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TRIBUTES |
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TRIBUTES |
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I shall be a believer of all that is good in man and all that is deserving in animals. I shall plead for their lives, campaign for their safety, and uphold their right to a natural death. I shall seek out the injured and the maimed, the unloved and the abandoned, and tend to them in their last days. I shall not forget their place in the hierarchy of life, nor that we walk in each other's paths. I shall bear witness to the wonder they bring into our lives, and to the beauty they bestow on our souls. I shall restore their spirits when they are waning, bind their wounds when they bleed, cradle them when they whimper and comfort them when they mourn. I shall be near them in their hour of greatest need -a companion and a friend when their time has come. I shall watch over them and console them and ask that the angels gather them in their arms. From the creatures of the earth I shall learn the fruits of compassion and undying love. In their company, I shall indeed be blessed. -AUTHOR UNKNOWN |
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We are a nation of animal lovers. Turnstiles tell us that animal watching at our zoos attracts more people than any other spectator sport. In our world for 150 million years there has been a steady procession of animals that once were here, and now are extinct and gone, but their monuments are in the rocks and in the soil. First of all animals tamed or domesticated by humans was the dog. Then came cattle and sheep, horses and donkeys, chickens and cats. One of the books I read ranks dogs fifth in intelligence among animals. There are 25,000,000 dogs in America today. Which is the best-known dog - Lassie, Rin Tin Tin, Snoopy? Who can say? Most everyone loves dogs, though there are exceptions. William Lyon Phelps, who was one of Yale's great professors, loved cats more than dogs. "Dogs," he said, "are always on the wrong side of the door - they either want in or out." Even so, the dog has always been my favorite animal. I think of some of the ways dogs help humankind: Serve as watchdogs. Alert us to fire. Track down criminals. Accompany police officers on their beats. Serve as hunting companions. Help the blind. Pull dog sleds. Find people lost in snow. St. Bernards can smell a person under 20 feet of snow. Tend sheep and cattle. Serve as companions for people who are alone. Many would say "yes, a dog is man's best friend." He does work and is useful, but it is the wag of his tail that keeps us loving him. Our dog greets us on our arrival home as though he is really glad we are there. He doesn't criticize us. He loves us. Though he does much that is helpful, he really doesn't have to work. Canaries sing, cows give milk, and chickens lay eggs, but the affection a dog has for its owner is enough. A dog doesn't always get the best press or publicity. You seldom, if ever, see a sign in the front yard reading "nice dog." Yet the majority of dogs are nice, friendly and well-behaved. There is no place in France where you cannot take your dog. I read in a newspaper of a vacationer who wrote to a hotel in Jamaica for reservations asking whether it would be acceptable to bring his dog. The response he got: "I've been in the hotel business for 40 years, and I've never had to eject a disorderly dog. Never has a dog sneaked someone else into his room. Never has a dog stolen a towel or a blanket or become drunk. Your dog is very welcome. If he will vouch for you, you can come along as well." In some homes or condominiums it is not wise or permissible to have a dog. There may be a lack of space or a lack of time to care for a dog. The barking of a dog may be disturbing to other occupants of a condo. We must take the time to pet our dog and give him exercise and love, for we are not dogs' owners but caretakers. When Robert Louis Stevenson was 31 years old he came upon a man who was beating his dog. Stevenson, always a great lover of nature and a protector of all forms of life, interposed himself between the man and the dog. The owner objected angrily, "It's my dog and I'll do as I please," he said. "It's not your dog," replied Stevenson, "It's God's dog, and I'm here to protect it." A test of a civilization is the way we treat animals. All things bright and beautiful All creatures great and small All things wise and wonderful The Lord God made them all. He prayeth best who loveth best All creatures both great and small For the dear God who loveth us He made and loveth all. There is a prayer that I find helpful: "O God, who has made all the earth and every creature that dwells therein; help us, we pray, to treat with compassion the living creatures entrusted to our care, that they may not suffer from our neglect or become victims of any cruelty. Bless all who serve on their behalf, and help us to find in caring for them a deeper understanding of your love for all creation." |
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