Appreciation for the Pooch

Many people who have dogs understand the joy a dog can bring and those people probably love being able to come home everyday to a dog that is beyond excited to see them. People love dogs but what I would like people to know and understand, is that dogs make a difference in this world. Whether it's putting a smile on someones face after a long day or Helping someone who's blind get around in their day-to-day routine.

I was on the bus last month and there was a blind woman with a guide dog sitting at the front. The way the dog sat between her legs, looking like he was guarding her, made me so happy! The dog seemed to be so content and the woman seemed to be as content as she sat there and pet this beautiful dog. I couldn't see her eyes so I wasn't able to tell how she felt by seeing her emotions, but on this 20 minute bus ride, she didn't stop petting the dog once. It's hard to explain to someone who wasn't there, but I felt so glad for her and her dog that they seemed to share such a special bond.

Dogs help humans with dementia by reminding people to take their medication and to wake up in the morning. Of course, police have the K9 Unit that makes a difference in our police departments. Dogs are used in the everglades to hunt pythons, on farms to herd cattle and the list goes on and on.

Because it's Remembrance Day weekend, I would like to juts shine light on the fact that dogs fought alongside soldiers. I found an awesome web page called Remembering Our 4 Legged Soldiers and it shows a timeline of how dogs have been used in war or conflicts throughout history.

Not to take away from the meaning of Remembrance Day, but this weekend when you have you moment of silence to remember our soldiers, take a couple of seconds to remember their awesome sidekicks. And next time you see a dog that is helping someone or making a difference in someone's life, appreciate what the dog is doing and smile.

Picture from kovudarkside

The tired doggie