"Just" a dog? First of all, I'll preface this with I really don't give a whatever about what other people think of my "thing" with animals. I'm not some crazy lady who lives in squalor with a zillion rats or cats or anything else. And even those people, I can almost understand...they're TRYING to take care of something they love....but just get carried away with what they really are capable, realistically of being able to care for adequately. People call them crazy. I call them saints. They do their best, but sometimes it just gets to be overwhelming and then you're sort of in a quandry of what to do. My heart goes out to those people. At least they aren't fornicating with them or abusing them in other ways. I'm sorry...the post about the Florida teenager just really has affected me.
Anyhow, people who view ANY being as "just" anything are the losers...they lose at most of life's joyfulness....they dont' realize the incredible value that our pets bring to us..some of us, granted......get a LITTLE carried away with dressing ours up and doing all those special little things for them, that probably, I will admit, they don't even realize or appreciate....but the thing is...it gives US something to do and something that makes US happy as providers for something that we view as valuable in our lives...something that gives us so much more than we could ever give them. I feel sorry for the people who think of a dog as just a dog...or a bird as just a bird, or anything that they seem to think has no deeper feelings than THEY do obviously. Shame on them.....and so, for your evening's enjoyment~ Here is my favorite poem in history....there are several versions of it by the author herself....but it is so appropo...
http://www.animalliberationfront.com..._Voiceless.htm