Please Remember
1) My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation
from you will be painful for me. Remember that,
before you adopt me.
2) Give me time to understand what it is that you want
from me.
3) Place your trust in me - it is crucial to my well-being.
4) Do not be angry with me for long, I won't remember
why you're mad.
5) You have your work, your entertainment and your
friends. I only have you.
6) Talk to me sometimes. Even if I don't understand
your words, I understand your voice when you are
speaking to me.
7) Be aware that however you treat me, I will never
forget it.
8) Remember before you hit me that I have teeth that
could easily crush the bones in your hand but I
choose not to bite you.
9) Before you scold me for being uncooperative,
obstinate or lazy, ask yourself if something might be
bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right food
or I've been out in the sun too long, or my heart is
growing old and weak.
10) Take care of me when I get old. You too will grow
old. Go with me on difficult journeys. Never say "I
can't bear to do this" or "let it happen in my
absence." Everything is easier for me if you
are there. ALWAYS REMEMBER... I LOVE YOU
UNCONDITIONALLY!!!
"Just A Dog"
From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a dog," or, "that's a lot of money for just a dog.
They don't understand the distance traveled, the time spent, or the costs involved for "just a dog."
Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a dog."
Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a dog," but I did not once feel slighted.
Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by "just a dog," and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just a dog" gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day.
If you, too, think it's "just a dog," then you will probably understand phrases like "just a friend," "just a sunrise," or "just a promise."
"Just a dog" brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy. *
"Just a dog" brings out the compassion and patience that make me a better person.
Because of "just a dog" I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future.
So for me and folks like me, it's not "just a dog" but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment.
"Just a dog" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day.
I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a dog" but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a human."
So the next time you hear the phrase "just a dog." just smile, because they "just don't understand."
~ Posted by Joe Spot
Pictured is "Joe Spot" a shelter rescue. Thanks for posting a great note Joe! :)
One By One
By Leslie Whalen
One by One, they pass by my cage,
Too old, too worn, too broken, no way.
Way past his time, he can't run and play.
Then they shake their heads slowly and go on their way.
A little old man, arthritic and sore,
It seems I am not wanted anymore.
I once had a home, I once had a bed,
A place that was warm, and where I was fed.
Now my muzzle is grey, and my eyes slowly fail.
Who wants a dog so old and so frail?
My family decided I didn't belong,
I got in their way, my attitude was wrong.
Whatever excuse they made in their head,
Can't justify how they left me for dead.
Now I sit in this cage, where day after day,
The younger dogs get adopted away.
When I had almost come to the end of my rope,
You saw my face, and I finally had hope.
You saw through the grey, and the legs bent with age,
And felt I still had life beyond this cage.
You took me home, gave me food and a bed,
And shared your own pillow with my poor tired head.
We snuggle and play, and you talk to me low,
You love me so dearly, you want me to know.
I may have lived most of my life with another,
But you outshine them with a love so much stronger.
And I promise to return all the love I can give,
To you, my dear person, as long as I live.
I may be with you for a week, or for years,
We will share many smiles, you will no doubt shed tears.
And when the time comes that God deems I must leave,
I know you will cry and your heart, it will grieve.
And when I arrive at the Bridge, all brand new,
My thoughts and my heart will still be with you.
And I will brag to all who will hear,
Of the person who made my last days so dear.
Ms. Whalen wrote this poem, originally entitled "Tray's Poem", in honor of her dog, Tray, and all senior dogs who
await a new home and deserve a second chance at life and happiness.
The Rescuer's Final Reward
Unlike most days at the Rainbow Bridge, this day dawned cold and gray. All the recent arrivals at the Bridge did not know what to think, as they had never seen such a day. But the animals that had been waiting longer for their beloved people to accompany them across the Bridge knew what was happening, and they began to gather at the pathway leading to the Bridge.
Soon an elderly dog came into view, head hung low and tail dragging.
He approached slowly, and though he showed no sign of injury or illness, he was in great emotional pain. Unlike the animals gathered along the pathway, he had not been restored to youth and vigor upon arriving at the Bridge. He felt out of place, and wanted only to cross over and find happiness.
But as he approached the Bridge, his way was barred by an angel, who apologized and explained that the tired and broken-spirited old dog could not cross over. Only those animals accompanied by their people were allowed to cross the Bridge. Having nobody, and with nowhere else to turn, the dog trudged into the field in front of the Bridge. There he found others like himself, elderly or infirm, sad and discouraged. Unlike the other animals waiting to cross the Bridge, these animals were not running or playing. They simply were lying in the grass, staring forlornly at the pathway across the Rainbow Bridge. The old dog took his place among them, watching the pathway and waiting, yet not knowing for what he was waiting.
One of the newer dogs at the Bridge asked a cat who had been there
longer to explain what was happening. The cat replied, "Those poor animals were abandoned, turned away, or left at rescue places, but never found a home on earth. They all passed on with only the love of a rescuer to comfort them. Because they had n o people to love them, they have nobody to escort them across the Rainbow Bridge."
The dog asked the cat, "So what will happen to those animals?"
Before the cat could answer, the clouds began to part and the cold turned to bright sunshine. The cat replied, "Watch, and you will see." In the distance was a single person, and as he approached the Bridge the old, infirm and sad animals in the field were bathed in a golden light. They were at once made young and healthy, and stood to see what their fate would be. The animals that had previously gathered at the pathway bowed their heads as the person approached. At each bowed head, the person offered a scratch or hug.
One by one, the now youthful and healthy animals from the field fell
into line behind the person. Together, they walked across the Rainbow Bridge to a future of happiness and unquestioned love. The dog asked the cat, "What just happened?" The cat responded, "That was a rescuer. The animals gathered along the pathway bowing in respect were those who had found their forever homes because of rescuers. They will cross over when their people arrive at the Bridge. The arrival here of a rescuer is a great and solemn event, and as a tribute they are permitted to perform one final act of rescue. They are allowed to escort all those poor animals they couldn't place on earth across the Rainbow Bridge."
The dog thought for a moment, and then said, "I like rescuers." The cat
smiled and replied, "So does Heaven, my friend. So does Heaven."
Author Unknown