Dogs are man's best friend.  Close anyway huh?  How many of us grew up with a dog in the family?  I got inspired about what to write this morning by my niece Diane Weiss.  Daughter of my sister Suzanne, she has a wonderful love of dogs. Pit Bulls are her love. They ARE a misaligned breed of dog. People have mistreated them and tarnished their true nature...which most still have, but are not understood.  When living in north Minneapolis the family on the corner uphill from us had a family of White Pit Bulls, and they were the cutest bunch of  puppies and was a joy to walk by their place and see them playing.  They would even come to the fence and try to socialize with us passers by.  One day a wolf type dog from across the street from them wandered down to our end of the block and the boys next door collared it and were playing with it between our houses.  Pat and Todd (youngest son) went out to see what the noise was, and say the boys petting and talking to the dog.  Todd had "Spunky", a terrier puppy of about 7 lb. who followed him outside and squeezed under the back yard gate. (very small puppy)  The wolf saw him, jumped up, swooped him up and started shaking the puppy by the neck, killing it....in front of everyone...including my son.  The Animal Control was called.  The wolf dog was put back in its' kennel where it escaped from, and signs were put up on the kennel fencing.  We wanted stronger action taken with that particular animal,  because we felt it was a danger to the children of the neighborhood.  Not in this lifetime I guess.  What did AC do?  They went across the street and made the folks with the Pit Bulls get rid of THEM!!!!  Incredulous!  NO ONE understood that decision, and most the neighbors were very upset.   Pit Bulls, raised and treated with respect, make great family members.

When I was just a small kid living in S. Minneapolis, my sister Suzanne went on a kids TV show and won a Golden colored Cocker Spaniel puppy.  Of course with my name Gary, and I think my next youngest brother Guy was around then...maybe not...the puppy was named Goldie, which opened the door for my youngest brother to be named...Greg. But the naming is truly another issue.  Anyway, Goldie was the beginning for me a life going to the dogs.  We all loved Goldie and learned how to raise and nurture a pet properly.  She was a house dog...never considered anything but a house dog. We were city people, didn't have space for an animal to run, let alone stay outside.  Besides we are Minnesota folks...it gets really, really chilly in the winter time there, doncha know.


So it was no stretch of the imagination to understand that when I got married, as Pat had a Miniature  Manchester Terrier before we were married, we acquired a Golden Retriever puppy when we moved into that house on Yale Street in Vegas I have been telling y'all about.  We didn't have Lady too long, before someone stole her out of the back yard....even after I went to a lot of work putting up a fence for her!  Darn..hate it when that happens.  We miss her and think about her, hoping they took good care of her.  When living in Minneapolis we had several dogs through the years.   One day, we all went to the movies to watch "Benji".  Big mistake for those that don't want to own a dog.  After the movie, the kids and Dad (me) suggested we swing by the pet shop! There in a cage of all black puppies was one chestnut brown puppy with great BIG, brown eyes....staring at me and the kids like he was saying..."take me home".  The cage had a sign "Cockapoo".  Of course we all told MOM we would take care of it and love it....we NEED that little brown puppy!  Benji was a curse for those that didn't want puppies....but a boon for those that did!  We brought him home and named him "RALPH".  Turns out he wasn't a Cockapoo. He was more like a stubby Iris Setter.  Color was that beautiful reddish brown, long hair, flag tail curving over its back, pantaloons on his back-upper legs, wide chest, long ears, and SHORT!  Maybe 18" at the back.  Ralph had a large head and his neck was very strong.  What a fantastic dog!  Since I was working at the Bus Company then and my hours were all over the clock, Ralph was a good watch dog, and took his job seriously.

Ralph in his "safe zone" chair

Ralph at the back door waiting to come in.

He took over the kids stuffed chair as a puppy and kept possession of it throughout his life.  When he was in his chair, it was his safe zone....no harm (scolding) will come to him....of course any treats gladly accepted.  

