Our pets are with us for such a short time and we were fortunate that our sweet dog, Sandy lived with us for 15 years. Our neighbor who bought her as a puppy for their grandchildren, kept her for two years and grew tired of her. We gave her treats through the fence and she kept them in her mouth and didn't chew on them until we stopped petting her. She was a friendly and affectionate dog. When they were in the process of moving they decided to have her put to sleep. Of course we couldn't let them do that so we offered to take her. They threw her over the fence! After years of struggling with diabetes and other problems, she passed away peacefully this morning.
In All Creatures Great and Small James Herriot visits a sick lady who worries that her animals will not be with her when she's in heaven because she was told animals have no souls."I don't believe it," says James Herriot. "If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans. You've nothing to worry about there."
We will all miss that smiling face, but hopefully we will see her again.
A dear friend wrote this lovely poem:
They drift in and out of our lives,
And leave such love behind.
They don’t ask for much,
A kind word, a gentle touch.
Their devotion is forever,
And live on in our hearts and memories.
They come as messengers,
To test our souls, to see if we deserve
Our place on earth.
Heaven is filled with them all,
And when we arrive, they come running.
They truly loved us!
And we were complete because of them.
Pat Thomas
