...WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS

I just like this picture. When have you ever seen anyone carrying a Golden Retriever? A small dog, sure. You might carry a large dog if it was injured, but to carry it like a small child looks ridiculous. Then I read the caption. This is the blessing of animals. Maybe it was sick, but I think it looks too perky to be seriously ill or injured. It's a dog's life in Spain too where this photo was taken.

Having been raised in a time when dogs were animals not family, I am amazed at the lengths owners will go to serve their pets. I do understand the attachment and empathize with losing a good dog or cat, but I remember a time when an animal was euthanized if it had a serious problem or was dealing with a disease that caused pain. On the farm even bad behavior would get the attention of the farmer and his gun. Chasing chickens--not tolerated. Biting people--not tolerated.

We now have dog psychologists. I know someone who has had her pets "analyzed" by a doggie psychic to find out if they were well adjusted. Even more outrageous in my eyes was a story in the newspaper last fall about implantable heart defibrillators and pacemakers being removed at the time of (a human) death. They were then donated to veterinarians who used them in animals with cardiac problems. The owners were spared the cost of the equipment and only had to pay for the vet's services. Hmmm. Sorry, I just can't fathom a dog being zapped by an implantable defibrillator. That (above) is one dog I would not want to be carrying around when he got a jolt. Hope I haven't offended you.

PS Day 3. Doing pretty well, thank you. Just keeping myself accountable.