I KNOW that asking you to read this is like asking you to poke yourself in the eyes a few times.
It may sting. It may hurt. It may make you cry.
But. After spotting a mangy little dog digging through a garbage can the other day (while on a walk with my well-fed, maybe over-fed, chocolate lab), I felt sick to my stomach and immediately thought of this email someone sent me.
And it's the exact reason why we have a stocking hanging on our Mantle with our dog, Reilly's name on it, soon to be filled with treats. She has no clue what day of the week it is or that it's a holiday. She only knows that we are home, and she can lay by our feet.
So here's to all of our beloved pets out there:
A PET'S TEN COMMANDMENTS.........
1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful.
2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.
3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.
4. Don't be angry with me for long and don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainment, but I have only you.
5. Talk to me. Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me.
6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.
7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I could hurt you, and yet, 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'm not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old or weak.
9. Please take care of me when I grow old - remember, you too, will grow old.
10. On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me, please. Never say you can't bear to watch. Don't make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there, because I love you so.
So be sure to hug your pet today ;-)
16 comments:
I wish I HAD pets. We move far too often and it's just too difficult. Someday, when we settle down... I know how you feel though. It's just not cool to see abandoned or abused animals. It is heartbreaking!
This is a great reminder. Of course, I have four very spoiled animals who might add a few more commandments to this list. Things like:
11. Daily belly rubs required.
12. I absolutely must have cheese to live.
13. Stop washing those dishes already, and get over here and play with me!
This post made me cry - in a good way. I just had to have my cat put to sleep after being with her for 17 years. It was so hard, but I was so glad that I was able to be with her the whole time.
I don't have any pets because my husband says, "It's me or the dog," but I have a feeling one day this will change. My daughter is obsessed with dogs and she is only 20 months old! Anyways, thanks for the post. It's important to remember how much pets love us!
Our dog is spoiled rotten. That said, there are a few things my boyfriend did when we first got her to establish his position as "leader of the pack." She was punished (scolded and put in "time out" for a short period) for getting into food he left on an end table. As a result, to this day you could leave food laying there and she never gets into it. She never gets into the trash or packages we leave lying around...because she knows the consequences. These days she's rarely scolded or punished...but it's because he had to do a little tough love to make her that way. I never had the heart to do it...so without him I'd have a brat on my hands!
all so very very true.
We spoil pets filthy rotten in this house...and I wish everyone did.
Love the 10 commandments for pets. LOVE THEM.
This post almost made me cry! you should have taken that little doggy by the garbage and adopted him!
This post DID make me cry! I have a dog, and before my daughter arrived, she WAS my baby... I need to give her a little more TLC.
Oh, and on #10-- we were NOT there when our last dog died, and my mom and I regret it to this day. Ok, now I'm crying even more than before!
~Elizabeth
http://confessionsfromaworkingmom.blogspot.com
I love my dogs more than people most of the time. They never talk back at least not to where I can understand it. :) When we lost one of our dogs a few years ago we let her pass away at home instead of putting her to sleep. It was difficult but we wanted to spend as much time with her as we could before she left us.
I don't have a pet but this post made me cry! :(
-meream
I was going through some old Christmas photos this weekend and came across many with our now deceased dog in them, and we definitely had a stocking for him every Christmas. Heck, we even wrapped up boxes of treats and toys for him to unwrap! He'd work through a nylon bone in record time! I miss that sweet dog every day.
Awww, that is so, so, so sweet. Just look at that face. Wow, crazy to think from an animals perspective, but so good!
:)
awwww i love this!!! it breaks my heart when people mistreat their pets...this post makes me want to go snuggle my pups...thanks for the gentle reminder of life through their eyes!
What a coincidence!
There is Japanese comic book called "Inubaka: Crazy for Dogs". And in one of their recent volume, they mention a translated, Japanese version of the ten commandments for pets. It was painful to read the Japanese one, but it was also very interesting to read it in English. They mention in the comic that it was made through the internet after going through many people, and then translated into Japanese. And I had just read this recently. It's nice to stumble upon someone else who mentions this too :-)
Love your blog btw, it's quite fun to read :-) Cheers to you!
Those 10 commandments are so cute, and so true. I will keep them in mind more often. :)
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