And despite everything, we must continue to enjoy with serenity this time we have left. Let's try to eliminate the afters...

Because still waiting see you later, we can lose the best moments, the best experiences, best friends, the best family...

For All Caregivers

May the wellspring of compassion be opened in you as you reach out to care.
May tenderness bless you as you reach out to comfort body, mind and spirit.
In the midst of fear and frustration, may courage be given to you.
When difficult decisions confront you, may wisdom inspire you.
May patience keep vigil with you and peace of mind calm you.
May your heart find a song to sing even when you are weary.
May abundant love lift you and gratitude bless you as you live the mission of care entrusted to you.
**

"Faith goes up the stairs that love has built
and looks out windows which hope has opened."

"Absence is to Love as Wind is to Fire;
It extinguishes the Weak, and kindles the Strong."

By Dr. Becker

If you've ever owned a dog for a lifetime, from the time he was a pup, you know how cute and wiggly pups are when they're little, and how fun and energetic they are when they're grown up.

But if you've had the privilege of sharing your life with a beloved pet into their senior years, you know your old dog has brought many things into your life you would never have experienced otherwise. While you may think of more, here's a list of why old dogs are best.

1. Trust

When you look into the eyes of a dog who's been by your side for years, you know you share a level of trust most people can't match!

2. Patience

No one reflects the love they feel more than when their pride is challenged, like when they're used as a pillow, or expected to pose wearing a silly hat.

3. Their Adorable Habits

You love every funny foible you notice in your old friend, from the way she twitches when she sleeps to the happy look on her face when you come home.

4. Understanding

Who understands you better than the dog who's known you for so long?

5. Dignity

With age, old dogs achieve a measure of calm, unruffled dignity few people are able to display.

6. They're Still a Pup at Heart

Even old dogs remember the good old days. Sometimes they think they're still pups when they catch sight of a squirrel or pass a cool stream on a hot day!

7. They Know How You Feel

Old dogs have a way of understanding how you're feeling, whether you're happy, sad or lonely.

8. Your No. 1 Supporter

If you had to name your most loyal supporter, who would you think of first? Your dog!

9. Good Examples for Younger Dogs

Old dogs can teach young pups some new tricks, like how to climb stairs or get a long stick through a narrow doorway!

10. Physical Limitations Don't Change Who They Are

While old dogs' vision, hearing and ability to run may be limited, in their hearts, they're still your little pup.

11. Shared Experiences

Whenever you look back on the experiences shared with your dog, you're thankful for every one of them.

Old Dogs Bring More 'Life' to Your Life

Just think of what you would have missed if you hadn't taken the time, and the trust, to bring your wonderful pet into your life that first day! But because you did, you've shared a lifetime of love, loyalty, companionship and so much more.

And in case you're thinking about adopting a dog, remember what old dogs bring to the proverbial table. They've lived a lifetime themselves and have a lot of experience with life. What better way to acknowledge everything an old dog has learned than to pool your resources, open your home and get to know all the awesome things an old dog can bring to your world.

Take one puppy, roll and play until lightly pampered,
.... then add the following ingredients....
One cup Patience....
One cup Understanding...
One pinch Correction...
One cup hard work...
Two cups Praise and 1 1/2 cups Fun....
Blend well.
Heat with warmth of your heart until raised
or until puppy has doubled in size.
Mix with owner until consistency is such that
puppy and owner are one.
**

Special Note: If you have a few minutes, consider witnessing this meaningful poem in a
beautiful, inspiring flash presentation available at this link.

There will be no more sunrises, no more minutes, hours or days.
All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.

Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.
It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.

Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear.
So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists will expire.

The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won't matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end.

It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.
Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.

What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built,
Not what you got, but what you gave.

What will matter is not your success, but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.

What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched,
empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.

What will matter is not your competence, but your character,
Not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you're gone.

What will matter is not your memories, but the memories of those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.

Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident.
It's not a matter of circumstance but of choice.

Believe in yourself, always speak the truth, in the end you will be bettter for it.
Pray for those who believe their own lies...The truth will win in the end.

WHAT HAPPENS IN HEAVEN?

