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The Power of the Dog
by Rudyard Kipling

There is sorrow enough in the natural way
From men and women to fill our day;
And when we are certain of sorrow in store,
Why do we always arrange for more!
Brothers and Sisters, I bid you beware
Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.

Buy a pup and your money will buy
Love unflinching that cannot lie—
Perfect passion and worship fed
By a kick in the ribs or a pat on the head.
Nevertheless, it is hardly fair
To risk your heart for a dog to tear.

When the fourteen years which Nature permits
Are closing in asthma, or tumor, or fits,
And the vet's unspoken prescription runs
To lethal chambers or loaded guns,
Then you will find – it's your own affair –
But . . . you've given your heart to a dog to tear.

When the body that lived at your single will,
With its whimper of welcome, is stilled (how still);
When the spirit that answered your every mood
Is gone – wherever it goes – for good,
You will discover how much you care,
And will give your heart to a dog to tear.

We've sorrow enough in the natural way
When it comes to burying Christian clay.
Our loves are not given, but only lent,
At compound interest of cent per cent.
Though it is not always the case, I believe,
That the longer we've kept ‘em, the more do we grieve:
For, when debts are payable, right or wrong,
A short-time loan is as bad as a long –
So why in-Heaven (before we are there)
Should we give our hearts to a dog to tear?

"From Friend To Friend"
By: Karen Clouston 
Written in Memory of Asta, February 1997

You're giving me a special gift,
So sorrowfully endowed,
And through these last few cherished days,
Your courage makes me proud.
But really, love is knowing
When your best friend is in pain,
And understanding, earthly acts
Will only be in vain.
So looking deep into your eyes,
Beyond, into your soul,
I see in you the magic, that will
Once more make me whole.
The strength that you possess,
Is why I look to you today,
To do this thing that must be done,
For it's the only way.
That strength is why I've followed you,
And chose you as my friend,
And why I've loved you all these years ...
My partner 'til the end.

Please understand just what this gift,
You're giving means to me,
It gives me back the strength I've lost
And all my dignity.
You take a stand on my behalf,
For that is what friends do.
And know that what you do is right,
For I believe it too.
So one last time, I breathe your scent,
And through your hand I feel,
The courage that's within you,
To now grant me this appeal.
Cut the leash that holds me here,
Dear friend, and let me run,
Once more a strong and steady dog,
My pain and struggle done.
And don't dispair my passing,
For I won't be far away,
Forever here, within your heart,
And memory I'll stay.

I'll be there watching over you,
Your ever faithful friend,
And in your memories I'll run,
... a young dog once again.

Now I lay me down to sleep
Into my master’s bed I creep
Start at the bottom, then to the top
I know this bed for me he bought

Next to my master, snuggled tight
And that’s the way we sleep all night
Please don’t disturb and don’t intrude
I’ll wake him up when I need food

Then in the morning I will begin
To lick, lick, lick my masters’ chin
He wakes up quick; my tongues quite wet
(He hasn’t learned all my tricks yet)

Devotion to him, I will display
I’ll speak, I’ll sit and sometimes stay
Because his puppy, I’ll always be
It’s special care he gives to me

So thank you Lord for so much more
Than I could ever ask you for
I promise Lord, I’ll snuggle tight
And share my bed with him each night

Our prayers are with Jordon
Cody Parker

Dog Pet Peeves

1. Blaming your farts on me... not funny... not funny at all!!!

2. Yelling at me for barking ..... I'M A FRIGGIN' DOG, YOU IDIOT!

3. Taking me for a walk, then not letting me check stuff out. Exactly whose walk is this anyway?

4. Any trick that involves balancing food on my nose... stop it!

5. Any haircut that involves bows or ribbons. Now you know why we chew your stuff up when you're not home.

6. The sleight of hand, fake fetch throw. You fooled a dog! Whoooo Hoooooooo , what a proud moment for the top of the food chain.

7. Taking me to the vet for "the big snip", then acting surprised when I freak out every time we go back!

8. Getting upset when I sniff the crotches of your guests. Sorry, but I haven't quite mastered that handshake thing yet.

9. Dog sweaters. Hello??? Haven't you noticed the fur?

10. How you act disgusted when I lick myself. Look, we both know the truth, you're just jealous.

Now lay off me on some of these things . We both know who's boss here!!!
(You don't see me picking up your poop do you ???)