We have had many dogs in our 46 years of marriage.  There were only two that we had, that were less than joyful.  One was a miniature poodle that started to be nippy, and since we had small children, we had to give her up for adoption, and a long haired Miniature Dachshund that was, for some reason, impossible to train.  Other than those two, every one was a blessing to us, and every one was an indoor dog. We had a Field Beagle (Some all a Fox Hound) for 16 of his 17 years.  I got him from a friend at work when he was a year old.  His name was "Scooter".  What a fantastic and loving dog he was.  He put up with cats, kids and foolishness his whole life.   He loved the grandbabies and let them crawl all over him, pull his long ears, poke his eyes, grab his nose, all without a hostile movement at all.  When he was 11 years old, I let him out in the back yard for his last of the night "going", and after 10 minutes called him to come in.  He didn't.  I discovered the wooden gate had blown open with the upcoming storm approaching.  I got into my truck and went to the opposite side of the block where he usually waited for me, when he would get away.....not there.  The next morning, after much looking, and calling the pound, he finally showed up in the pounds outside cage, where he had been since the night before when the Police dropped him off after he had been hit by a car!  Pat and Amy rushed over and took him to the Vet, where they had to take his left hind leg off at the hip.  His recovery was quick and he responded to his new name "Tripod" very rapidly.  That was my name for him and he still loved me. He lived for another 6 happy years until a series of mini-strokes took him to Dog heaven.  

Wendy and Sarge

The two clowns we have now are Miniature Schnauzer's Wendy and Sarge.  We got Wendy from a Pet Shop that claimed "No Puppy Mill puppies sold here".  LIE!!  Her records showed differently when they were mailed to us. But we still love her through her many Vet. visits, and all.  She helped train Sarge (Saffell's Sergeant Schultz...after Hogan's Hero's TV show..."I know NOTHING!") Sarge was the Valedictorian of his Pet Smart Basic Puppy School class.  After many weeks of training, and excellence, we walked out of the graduation ceremony and he forgot everything he had learned.  If he wasn't so cute, I would have been upset!  Before we left Henderson, I had the opportunity to learn how to groom Schnauzer's, so now I do their bathing and grooming needs. They seem to like the fussin' with but are also very excited for the "get down, it's over with, you've been good" cookie.

During this long road of pet ownership, we have had some really wonderful members of the cat family live with us as well.  One, Milo, was an exceptional cat that LOVED to be shaved in the summer months. We had him get the "Lion Cut".  Being a tan cat, we had his head left full, the feet and end of tail had tuffs and he would lay in the center of the living room floor, spread out as long as he could get, with his front legs crossed at his paws and his head held up . . . surveying his empire!  He was only one of many unique and different cats we came across and they were ALL house cats. Did you ever think this way about Cats and Dogs?  "To Dogs we are family . . . to CATS we are Staff."  

We don't let our cats out or our dogs roam the neighborhood.  We value our animals, and since we live in farm area, there are coyotes roaming this area as well as the desert area of Las Vegas/Henderson.

Point of this story:  God provided caretakers for His creation.  That could be human for animal, or animal for a human...ask a K-9 Soldier or Police Officer.  I feel that He is teaching us THROUGH His animals on how to take care of each other.  I know that being a pet person, I have learned so much from my animals.  How to take care of them when they can't take care of themselves.  How to love them and play with them.  But most of all, it is how they love us....just like God does...with unconditional love. Especially the dogs. They are here for you whenever you need someone to talk to.  They seem to know and will cozy up next to you when you are feeling low. Even after you may get angry with them....they will come back to you and look at you with "those" eyes of love and concern.  Pets help us grow within ourselves when we need it. Isn't it amazing?  I really feel sorry for folks that don't have a relationship with animals. God evens things out for us through our pets. We find answers, where we least expect them.  Someone (Unknown) wrote a wonderful poem called RAINBOW BRIDGE. Here it is for your contemplation.  Does it fit your thoughts?  What happens when our animal friends of many years die?  I'm not sure, but this makes me feel good anyway...so I will think this way and ask God for the answer when I get to see Him face to face.

                                          RAINBOW BRIDGE

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...

Blessings,
Gary