I dreamt that I went to Heaven and an angel was showing me around. We walked
side-by-side inside a large workroom filled with angels. My angel guide
stopped in front of the first section and said, "This is the Receiving
Section. Here, all petitions to God said in prayer are received."

I looked around in this area, and it was terribly busy with so many angels
sorting out petitions written on voluminous paper sheets and scraps from
people all over the world.

Then we moved on down a long corridor until we reached the second section.

The angel then said to me, "This is the Packaging and Delivery Section.
Here, the graces and blessings the people asked for are processed and
delivered to the living persons who asked for them." I noticed again how
busy it was there. There were many angels working hard at that station,
since so many blessings had been requested and were being packaged for
delivery to earth.

Finally at the farthest end of the long corridor we stopped at the door of a
very small station. To my great surprise, only one angel was seated there,
idly doing nothing. "This is the Acknowledgment Section, my angel friend
quietly admitted to me. He seemed embarrassed. "How is it that there is no
work going on here?" I asked.

"So sad," the angel sighed. "After people receive the blessings that they
asked for, very few send back acknowledgments"

"How does one acknowledge God's blessings?" I asked..

"Simple," the angel answered. Just say, "Thank you, Lord."

"What blessings should they acknowledge?" I asked.

"If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead
and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have
money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among
the top 8% of the world's wealthy. "

"And if you get this on your own computer, you are part of the 1% in the
world who has that opportunity. "

"If you woke up this morning with more health than illness... You are more
blessed than the many who will not even survive this day. "

"If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of
imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation ... You are
ahead of 700 million people in the world."

"If your parents are still alive and still married ...you are very rare."

"If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm; you're unique
to all those in doubt and despair..... .."

Ok, what now? How can I start?

If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that
someone was thinking of you as very special and you are more blessed than
over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all.

Have a good day, count your blessings, and if you care to, pass this along
to remind everyone else how blessed we all are

ATTN: Acknowledge Dept.
"Thank you Lord, for giving me the ability to share this message and for
giving me so many wonderful people with whom to share it. "

**

A HOMELESS DOG'S CHRISTMAS PRAYER

T'is the night before Christmas and all through the town,
every shelter is full - we are lost, but not found,
Our numbers are hung on our kennels so bare,
......we hope every minute that someone will care.

They'll come to adopt us and give us the call,
"Come here, Max and Sparkie - come fetch your new ball!!"
But now we just sit here and think of the days
we were treated so fondly - we had cute, baby ways.

Once we were little, then we grew and we grew
now we're no longer young and we're no longer new.
So out the back door we were thrown like the trash,
they reacted so quickly - why were they so rash?

We "jump on the children" - "don’t come when they call",
we "bark when they leave us" - "climb over the wall."
We should have been neutered, we should have been spayed,
now we suffer the consequence of the errors THEY made.

If only they'd trained us, if only we knew …
we'd have done what they asked us and worshiped them, too.
We were left in the backyard, or worse - left to roam -
now we're tired and lonely and out of a home.

They dropped us off here and they kissed us good-bye …
"Maybe somebody else will give you a try."
So now here we are, all confused and alone
in a shelter with others who long for a home.

The kind workers come through with a meal and a pat,
with so many to care for, they can't stay to chat,
They move to the next kennel, giving each of us cheer …
we know that they wonder how long we'll be here.

We lay down to sleep and sweet dreams fill our heads
of a home filled with love and our own cozy beds.
Then we wake up to see sad eyes brimming with tears -
our friends filled with emptiness, worries, and fears.

If you can't adopt us - and there's no room at the Inn -
could you help with the bills and help fill our food bin?
We count on your kindness each day of the year -
can you give more than hope to everyone here?

Please make a donation to pay for the heat
and help get us something special to eat.
The shelter that cares for us wants us to live,
and more of us will, if more people will give.