If I Didn't Have Dogs...

• I could walk around safely barefoot in the dark;
• My house could be carpeted instead of tiled and laminated;
• All flat surfaces, clothing, furniture and cars would be free of dog hair;
• When the doorbell rang, it wouldn't sound like the SPCA kennels;
• When the doorbell rang, I could get to the door without wading through four or five dog bodies who beat me there;
• I could sit how I wanted to on the couch without taking into consideration where several little furbodies would need to get;
• I would not have strange presents under my tree, like dog bones, stuffed animals and have to answer to people why I wrap them up;
• I would not be on a first name basis with a vet;
• Most used words in my vocabulary would not be: potty, outside, sit, down, come, no, and leave him/her ALONE;
• My house would not be cordoned off into zones with baby gates;
• My purse would not contain things like poop pick up bags and dog treats;
• I would no longer have to spell the words B-A-L-L, T-R-E-A-T-S, O-U-T-S-I-D-E, and F-R-I-S-B-E-E;
• I would not buy weird things to stuff into Kongs or have to explain why I'm buying them, or what a Kong is;
• I would not have as many leaves and Pine Straw INSIDE my house as outside;
• Some people who will never have the joy in their life of knowing they are loved unconditionally by something as close to an angel as they will ever get. Who else has a friend who considers you the MOST important thing in the whole wide world all the time?

Pat from United Blood Services

Dear NRDC BioGems Defender,

No one voted on Election Day to destroy the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, but President Bush is now claiming a mandate to do exactly that.

Congressional leaders are pushing for a quick vote that would turn America's greatest sanctuary for Arctic wildlife into a vast, polluted oil field.  Even worse, they are planning to avoid public debate on this devastating measure by hiding it in a must-pass budget bill.

Please go to www.savebiogems.org/arctic/takeaction.asp?ms=RR0501 right now and send a message telling your U.S. senators and representative to reject this sneak attack on the Arctic Refuge.  And please forward my message to your friends, family and colleagues. We must mobilize millions of Americans in opposition as quickly as possible.

Don't believe for a second that the president is targeting the Arctic Refuge for the sake of America's energy security or to lower gas prices at the pump.  President Bush knows full well that oil drilled in the Arctic Refuge would take ten years to get to market and would never equal more than a paltry one or two percent of our nation's daily consumption. Simply put, sacrificing the crown jewel of our wildlife heritage would do nothing to reduce gas prices or break our addiction to Persian Gulf oil.

But if the raid on the Arctic Refuge isn't really about gas prices or energy security, then what is it about?  It's the symbolism.  The Arctic Refuge represents everything spectacular and everything endangered about America's natural heritage. It embodies a million years of ecological serenity . . . a vast stretch of pristine wilderness . . . an irreplaceable birthing ground for polar bears, caribou and white wolves.

It is the greatest living reminder that conserving nature in its wild state is a core American value. It stands for every remnant of wilderness that we, as a people, have wisely chosen to protect from the relentless march of bulldozers, chain saws and oil rigs.  And that's why the Bush administration is dead set on destroying it.

By unlocking the Arctic Refuge, they hope to open the door for oil, gas and coal giants to invade our last and best wild places: our western canyonlands, our ancient forests, our coastal waters, even our national monuments.

This is the real agenda behind the raid on the Arctic Refuge and the entire Bush-Cheney energy plan: to transfer our public estate into corporate hands so it can be liquidated for a quick buck.

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) admitted as much when he said this battle over the Arctic Refuge is really a fight over whether energy exploration will be allowed in similarly sensitive areas in the future. "It's about precedent," Rep. DeLay said.

I take him at his word. If we let the president and Congress plunder the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for the sake of oil company profits, then no piece of our natural heritage will be safe from wholesale destruction.

Please go to www.savebiogems.org/arctic/takeaction.asp?ms=RR0501 and tell your senators and representative they have no mandate to destroy the Arctic Refuge. Then please be sure to forward this message to as many people as you can.  And thank you for speaking out at this critical time.

