Posted on 01/24/2010 12:29:06 PM PST by Slings and Arrows
1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful.
2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.
3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.
4. Don’t be angry with me for long and don’t lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainments. But I have only you.
5. Talk to me. Even if I don’t understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me.
6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.
7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I have teeth that could easily crush the bones in your hand, and yet I choose not to bite you.
8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I’m not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long or my heart might be getting old or weak.
9. Please take care of me when I grow old. You too will grow old.
10. On the difficult journey, on the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please. Never say you can’t bear to watch. Don’t make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there. Because I love you so.
Take a moment today to thank God for your pets. Enjoy and take good care of them.
Life would be a much duller, less joyful thing without God’s critters. Please pass this on to other pet owners.
(Excerpt) Read more at websleuths.com ...
I thought blogs had to be posted in a special area.
Glad others are seeing this though.
Congratulations! You’re in for a life-experience.
kalee, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your beloved Toby during this painful time.
This poem always brought me peace and comfort when I lost a beloved pet:
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....
Author unknown...
I don’t read Bloggers very often. If you post something like this in the future, let me know and I’ll gladly ping it.
that is called “checking pee-mail!”
lol
I broke the 10th commandment. Only once. That was 6 years ago. I felt like a coward. Never again.
Is this copyrighted or can I reprint it in our Humane Society newsletter if I give credit to the author?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FOXP2
The FOXP2 gene is carried by many mammals, and is closely associated with speech in several ways. Humans have a unique mutation of the gene that makes it much easier for us to talk to each other.
The human mutation of FOXP2 was transplanted into mice DNA, and resulted in “chatty” mice, that spent much of their time chattering with each other. It also increase their vocal range.
It is generally believed that smarter dogs can understand in context as many as 300 human words.
So the big question becomes, “What if the human mutation of FOXP2 was put into a fertilized dog ova, and the resulting puppies were born and raised?”
It is unlikely that dogs could contextually speak many words, and likely they would be monosyllabic. Say perhaps only a dozen, that they could use consistently and accurately.
But if this was the case, what dozen words would you like your dog to be able to say to you, to communicate with you? Some that come to mind are:
Yes, No, Pain, Thirsty, Alert, Come, Play, Potty, and the ever popular Love.
Note that this is very different from the “talking dogs” videos, in that those are more or less parroting on command, but this would be spontaneous and with a purpose.
It’s a hard thing to do, but I also always stay with them in the end. I want the last thing they are aware of to be me, and I think it comforts them. But, I had one dog who had a difficult time with the injection. Fortunately my next 2 died at home or on the way to the vet, and I have decided that the next one, I will have them sedated first.
AFAIK, it’s been floating around Teh Internets for quite a while. I doubt there will be any problem reprinting it. (The Paul Harvey authorship is questionable, BTW.)
A great post and one of the things which separate Americans from so many other cultures. We treat dogs like family...and rightly so.
Kalee..
First a hug for you..
*HUG*
I went through this with my beloved Collie.
I know how hard this is.
To end their suffering, we must love them more than ourselves.
May beloved memories sustain you...
Ms.B
I’ve never met a good/likable person who didn’t like dogs.
~snif~
Finally...words to match my heart. Thanks!
Go to a non-anglo country some time. You will learn that we are the exception, not the rule.
Kalee,
“To live in the hearts of those we leave behind is not to die.”
If I ever need a good cry, all I have to do is THINK about that piece.
You’re welcome.
Interesting bunch of critters. Makes me suspect you’ll enjoy this, if you haven’t already:
http://www.shady-acres.com/susan/squirrel.shtml
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