- - author unknown

Showmanship/good sportsmanship.....
does not include pointing out to the judge the 'faults'
of the competition.
Shame!!!
**

Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so love the people
who treat you right, forget about the ones who don't, and believe
that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it.
If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would
be easy, they just promised it would be worth it

"believe nothing, no matter where you read it or who has said it,
not even if i have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason
and your own common sense."- buddha
**

As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever
let you down probably will. You will have your heart broken probably more than once
and it's harder every time. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours
was broken. You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for
things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll
eventually lose someone you love. So take too many pictures, laugh too
much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you
spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.
Dont be afraid that your life will end,
be afraid that it will never begin.
**

> DON'T YOU DARE STEAL MY JOY
> by Connie Cleveland
>
> On the occasion of my tenth anniversary, my husband asked me how I wanted
> to celebrate. I asked that we take a very dear friend, my adopted
> grandmother and one of the greatest of all the great southern ladies, out
> to dinner with us.
>
> At dinner, my husband, Brian, presented me with a diamond ring. It was
> gorgeous and I was speechless, but even as I thanked him, I worried about
> the expense and extravagance of such a gift. As if he knew that the next
> line belonged to my grandmother, my husband excused himself from the
> table. He was barely out of sight when she reached across the table and
> grabbed me by the shoulder, "I know what you're thinking, I know you think
> he couldn't afford it and it's too extravagant. I don't care if he had to
> put a second mortgage on the house to buy it, don't you steal his joy!
> It's beautiful. Accept it as the token of his love that it is and say
> nothing about how he shouldn't have bought it for you." Then she repeated,
> "Don't you dare steal his joy!"
>
> That was the end of the conversation. She sat back in her seat, smiled at
> my returning husband, and we had a lovely dinner. I took her advice and
> put my reservations out of my mind. The ring has never come off my finger,
> but most importantly, I learned a wonderfully important lesson, never to
> steal another man's joy.
>
> Are you a joy stealer?
> "You know if my dog hadn't gone down on the sit, I would have won the
> class", said, unfeelingly, to the winner.
> "I sure didn't think your dog worked that high a score."
> "I can't believe you placed, I thought Jane Oneup and her dog would beat
> you."
> "I thought I had that class won! My dog had a great performance, " said to
> the winner.
> "Isn't that judge an idiot? I can't believe the dogs he put up!" said to
> the winner.
> "Boy, aren't you glad Mrs Winallthetime wasn't here today or you might not
> have won."
> "You passed that Master test because the water blind was so easy."
> "That was the stupidest set of water marks I've ever seen. No trial should
> end that easily," said to the winner.
>
> Do you discourage or encourage fellow competitors? Do you tell them their
> goals are too lofty and their dreams too big? Are you trying to be helpful
> or trying to keep them from accomplishing something that you never had the
> ability or perseverance to do yourself? It is equally as harmful to steal
> joy by destroying the dream.
>
> "No Basset Hounds get UD's," said to the owner of the Bassett in Utility
> class.
> "I've never seen a Rottweiler that could do fronts and finishes", said to
> the owner of the Rottweiler practicing fronts and finishes.
> "Do you have any idea how hard it is to get a UD and a Master Hunter? Do
> you know how few people have ever done it?" said to the first time dog
> owner setting out to do both.
>
> When FC AFC OTCH Law Abiding Ezra had both his field championships and 65
> OTCH points including all the necessary first places, someone had the guts
> to come up to me, his owner, trainer and handler and say, "No dog will
> ever be a field champion and an obedience champion." My jaw drops when I
> think about it. Isn't it unfortunate that I remember this attempt at
> stealing my joy much more than I remember all the cards and letters and
> congratulations I received when those last 35 points were earned?
>
> If you are willing to destroy someone's dream, perhaps you don't realize
> that it is the JOY of pursuing the dream that keeps the dreamer motivated,
> not just reaching the accomplishment.
>
> My husband and I travel and compete together. I remember an event, early
> in our relationship when I watched his Doberman fail articles. "Darn it, "
> I said, as he came out of the ring," she didn't even try to find the right
> one!" "Oh", he replied, "but, weren't her heeling and signals wonderful?"
> Unknowingly, I had almost stolen his joy. He was celebrating the
> improvement on the exercise that had been giving him trouble, and I was
> focused on the failure. Since that experience, Brian and I have learned
> that the best response to a questionable performance, "What did you
> think?" That way, if the handler is excited about some aspect of the
> performance, you can share that excitement. If the handler is disappointed
> in another aspect, you can share the disappointment. You are safely
> removed from being a joy stealer.
>
> I hope you have a lot of dreams and goals for your dogs in (the coming
> year). Undoubtedly there will be moments of disappointment as you venture
> through the landmines of injury, failures and other setbacks. Remember
> that the joy of the journey is worth the difficulties along the way and
> don't let anyone steal that joy. Guard it well and at the end of the road
> you can own it and revel in it with all the other memories of the trip.
>