Sincerely,

Robert Redford
Board of Trustees
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)

DOG RULES

1. Dogs are never permitted in the house. The dog stays outside in a specially built wooden compartment named, for very good reason, the doghouse.

2. Okay, the dog can enter the house, but only for short visits or if his own house is under renovation.

3. Okay, the dog can stay in the house on a permanent basis, provided his dog house can be sold in a yard sale to a rookie dog owner.

4. Inside the house, the dog is not allowed to run free and is confined to a comfortable but secure metal cage.

5. Okay, the cage becomes part of a two-for-one deal along with the dog house in the yard sale, and the dog can go wherever he pleases.

6. The dog is never allowed on the furniture.

7. Okay, the dog can get on the old furniture but not the new furniture.

8. Okay, the dog can get up on the new furniture until it looks like the old furniture and then we'll sell the whole darn works and buy new furniture -- upon which the dog will most definitely not be allowed.

9. The dog never sleeps on the bed. Period.

10. Okay, the dog can sleep at the foot of the bed.

11. Okay, the dog can sleep alongside you, but he's not allowed under the covers.

12. Okay, the dog can sleep under the covers but not with his head on the pillow.

13.Okay, the dog can sleep alongside you under the covers with his head on the pillow, but if he snores he's got to leave the room.

14. Okay, the dog can sleep and snore and have nightmares in bed, but he's not to come in and sleep on the couch in the TV room, where I'm now sleeping. That's just not fair.

15. The dog never gets listed on the census questionnaire as "primary resident," even if it's true.

"The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue."
Anonymous

"Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful."
Ann Landers

"My one goal in life is to be the person my dog thinks I am.
Anonymous

"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went."
Will Rogers

"There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face."
Ben Williams

"A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself."
Josh Billings

"We give dogs time we can spare, space we can spare and love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all. It's the best deal man has ever made."
M. Facklam

"Dogs love their friends and bite their enemies, quite unlike people, who are incapable of pure love and always have to mix love and hate."
Sigmund Freud

"If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons."
James Thurber

"A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before lying down."
Robert Benchley

"I wonder if other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious cult."
Rita Rudner

"Dogs need to sniff the ground; it's how they keep abreast of current events. The ground is a giant dog newspaper, containing all kinds of late-breaking dog news items, which, if they are especially urgent, are often continued in the next yard."
Dave Barry

"Anybody who doesn't know what soap tastes like never washed a dog."
Franklin P. Jones

The Question: "How Many Dogs Does It Take to Change A Light Bulb?"

1. Golden Retriever: The sun is shining, the day is young, we've got our whole lives ahead of us, and you're inside worrying about a stupid burned out bulb?

2. Border Collie: Just one. And then I'll replace any wiring that's not up to code.

3. Dachshund: You know I can't reach that stupid lamp!

4. Rottweiler: Make me.

5. Boxer: Who cares? I can still play with my squeaky toys in the dark.

6. Lab: Oh, me, me!!!!! Pleeeeeeeeeze let me change the light bulb! Can I?Can I? Huh? Huh? Huh? Can I? Pleeeeeeeeeze, please, please, please!

7. German Shepherd: I'll change it as soon as I've led these people from the dark, check to make sure I haven't missed any, and make just one more perimeter patrol to see that no one has tried to take advantage of the situation.

8. Jack Russell Terrier: I'll just pop it in while I'm bouncing off the walls and furniture.

9. Old English Sheep Dog: Light bulb? I'm sorry, but I don't see a light bulb?

10. Cocker Spaniel: Why change it? I can still pee on the carpet in the dark.

11. Chihuahua: Yo quiero Taco Bulb.

12. Pointer: I see it, there it is, there it is, right there.....

13. Greyhound: It isn't moving. Who cares?

14. Australian Shepherd: First, I'll put all the light bulbs in a little circle...

15. Poodle: I'll just blow in the Border Collie's ear and he'll do it. By the time he finishes rewiring the house, my nails will be dry.

The Cat's Answer: "Dogs do not change light bulbs. People change light bulbs. So, the real question is: How long will it be before I can expect some light, some dinner, and a massage?"

ALL OF WHICH PROVES, ONCE AGAIN, THAT WHILE DOGS HAVE MASTERS, CATS HAVE STAFF.

