids' job to
take care of her? Do you remember seeing that her
coat was dull and lifeless and, in many places,
chewed away down to the skin because of the parasites
no one took the time to rid her of? Of course
you don't remember this. After
all, she is only a dog.
Do you remember her
first heat and the neighbor's
male visiting her night after night? Do you remember
thinking that letting her have the puppies would be a
good experience for the kids? Do you remember
that every one of those pups died because their
mother was no more than a puppy herself? Of course you
don't remember this. After all, she is only a dog.
I know you remember the
animal control officer
coming to the house, accusing you of animal cruelty and
taking her away because you couldn't
understand what all the fuss was about. After all,
she is only a dog.
I thought you might be
interested in how this girl
is doing today. You see, once she found a home that gave
her love, attention and proper care, she blossomed
into a beautiful, loyal companion.
To these people, she is much more than only
a dog.
She became a therapy dog
and now goes to nursing
homes and hospices where she brightens the lives
of the infirm and dying. To some of these people,
she
has given hope. To others, she's given them a
reason to keep living. To even others, she's given them
the will to die peacefully, with a smile on their lips. To
these people, she is much more than
only a dog.
Just last week, she
helped find a little boy that
was lost in the woods. She spent a long, cold
winter's night, lying over him to keep him warm and
risked her own
life to protect his. To this little boy
and his family, she is much more than
only a
dog.
What is the difference?
Why did that filthy,
flea ridden animal chained in your backyard suddenly
become so important to so many?
Because she never gave up her trust in people and she
never once thought,
"After all, he is only a
human."
-Author
Unknown
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