Life

Robert Green Ingersoll

BORN of love and hope, of ecstasy and pain, of agony and fear, of tears and
joy -- dowered with the wealth of two united hearts -- held in happy arms, with
lips upon life's drifted font, blue-veined and fair, where perfect peace finds
perfect form -- rocked by willing feet and wooed to shadowy shores of sleep
by siren mother singing soft and low -- looking with wonder's wide and startled
eyes at common things of life and day -- taught by want and wish and contact
with the things that touch the dimpled flesh of babes -- lured by light and flame,
and charmed by color's wondrous robes -- learning the use of hands and feet,
and by the love of mimicry beguiled to utter speech -- releasing prisoned thoughts
from crabbed and curious marks on soiled and tattered leaves -- puzzling the
brain with crooked numbers and their changing, tangled worth -- and so through
years of alternating day and night, until the captive grows familiar with
the chains and walls and limitations of a life.

And time runs on in sun and shade, until the one of all the world is wooed and won,
and all the lore of love is taught and learned again. Again a home is built with the
fair chamber wherein faint dreams, like cool and shadowy vales, divide the billowed
hours of love. Again the miracle of a birth -- the pain and joy, the kiss of welcome
and the cradle-song drowning the drowsy prattle of a babe.

And then the sense of obligation and of wrong -- pity for those who toil and weep --
tears for the imprisoned and despised -- love for the generous dead, and in the
heart the rapture of a high resolve.

And then ambition, with its lust of pelf and place and power, longing to put upon
its breast distinction's worthless badge. Then keener thoughts of men, and eyes
that see behind the smiling mask of craft -- flattered no more by the obsequious
cringe of gain and greed -- knowing the uselessness of hoarded gold -- of honor
bought from those who charge the usury of self-respect -- of power that only bends
a coward's knees and forces from the lips of fear the lies of praise. Knowing at
last the unstudied gesture of esteem, the reverent eyes made rich with honest
thought, and holding high above all other things -- high as hope's great throbbing
star above the darkness of the dead -- the love of wife and child and friend.

Then locks of gray, and growing love of other days and half- remembered
things -- then holding withered hands of those who first held his, while over
dim and loving eyes death softly presses down the lids of rest.

And so, locking in marriage vows his children's hands and crossing others on
the breasts of peace, with daughters' babes upon his knees, the white hair
mingling with the gold, he journeys on from day to day to that horizon
where the dusk is waiting for the night. -- At last, sitting by the holy hearth
of home as evening's embers change from red to gray, he falls asleep within
the arms of her he worshiped and adored, feeling upon his pallid lips
love's last and holiest kiss.

WHAT IS A BREEDER ??

A Breeder (with a capital B) is one who thirsts for knowledge and never really knows it all,
one who wrestles with decisions of conscience, convenience, and commitment.
A Breeder is one who sacrifices personal interests, finances, time, friendships, fancy furniture, and deep pile carpeting!

She/he gives up the dreams of a long, luxurious cruise in favour of turning that all important Show into this years "vacation".

The Breeder goes without sleep (but never without coffee!) in hours spent planning a breeding or watching anxiously over the birth process, and afterwards, over every little sneeze, wiggle or cry.

The Breeder skips dinner parties because that litter is due or the babies have to be fed at eight

She/he disregards birth fluids and puts mouth to mouth to save a gasping newborn, literally blowing life into a tiny, helpless creature that may be the culmination of a lifetime of dreams.
A Breeders lap is a marvelous place where generations of proud and noble champions once snoozed.

A Breeders hands are strong and firm and often soiled, but ever so gentle and sensitive to the thrusts of a puppy's wet nose.