A newly discovered chapter in the Book of Genesis has provided the answer to "Where do pets come from?"

Adam and Eve said, "Lord, when we were in the garden, you walked with us every day. Now we do not see you any more. We are lonesome here, and it is difficult for us to remember how much you love us."

And God said, "No problem! I will create a companion for you that will be with you forever and who will be a reflection of my love for you, so that you will love me even when you cannot see me. Regardless of how selfish or childish or unlovable you may be, this new companion will accept you as you are and will love you as I do, in spite of yourselves."

And God created a new animal to be a companion for Adam and Eve.
And it was a good animal.
And God was pleased.
And the new animal was pleased to be with Adam and Eve and he wagged his tail.

And Adam said, "Lord, I have already named all the animals in the Kingdom and I cannot think of a name for this new animal."

And God said, "No problem. Because I have created this new animal to be a reflection of my love for you, his name will be a reflection of my own name, and you will call him
DOG."

And Dog lived with Adam and Eve and was a companion to them and loved them.
And they were comforted.
And God was pleased.
And Dog was content and wagged his tail.

After a while, it came to pass that an angel came to the Lord and said, "Lord, Adam and Eve have become filled with pride. They strut and preen like peacocks and they believe they are worthy of adoration. Dog has indeed taught them that they are loved, but perhaps too well."

And God said, "No problem! I will create for them a companion who will be with them forever and who will see them as they are. The companion will remind them of their limitations, so they will know that they are not always worthy of adoration."

And God created CAT to be a companion to Adam and Eve.

And Cat would not obey them. And when Adam and Eve gazed into Cat's eyes, they were reminded that they were not the supreme beings.

And Adam and Eve learned humility.
And they were greatly improved.
And God was pleased.
And Dog was happy.

And Cat didn't care one way or the other.

FREDERICK'S FACTS"

"Frederick's facts?" Way to go!
Tell me things I do not know
Talk of "toilets," talk of "birds"
Tell me things I've never heard

John's the man who tells the facts
Put on 3, sit down, relax
Try to win some presents "free"
Dial "repeatedly!"

If you get the answer right?
He might put you on a flight
In the country, overseas
Let me win! "Oh, please?"

All it takes is common sense
Someone smart, or even "dense"
Watch the show, that's all you need
Take a shot, indeed!

You can learn a thing, or two
Have to dial, and dial, it's true
If it rings, and you get through?
The winner could be you!

© Norman Weissman 5/27/04

A man wrote a letter to a small hotel in a Midwest town he planned to visit on his vacation.
He wrote:

"Dear Hotel,

I would very much like to bring my dog with me. He is well-groomed and very well-behaved. Would you be willing to permit me to keep him in my room with me at night?"

An immediate reply came from the hotel owner, who wrote:

I've been operating this hotel for many years. In all that time, I've never had a dog steal towels, bedclothes, silverware or pictures off the walls. I've never had to evict a dog in the middle of the night for being drunk and disorderly. And I've never had a dog run out on a hotel bill.  Yes, indeed, your dog is welcome at my hotel. And, if your dog will vouch for you, you're welcome to stay here, too.

A TRIBUTE TO JOHN

An expert at his craft ?

You bet he is !

Sometimes he makes you laugh,

With a little touch of "SHOW BIZ".

His "SMILE" and his "ENERGY",

Will get you from the start,

But what really gets your attention,

Is the kindness in his " HEART" !

He gives his time unselfishly

To people day and night,

And for our beloved animals,

He never gives up the fight,

To open human eyes

To the abuse that is so real,

To teach them to protect God's creatures,

And hopefully, teach them how to feel !

So with "HONOR" and with "GREAT RESPECT",

We salute you "MR. JOHN FREDERICKS " !

Jamie Wexler

Pool Safety With Pets

For Las Vegas families, a pool can provide a welcome relief from the summer heat. And while many families may be aware of pool safety for children, they may not consider pet pool safety. Every year pet drownings are tragically encountered all over Las Vegas. Take a few moments to ensure your pets safety around the pool.

