"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."
- Mohandas Gandhi (1869 - 1948)
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A Dog's Prayer for Himself
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Treat me kindly, my beloved master, for no heart in all the world is more grateful for kindness than the loving heart of me.
Do not break my spirit with a stick, for though I should lick your hand between the blows, your patience and understanding will more quickly teach me the things you would have me do.
Speak to me often, for your voice is the world's sweetest music, as you must know by the fierce wagging of my tail when your footstep falls upon my waiting ear.
When it is cold and wet, please take me inside... for I am now a domesticated animal, no longer used to bitter elements... and I ask no greater glory than the privilege of sitting at your feet beside the hearth... though had you no home, I would rather follow you through ice and snow than rest upon the softest pillow in the warmest home in all the land... for you are my god... and I am your devoted worshiper.
Keep my pan filled with fresh water, for although I should not reproach you were it dry, I cannot tell you when I suffer thirst. Feed me clean food, that I may stay well, to romp and play and do your bidding, to walk by your side, and stand ready, willing and able to protect you with my life, should your life be in danger.
And, beloved master, should the Great Master see fit to deprive me of my health or sight, do not turn me away from you. Rather hold me gently in your arms as skilled hands grant me the merciful boon of eternal rest...and I will leave you knowing with the last breath I drew, my fate was ever safest in your hands.
by Beth Norman Harris
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 | A Dog's Prayer for His Owner |
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O Lord of humans, make my master faithful to his fellow men as I am to him.
Grant that he may be as devoted to his friends and family as I am to him.
May he be open faced and undeceptive as I am;
may he be true to trust reposed in him as I am to his.
Give him a face cheerful like unto my wagging tail.
Give him a spirit of gratitude like unto my flicking tongue.
Fill him with patience like unto mine that awaits
his footsteps uncomplainingly for hours.
Fill him with my watchfulness, my courage,
and my readiness to sacrifice comfort or life itself.
Keep him always young in heart and endowed with the spirit of play, as I am.
Make him as good a man as I am a dog. And make him worthy of me, his dog.
Amen.
~Author unknown to me~
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Hear Our Humble Prayer
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Hear our humble prayer, O God, for our friends the animals, especially for animals who are suffering; for any that are hunted or lost, or deserted or frightened or hungry; for all that must be put to death.
We entreat for them all thy mercy and pity and for those who deal with them we ask a heart of compassion and gentle hands and kindly words.
Make us, ourselves, to be true friends to animals and so to share the blessings of the merciful.
~Albert Schweitzer~
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| Just My Dog |
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He is my other eyes that can see above the clouds;
my other ears that hear above the winds.
He is the part of me that can reach out into the sea.
He has told me a thousand times over that I am his reason for being;
by the way he rests against my leg;
by the way he thumps his tail at my smallest smile;
by the way he shows his hurt when I leave without taking him.
(I think it makes him sick with worry when he is not along to care for me.)
When I am wrong, he is delighted to forgive.
When I am angry, he clowns to make me smile.
When I am happy, he is joy unbounded. When I am a fool, he ignores it.
When I succeed, he brags.
Without him, I am only another man. With him, I am all-powerful.
He is loyalty itself.
He has taught me the meaning of devotion.
With him, I know a secret comfort and a private peace.
He has brought me understanding where before I was ignorant.
His head on my knee can heal my human hurts.
His presence by my side is protection against my fears of dark and unknown things.
He has promised to wait for me... whenever... wherever - in case I need him.
And I expect I will - as I always have. He is just my dog."
--attributed to Gene Hill
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The German Shepherd Dog
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There is a dog with oversized ears,
That swivel to catch each new sound he hears.
His teeth are so sharp, his nose is so long,
Folks that don't know him, may judge him quite wrong.
He loves with whole heart, the people he chooses,
And keeps them quite safe, like his flocks-so he muses.
His body is lean, and his bark is quite loud.
Though some think him mean, he's just loyal and proud.
He likes to tell everyone, about the things that he sees,
The people the cats, the squirrels in the trees.
He greets each day with a bounce and such joy,
And loves to hear master say that he's a good boy.
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| Guardians of the Night |
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Together we will conquer all obstacles
And search out those who might wish harm to others.
All I ask of you is compassion,
The caring touch of your hands.