A Breeders back and knees are usually arthritic from stooping, bending, and sitting in the birthing box, but are strong enough to enable the breeder to Show the next choice puppy to Championship.
A Breeders shoulders are stooped and often heaped with abuse from competitors, but they're wide enough to support the weight of a thousand defeats and frustrations.

A Breeders arms are always able to wield a mop, support an armful of puppies, or lend a helping hand to a newcomer.

A Breeders ears are wondrous things, sometimes red (from being talked about) or strangely shaped (from being pressed against a phone receiver), often deaf to criticism, yet always fine-tuned to the whimper of a sick puppy.

A Breeders brain is foggy on faces, but it can recall pedigrees faster than an IBM computer. It's so full of knowledge that sometimes it blows a fuse: it catalogues thousands of good bonings, fine ears, and perfect heads... and buries in the soul the failures and the ones that didn't turn out.

The Breeders heart is often broken, but it beats strongly with hope everlasting... and it's always in the right place !

Oh, yes, there are breeders, and then, there are BREEDERS!!

Author unknown

But why is Fantasia dying then?
Because people have begun to lose their hopes and forget their
dreams. So the Nothing grows stronger.
What is the Nothing?
It is what is left. It is like a despair destroying this world and
I've been trying to help it.
But why?
Because people who have no hopes are easy to control, and whoever has
the control, has the power.....From: *The Neverending Story*

Live simply. Love seriously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God

"One of the greatest delusions of the world is the HOPE that the EVILS of this world
are to be CURED BY LEGISLATION." Thomas B. Reed 1886

If you ever love an animal, there are at least two days in you life you will always remember....

The first is a day, blessed with happiness, when you bring home your young new friend. You may have spent weeks deciding on a breed. You may asked numerous opinions of many vets, or done long research in finding a breeder. Or, perhaps in a fleetingmoment, you may have just chosen that silly looking mutt in a shelter--simple because something in its eyes reached your heart. But when you bring that chosen pet home, and watch it explore its special place in your hall or front room--and when you feel it brush against you for the first time--it instills a feeling of pure love you will carry with you through the many years to come.

The second day will come when your friend leaves you. It may be a sudden, anguished moment, a decision your friend and God have made for you, or a decission you make for your friend, out of compassion and caring. But whichever way your friend eventually leaves you, whether after a few weeks or months, or after many years--that day you will feel as long as a single star in the dark night.

If you are wise, you will let the tears flow as freely and as often as they must. And if you are typical, you will find that not many in your circle of family or friends will be able to understand your grief, or comfort you.

But if you are true to the love of the pet you cherished through the many joy-filled years, you may find that a soul--a bit smaller in size than your own--seems to walk with you, at times, during the lonely days to come.

And at moments when you least expect anything out of the ordinary to happen, you may feel something brush against your leg--very very lightly.

And looking down at the place where your dear, perhaps dearest, friend used to lay--you will remember those two significant days. The memory will most likely to be painful, and leave an ache in your heart--As time passes the ache will come and go as if it has a life of its own. You will both reject it and embrace it, and it may confuse you. If you reject it, it will depress you. If you embrace it, it will deepen you. Either way, it will still be an ache.

But there will be, I assure you, a third day when--along with the memory of your pet--and piercing through the heaviness in your heart--there will come a realization that belongs only to you. It will be as unique and strong as our relationship with each animal we have loved, and lost. This realization takes the form of a Living Love--like the heavenly scent of a rose that remains after thepetals have wilted, this Love will remain and grow--and be there for us to remember. It is a love we have earned. It is the legacy our pets leave us when they go. And it is a gift we may keepwith us as long as we live. It is a Love which is ours alone. And until we ourselves leave, perhaps to join our Beloved Pets--it is a Love we will always possess.

(by Martin Scot Kosins, adapted)

Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her. I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid.

As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn't want her to know that I hadn't been walked today. Sometimes the shelter keepers get too busy and I didn't want her to think poorly of them.

As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn't feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone's life.

She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship.

