A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead. He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them.

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road it looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight. When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold.

He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side. When he was close enough, he called out, ‘Excuse me, where are we?’

‘This is Heaven, sir,’ the man answered.

‘Wow! Would you happen to have some water?’ the man asked.

‘Of course, sir. Come right in, and I’ll have some ice water brought right up.’ The man gestured, and the gate began to open.

‘Can my friend,’ gesturing toward his dog, ‘come in, too?’ the traveler asked.

‘I’m sorry, sir, but we don’t accept pets.’

The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog. After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence. As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.

‘Excuse me!’ he called to the man. ‘Do you have any water?’

‘Yeah, sure, there’s a pump over there, come on in.’

‘How about my friend here?’ the traveler gestured to the dog.

‘There should be a bowl by the pump.’

They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it. The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog. When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree.

‘What do you call this place?’ the traveler asked.

‘This is Heaven,’ he answered.

‘Well, that’s confusing,’ the traveler said. ‘The man down the road said that was Heaven, too.’

‘Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope, that’s hell.’

‘Doesn’t it make you mad for them to use your name like that?’

‘No, we’re just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind.’

Submitted by Russ

This was sent to me by a fellow blogger, Seeker, enjoy!

TO: GOD
FROM: THE DOG

Dear God: Is it on purpose our names are the same, only reversed?

Dear God: Why do humans smell the flowers, but seldom, if ever, smell one another?

Dear God: When we get to heaven, can we sit on your couch? Or is it still the same old story?

Dear God: Why are there cars named after the jaguar, the cougar, the mustang, the colt, the stingray, and the rabbit, but not ONE named for a Dog? How often do you see a cougar riding around? We do love a nice ride! Would it be so hard to rename the ‘Chrysler Eagle’ the ‘Chrysler Beagle’?

Dear God: If a Dog barks his head off in the forest and no human hears him, is he still a bad Dog?

Dear God: We Dogs can understand human verbal instructions, hand signals, whistles, horns, clickers, beepers, scent ID’s, electromagnetic energy fields, and Frisbee flight paths. What do humans understand?

Dear God: More meatballs, less spaghetti, please.

Dear God: Are there mailmen in Heaven? If there are, will I have to apologize?

Dear God: Let me give you a list of just some of the things I must remember to be a good Dog.

1. I will not eat the cats’ food before they eat it or after they throw it up.

2. I will not roll on dead seagulls, fish, crabs, etc., just because I like the way they smell.

3. The Litter Box is not a cookie jar.

4. The sofa is not a ‘face towel’.

5. The garbage collector is not stealing our stuff.

6. I will not play tug-of-war with Dad’s underwear when he’s on the toilet.

7. Sticking my nose into someone’s crotch is an unacceptable way of saying ‘hello’.

8. I don’t need to suddenly stand straight up when I’m under the coffee table .

9. I must shake the rainwater out of my fur before entering the house – not after.

10. I will not come in from outside and immediately drag my butt.

11. I will not sit in the middle of the living room and lick my crotch.

12. The cat is not a ’squeaky toy’ so when I play with him and he makes that noise, it’s usually not a good thing..

P.S. Dear God: When I get to Heaven may I have my testicles back?

‘Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains unawakened’

Love is a four-legged word to me ever since I picked Maggie up in July of 2005.

She is a small wonder on four legs.

I have never had a dog that is more loving, cuddly and ready to play!
She goes everywhere with me and absolutely loves to travel.
Maggie has ridden in my bicycle basket, has been in a motorboat, has ridden on buses and trains and loves to go anywhere in the car.

She is a mix between a Yorkshire Terrier and a Papillon. This mixed breed is sometimes called a Yorkipap, a Papiyork, or a Yorkillon.

Most people simply call her ‘cute’!

Submitted by Cindy

Greta is our other extra-special pooch.

Although she sustained a back injury that left her partially paralyzed, she is still full of love and vitality.
Greta is known by many nicknames including Mrs. Crisps, Grety Spaghetti, and Scamper.
She makes our family complete and we couldn’t imagine life without her.

To learn more about Dewey and Greta and the special joys and challenges of having disabled dogs,
please visit www.reboundhounds.blogspot.com

Submitted by Katja

A little over three years ago we took in a cat that his owner could no longer keep.  We named him Max.

He is very picky and can be very cranky at times.  Though when my daughter isn’t feeling well or has had a bad day he is right there to comfort her.  He loves his little girl.  On the rare occasions that she stays the night with a friend or relative he will sit at her door till she comes home.  Sometimes even meowing at her door in the early morning hours.

A year later a friend of ours cat had kittens and we adopted one of them to give as a birthday present.  In stead of bonding with our daughter he bonded with my husband.  I have never seen a cat behave the way Short Stack does, we call him Shack for short.  He will follow my husband around the house like a dog would.  He enjoys rough play and relaxing in the sun.  Feels very offended if you don’t play rough with him to the point of ignoring you for days. He is the cat that we giggle at because he leaps around the house like a rabbit when excited.

Then about 6 months ago we took in a cat that had been dumped of in my sisters neighborhood.  He is your standard Siamese cat.  Spaz is very shy and with a nervous temperament.  He runs from everyone in the house that is until you catch him.  Then he is your best friend for the rest of the day.  He enjoys “hiding” on my sons bed thinking that no one can see him.

All of our four legged friends could not be lived without.  They are truly friends and part of our family.

Submitted by Audrea

When I come home from a stressful day and see Ollie (14-year-old shih tzu) sleeping so peacefully on this holiday pillow I bought her, she makes all the hard work and stress worth it because I know this little dog rescued me as much as I rescued her!

Submitted by Kim

Email me a picture (jpg or gif format) with a small caption explaining why love is a four-legged word for you to: stinkypaw@gmail.com

Share the love!

I’ve received this via email, and thought I would share it here, with you animal lovers…

“Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog’s owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn’t do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker’s family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker’s transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker’s death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ‘I know why.’

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I’d never heard a more comforting explanation.

He said, ‘People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life — like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?’ The 6-year-old continued, ‘Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long.’

Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like when loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy-ride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you’re not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!”

Oh, what would I do without my tiny little beautiful Roxy Star?!
She is just like a second child to me.

She is the meaning of unconditional love.

Just one little shake of her nub-nub grabs my heart and puts a huge smile on my face.
Without her my family would not be complete.

Submitted by Season

Love is a four-legged thing between me and my Murray. He was a stray who hung around my apartment complex.

One night, he decided to just move in with me – ran past me when I opened the door, and went right to the refrigerator. I had nothing in the house to give him besides lunch meat, and he was so hungry, he ate a whole pack. I left the door open so he could leave at any time, but he decided to stay and watch TV with me. At bedtime, I just closed the door and let him stay, and he’s been with me ever since.

He is very affectionate, and fills my days with joy and love. I am so glad he picked me to move in with.

Submitted by Jennifer B.