It is for you that I will selflessly give my life
And spend my nights unrested.
Although our days together
May be marked by the passing of the seasons.
Know that each day at your side is my reward.
My days are measured by
The coming and going of your footsteps.
I anticipate them at the opening of the door.
You are the voice of caring when I am ill.
The voice of authority over me when I've done wrong.
Do not chastise me unduly
For I am your right arm,
The sword at your side.
I attempt to do only what you bid of me.
I seek only to please you and remain in your favor.
Together you and I shall experience
A bond only others like you will understand.
When outsiders see us together
Their envy will be measured by their disdain.
I will quietly listen to you
And pass no judgement.
Nor will your spoken words be repeated.
I will remain ever silent,
Ever vigilant, ever loyal.
And when our time together is done
And you move on in the world,
Remember me with kind thoughts and tales.
For a time we were unbeatable,
Nothing passed among us undetected.
If we should ever meet again on another field
I will gladly take up your fight.
I am a Police Working Dog and together
We are GUARDIANS of the NIGHT.
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Eulogy on the Dog
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GENTLEMEN of the Jury:- The best friend a man has in this world may turn against him and become his enemy. His son or daughter that he has reared with loving care may prove ungrateful. Those who are nearest and dearest to us, those whom we trust with our happiness and our good name, may become traitors to their faith. The money that a man has he may lose. It flies away from him, perhaps when he needs it most. A man's reputation may be sacrificed in a moment of ill-considered action. The people who are prone to fall on their knees to do us honor when success is with us may be the first to throw the stone of malice when failure settles its cloud upon our heads.
The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog.
Gentlemen of the jury, a man's dog stands by him in prosperity and in poverty, in health and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, where the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he may be near his master's side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer, he will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounter with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince.
When all other friends desert he remains. When riches take wings and reputation falls to pieces he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens. If fortune drives the master forth an outcast in the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him to guard against danger, to fight against his enemies, and when the last scene of all comes, and death takes the master in its embrace and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by his graveside will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws, his eyes sad but open in alert watchfulness, faithful and true even to death.
-By Sen. George Graham Vest of Missouri.
On Oct. 28th 1869 in Johnson County, Missouri a hunting dog by the name of "Old Drum" was gunned down by a sheep farmer. The farmer's name was, Leonidas Hornsby. Prior to killing "Old Drum", Hornby threatened his neighbors by stating "he would kill the next dog he caught on his property". This so happened to be "Old Drum" owned by Charles Burden. Burden sued Hornsby and hired three lawyers (George Graham Vest, Wells Blodgett and John Phillips) to defend his case. Hornsby was defended by two other prominent lawyers, Thomas T. Crittenden and Francis Cockrell. During the trial in Warrensburg, Missouri (Sept. 23, 1870) Vest is reported to have stated that "he would win the case or apologize to every dog in Missouri." The preceding was the text to Vest's "Tribute to the American dog":
George Graham Vest won the case in Warrensburg and won it again before an appeal to the Missouri Supreme Court. In memory of this event, a statue honoring "Old Drum" and the words of Vest was erected in Warrensburg. Sen. George Graham Vest, U.S. Senator, C.S. Congressman, Confederate veteran, conservationist and champion for the rights of Native Americans, died in August 9, 1904 in Sweet Springs, Saline Co., Mo. He was buried in Bellefontaine cemetery in St.Louis, Mo
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| The Creation |
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When God had made the earth and sky
the flowers and the trees,
He then made all the animals
the fish, the birds and bees.
And when at last He'd finished
not one was quite the same.
He said, "I'll walk this world of mine
and give each one a name."
And so He traveled far and wide
and everywhere He went,
a little creature followed Him
until it's strength was spent.
When all were named upon the earth
and in the sky and sea,
the little creature said, "Dear Lord,
there's not one left for me."
Kindly the Father said to him,
"I've left you to the end.
I've turned my own name back to front
and called you dog, My friend."
-Author Unknown to me
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If you have any poems, quotes or tributes you would like to add, please email them to us. |
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"The worst sin
towards our
fellow creatures
is not to hate them,
but to be
indifferent to them.
That's the essence
of inhumanity."
- George Bernard Shaw
(1856 - 1950)
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