A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well. Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms. I would promise to keep her safe. I would promise to always be by her side. I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes. I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven't walked the corridors. So many more to be saved. At least I could save one.

I rescued a human today.

. The Journey

      When you bring a pet into your life, you begin a
      journey. A journey that will bring you more love and
      devotion than you have ever known, yet will also test
      your strength and courage. If you allow, the journey
      will teach you many things, about life, about yourself,
      and most of all, about love. You will come away changed
      forever, for one soul cannot touch another without
      leaving its mark.

      Along the way, you will learn much about savoring
      life's simple pleasures -- jumping in leaves, snoozing
      in the sun, the joys of puddles, and even the
      satisfaction of a good scratch behind the ears. If
      you spend much time outside, you will be taught how to
      truly experience every element, for no rock, leaf, or
      log will go unexamined, no rustling bush will be
      overlooked, and even the very air will be inhaled,
      pondered, and noted as being full of valuable
      information

      Your pace may be slower, except when heading home to
      the food dish, but you will become a better naturalist,
      having been taught by an expert in the
      field. Too many times we hike on automatic pilot,
      our goal being to complete the trail rather than enjoy
      the journey. We miss the details: the colorful
      mushrooms on the rotting log, the honeycomb in the
      old maple snag, the hawk feather caught on a twig.

      Once we walk as a dog does, we discover a whole
      new world. We stop; we browse the landscape, we kick
      over leaves, peek in tree holes, look up, down, all
      around. And we learn what any dog knows that nature has
      created a marvelously complex world that is full of
      surprises, that each cycle of the seasons bring
      ever changing wonders, each day an essence all its own.

      Even from indoors you will find yourself more attuned
      to the world around you. You will find yourself
      watching: summer insects collecting on a screen;
      how bizarre they are; how many kinds there are or
      noting the flick and flash of fireflies through the
      dark. You will stop to observe the swirling dance
      of windblown leaves, or sniff the air after a rain. It
      does not matter that there is no objective in this; the
      point is in the doing, in not letting life's most
      important details slip by.

      You will find yourself doing silly things that your
      pet-less friends might not understand: spending thirty
      minutes in the grocery aisle looking for the cat food
      brand your feline must have, buying dog birthday
      treats, or driving around the block an extra time
      because your pet enjoys the ride. You will roll in the
      snow, wrestle with chewie toys, bounce little rubber
      balls till your eyes cross, and even run around the
      house trailing your bathrobe tie with a cat in hot
      pursuit, all in the name of love.

      Your house will become muddier and hairier. You
      will wear less dark clothing and buy more lint rollers.
      You may find dog biscuits in your pocket or purse, and
      feel the need to explain that an old plastic shopping
      bag adorns your living room rug because your cat loves
      the crinkly sound. You will learn the true measure of
      love. The steadfast, undying kind that says, "It
      doesn't matter where we are or what we do, or how life
      treats us as long as we are together."

      Respect this always. It is the most precious gift any
      living soul can give another. You will not find it
      often among the human race. And you will learn
      humility. The look in my dog's eyes often made me
      feel ashamed. Such joy and love at my presence. She saw
      not some flawed human who could be cross and
      stubborn, moody or rude, but only her wonderful
      companion. Or maybe she saw those things and dismissed
      them as mere human foibles, not worth considering, and
      so chose to love me anyway.

      If you pay attention and learn well, when the journey
      is done, you will be not just a better person, but the
      person your pet always knew you to be. The one they
      were proud to call beloved friend.

      I must caution you that this journey is not without
      pain. Like all paths of true love, the pain is part of
      loving. For as surely as the sun sets, one day your
      dear animal companion will follow a trail you cannot
      yet go down. And you will have to find the strength and
      love to let them go.

      A pet's time on earth is far too short, especially
      for those that love them. We borrow them, really, just
      for a while, and during these brief years they are
      generous enough to give us all their love, every inch
      of their spirit and heart, until one day there is
      nothing left. The cat that only yesterday was a kitten
      is all too soon old and frail and sleeping in the sun.
      The young pup of boundless energy now wakes up stiff
      and lame, the muzzle gone to gray.

