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Dogs Don't Have Souls, Do They?
I remember bringing you home. You were so small and cuddly with your tiny paws and
soft fur.
You bounced around the room with eyes flashing and ears flopping. Once in a while you'd let out a little yelp,
just to let me know this was your territory.
Making a mess of the house and chewing on everything in sight became a passion,
and when I scolded you, you just put your head down and looked up at me with those innocent eyes, as if to say, "I'm
sorry, but I'll do it again as soon as you're not watching."
As you got older, you protected me by looking out the
window and barking at everyone who walked by. When I had a tough day at work, you would be waiting for me with your tail wagging,
just to say, "Welcome home. I missed you." You never had a bad day, and I could always count on you to be there
for me.
When I sat down to read the paper and watch TV, you would hop on my lap, looking for attention. You never asked
for anything more than to have me pat your head so you could go to sleep with your head over my leg.
As you got older,
you moved around more slowly. Then one day, old age finally took its toll, and you couldn't stand on those wobbly legs anymore.
I knelt down and patted you lying there, trying to make you young again. You just looked up at me as if to say that you were
old and tired and that after all these years of not asking for anything, you had to ask me for one favor.
With tears
in my eyes, I drove you one last time to the vet. One last time you were lying next to me. For some strange reason, you were
able to stand up in the animal hospital; perhaps it was your sense of pride.
As the vet led you away, you stopped for
an instant, turned your head and looked at me as if to say, "Thank you for taking care of me,"
I thought, "No,
thank you for taking care of me."
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The Life of a Untrained Dog!
I woke up one morning with my littermates. I saw mom lying there so I went over to her
to get some breakfast. Mom was warm and she licked me all over. She loved us so much. Things were good back then. Now I am
bigger and live in a home with two kids and their mom and dad. I used to be able to come in the house and play. They even
let me sleep in the house. The children would run and I would chase them around. When I was little they would let me jump
on them and even playfully bite them. The family would laugh and encourage me to play like this. They gave me lots of toys
such as socks, shoes, and stuffed animals. I had so much fun. Those were the days!
As I got bigger, I would accidentally
knock the children down. I would try to bite them on the cuff of their pants as they ran. I found toys like the ones my master
gave me when I was younger, and I would chew them up. They started getting mad at me all the time. When I jumped up they would
knee me down. One minute they were laughing at me for play biting and chewing and the next minute they would spank me for
doing the very same thing. I am so confused!
Now I spend my days, hour after hour, chained in the back yard. No one comes
out to play with me. I am so happy to see them when they come out that I jump and bark with joy. I spend my days digging up
the yard around me, which makes my masters mad at me. The fleas crawl all over me, which drives me crazy. I get so mad that
I want to bite someone.
The more I sit out here the madder I get. I cannot understand why they brought me home just to
chain me in the yard. If my masters are unhappy with my behavior, why not train me? Why did they encourage me to jump and
bite?
Things have not gotten any better for me. Now I sit in jail. People come by my cage looking at me. I do not trust
them so I bark and bare my teeth. No one wants me. Oh, no! Here comes a lady with a leash. Where is she taking me? She walks
me into a room. Oh, she likes me. It's so good to be hugged again. She puts a thing around my mouth so I cannot bite. What's
this? She is sticking me in my leg. Oh, I am so sleepy. What has happened to me? I am asleep now. No one can hurt me anymore.
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