1. Teach how to swim
-Not all breeds of dog are naturally good swimmers
-Do not simply throw in pool...start with gradual exposure and depth of water.
-Start swimming when puppy age
2. Teach location of stairs
3. Use pool perimeter fencing
4. Store pool chemicals safely
5. Learn animal CPR
-Basics of CPR are the same as for humans.
-Difference for breaths...hold muzzle closed and give mouth-to-snout breaths.
-Chest compressions done w/pet on right side, compressions to area where left
elbow touches ribcage.
-Repeat 15 compressions, then 2 breaths.

Quick facts:-
-Puppies, elderly dogs, blind, or arthritic animals are most common pet drowning vicitims.
-Already at LMAH this summer we have seen several pet drownings and a few near misses.
-An occasional drink from the pool will not be dangerous for dogs health.
-Keep dogs away from pool after chemical "shocking" of pool as ch emical content will be high.

Ten Commandments for Pet Owners

1. My life is likely to last 10 to 15 years. Any separation from you will be very painful..

2.Give me time to understand what you want from me. Do not break my spirit with your temper, though I will always forgive you.Your patience and understanding will teach me more quickly those things you want me to learn.

3.. Have me spayed or neutered.

4. Treat me kindly, my beloved friend, for no heart in all the world is more grateful for your kindness than mine. Don't be angry with me for long, and don't lock me up as punishment. After all, you have your job, your friends, your entertainment. I have only you.

5. Speak to me often. Even if I don't understand all your words, I understand your voice when it's speaking to me. Your voice is the sweetest sound I ever hear, as you must know by my enthusiastic excitement when your footsteps fall upon my waiting ear.

6. Please take me inside when it's cold and wet. I'm a domestic animal and am no longer accustomed to the bitter elements. I ask for little more than your gentle hands petting me. Keep my bowl filled with clean water; I cannot tell you when I'm thirsty. Feed me good food so that I may stay well, to romp and play and do your bidding, to be by your side, and stand ready, willing and able to share with you my life, for that is what I live for. However you treat me, I'll never forget it.

7. Don't hit me. Remember, I have teeth that could easily crush the bones in your hand, but 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 am not getting the right food, I've been out in the sun too long,or my heart may be getting old and weak.

9. Take care of me when I get old. You will grow old too.

10. When I am very old, when I no longer enjoy good health, please do not make heroic efforts to keep me going. I am not having fun. Just see to it that my trusting life is taken gently. And be with me on that difficult journey when it is time to say goodbye. Never say, "I can't bear to watch". Everything is easier for me when you are there. I will leave this earth knowing with my last breath that my fate was always safest in your hands.

On this Homeless Animals' Day, please take the "Pledge For Life," written by Diane Leigh and Marilee Geyer, the authors of "One at a Time: A Week in an American Animal Shelter"

I pledge to never cause an animal to be in an animal shelter.

I pledge ...

.to understand the commitment of living with a companion animal.

.to be ready and willing to accept that commitment
before I bring an animal into my home and my family.

.to educate myself so that I can make a good match when choosing an
animal, and then to save a life by adopting a homeless animal
from a shelter, rescue group, or from the street.

.to protect my companions from becoming lost by keeping them safely
confined and wearing current identification at all times.

.to not contribute to overpopulation, by spaying and neutering my
companion animals.

.to provide my companion animals with the basics of food and shelter
and medical care, and to provide them with the love and companionship
they need to be happy.

.to include my companion animals as part of my family, to socialize
them so that they are comfortable in human society, to train them so
that they will be safe and be good citizens.

.to work through problems with my companions, and to include them in
my own life changes.

.to always demonstrate respectful, loving and responsible companion
animal care so that others may learn from my example and want to do
the same.

I make this pledge to the animals, between them and me,
to the animals I know, and the ones I may never see,
to the animals in my home, and the ones in our shelters and on our
streets, to the animals here, and the ones yet to come.

I make this pledge to honor their love and companionship,
to acknowledge their intrinsic value,
to respect them as living beings
who carry the same precious spark of life that I myself do.

I understand that the solutions are in my hands.
I pledge to use those solutions, and in doing so,
to begin to create a community and a society that shows
compassion, love, and respect for those who cannot speak for
themselves.

I make this pledge with love and hope.

(c) 2004 No Voice Unheard

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