      Deep down we somehow always knew that this journey
      would end. We knew that if we gave our hearts they
      would be broken. But give them we must for it is all
      they ask in return. When the time comes, and the
      road curves ahead to a place we cannot see, we give one
      final gift and let them run on ahead, young and
      whole once more. "God speed, good friend," we say,
      until our journey comes full circle and our paths cross
      again.

      ~unknown~

Want a lovely healthy puppy,
then say "NO" to 'designer' dogs and backyard breeders.

I don't remember much from the place I was born. It was cramped and
dark and we were never played with by humans. I remember Mom and her
soft fur, but she was often sick, and very thin. She had hardly any
milk for me and my brothers and sisters. I remember many of them
dying, and I missed them so.

I do remember the day I was taken from Mom. I was so sad and scared,
my milk teeth had only just come in, and I really should have been
with Mom still, but she was so sick, and the humans kept saying that
they wanted money and were sick of the "mess" that my sister and I
made. So we were crated up and taken to a strange place. Just the two
of us. We huddled together and were scared, still no human hands came
to pet us or to love us.

So many sights and sounds, and smells!! We are in a store where there
are many different animals! Some that squawk! Some that meow! Some
that peep! My sister and I are jammed into a small cage, I hear other
puppies whine. I see humans looking at me, I like the "little
humans", they look like they'd be fun, like they would play with me!

All day we are kept in the small cage, sometimes mean people will hit
the glass and frighten us, every once in a while we are taken out to
be held or shown to humans. Some are gentle, some hurt us, we always
hear "AW they are so cute! I want one!" but we never get to go with
any.

My sister died last night, when the store was dark. I lay my head on
her soft fur and felt the life leave her small thin body. I had heard
them say she was sick, and that I should be sold at a "discount
price" so that I would quickly leave the store. I softly whined to
mourn for her as they took her body out
of the cage in the morning, I wondered where they put her?

Today, a family came and bought me! Oh happy day!! They are a nice
family, they really, really wanted me! They had bought a dish and
food and the little girl held me so tenderly in her arms. I love her
so much! The mom and dad say what a sweet and good puppy I am! I am
named Angel. I love to lick my new humans!

The family takes such good care of me, they are loving and tender and
sweet. They gently teach me right from wrong, give me good food and
lots of "LOVE". I want only to please these wonderful people! I love
the little girl and I enjoy running and playing with her.

Today I went to the Veterinarian. It was a strange place and I was
frightened. I got some shots, but my best friend (the little girl)
held me softly and said it would be OK. So I relaxed. The Vet must
have said sad words to my beloved family, because they looked awfully
sad. I heard severe hip dysplacia, and
something about my heart... I heard the vet say something about, back
yard breeders and my parents not being tested. I didn't know what any
of this meant, just that it hurt me to see my family so sad. But they
still loved me, and I still loved them very much!!!

I am now 6 months old. Where most of the other puppies are robust and
rowdy, it hurts me terribly just to move. The pain never lets up. It
hurts to run and play with my beloved little girl, and I find it hard
to breathe. I keep trying my best to be the strong pup I know I am
supposed to be, but it is so hard. It breaks my heart to see the
little girl so sad, and to hear her mom and dad talk about, it might
now be the time. Several times I have gone to the Veterinarians
place. I just wanted to feel the warm sunshine and run, and play and
nuzzle with my family.

Last night was the worst. Pain has been my constant companion now, it
hurts even to get up and get a drink. I try to get up but can only
whine in pain. I am taken in the car one last time. Everyone is so
sad, and I don't know why.

Have I been bad? I try to be good and loving, what have I done wrong?
Oh if only this pain would be gone! If only I could soothe the tears
of the little girl. I reach out my muzzle to lick her hand, but have
to stop because of the pain.

The Veterinarian'The Veterinarian's table is so cold. I am so
hug and love me, they cry into my soft fur. I can feel their love and
sadness. I manage to lick their hands softly. Even the vet doesn't
seem so scary today. He is gentle and I sense some kind of relief for
my pain. The little girl holds me softly and I thank her, for giving
me all her love. I feel a soft pinch in my foreleg.

The pain is beginning to lift. I am beginning to feel a peace descend
upon me. I can now softly lick her hand. My vision is becoming dream
like now, and I see my Mother, my brothers and sisters, in a far off
green place. They tell me there is no pain there only peace and
happiness. I tell the family, good-bye in the only way I know how, a
soft wag of my tail and nuzzle of my nose. I had hoped to spend many,
many happy years with them, but it was not meant to be. The pain ends
now and, I know it will be many years until I see my beloved family
again. If only things could have been different.

"I am sorry," said the Vet. "Pet shop puppies do not come from
ethical breeders. I am so tired of putting so many of these kind of
puppies to sleep."

This story may be published or reprinted in the hopes that it will
stop
unethical breeders and those who breed only for money and not for the
betterment
of the breed.

Copyright J.Ellis

Grow Old With Dogs
When I am old... I will wear soft gray sweatshirts... and a bandana over
my silver hair..... and I will spend my social security checks on wine
and my dogs. I will sit in my house on my well-worn chair and listen to
my dogs' breathing. I will sneak out in the middle of a warm summer
night and take my dogs for a run, if my old bones will allow... When
people come to call, I will smile and nod as I show them my dogs... and
talk of them and about them... ...the ones so beloved of the past and
the ones so beloved of today.... I will still work hard cleaning after
them, mopping and feeding them and whispering their names in a soft
loving way. I will wear the gleaming sweat on my throat, like a jewel
and I will be an embarrassment to all... especially my family... who
have not yet found the peace in being free to have dogs as your best
friends.... These friends who always wait, at any hour, for your
footfall... and eagerly jump to their feet out of a sound sleep, to
greet you as if you are a God. With warm eyes full of adoring love and
hope that you will always stay, I'll hug their big strong necks... I'll
kiss their dear sweet heads... and whisper in their very special
company.... I look in the Mirror... and see I am getting old.... this is
the kind of person I am... and have always been. Loving dogs is easy,
they are part of me. Please accept me for who I am. My dogs appreciate
my presence in their lives... they love my presence in their lives......
When I am old this will be important to me... you will understand when
you are old.... if you have dogs to love too. ~Author Unknown

“We need another and a wiser and perhaps a more mystical concept of animals. Remote from universal nature,
and living by complicated artifice, man in civilization surveys the creature through the glass of his knowledge and sees
thereby a feather magnified and the whole image in distortion. We patronize them for their incompleteness, for their
tragic fate of having taken form so far below ourselves. And therein we err, and greatly err. For the animal shall not be
measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours they move finished and complete, gifted with extensions of
the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren, they are not underlings;
they are other nations caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the earth.”

It's not just a brag, not just a stepping stone to a higher title, not just an
adjunct to competitive scores. A title is a tribute to the dog that bears it, a
way to honour the dog, an ultimate memorial.

It will remain in the record and in the memory for about as long as anything
in the world can remain. And though the dog itself doesn't know or care that
its achievements have been noted, a title says many things in the world of humans
where such things count. A title says your dog was intelligent, adaptable, and
good natured. It says your dog loved you enough to do the things that pleased you,
however crazy they may have seemed. In addition, a title says that you loved your dog,
that you loved to spend time with your dog because it was a good dog, and that you believed
in your dog enough to give it yet another chance when it failed, and in the end your faith was justified.

A title proves that your dog inspired you to that special relationship, enjoyed by so few,
that in a world of disposable creatures, this dog with a title was greatly loved and loved
greatly in return. And when that dear, short life is over, the title remains as a memorial of
the finest kind, the best you can give to a deserving friend. Volumes of praise in one small
set of initials before or after the name. A Ch, obedience, agility etc title is nothing less
than true love and respect, given and recorded permanently.

Re: Imitation/flattery

IMITATION IS THE SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY - "Usually said ironically
when someone tries to gain attention by copying someone else's original
ideas. Coined by Charles Caleb Colton in 1820 in his 'Lacon.' First attested
in the United States in 'Malice' (1940) by E. Cameron. The adage is found
in varying forms." From "Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs
and Sayings" by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996).
**

Reflections

Life

Robert Green Ingersoll

Re: Imitation/flattery