In Praise of MBFTND

Man's Best Friend The Noble Dog...

I am constantly in awe of dogs. I sometimes hold them in higher esteem than I do other human beings. Dogs understand love, loyalty, affection, friendship, joy, forgiveness, gratitude...all the good stuff! Internet news is full of stories about dogs saving people, becoming friends with some other animal and showing loyalty to their friends, some even after death.

Dogs are capable of unconditional love. They don't judge someone by their race or economic standing. They don't care what someone looks like or how intelligent they are. Dogs see through to the core of people. If my dog doesn't like someone, that's reason enough for me to hold them suspect.

Dogs are beings that live to please the person or family they live with. They are capable of bringing so much love and joy into a home. My girl, Sarah Belle, has made my house a home because of the goodness she brings to it.

I can't understand why some people get dogs only to chain them up or put them in a fenced enclosure and only pay attention to them when the mood hits them?
Some people get them as puppies and them virtually ignore them when they're grown? There are some people who just don't seem worthy of a dogs love to me. Then there are those who get them to intentionally abuse them or fight them.

It breaks my heart to hear someone has abused a dog. I've heard and seen dogs that have been abused, tortured and neglected. I've seen dogs who have had their legs cut off. I've seen dogs who have had acid poured on them, some that have been set on fire and some that have been wrapped in garbage bags and thrown into the trash. I've even seen a couple who have had all that happen to them. All of those things were done out of heinous cruelty...a cruelty that most animals aren't even capable of...only humans are.


I'm ashamed to admit it but, when I was young, I was cruel to the dogs around me. I didn't torture or kill them. I was just mean to them. I had a childhood filled with alcoholism, anger and violence. It all seemed to roll down on me because I was the bottom of the totem pole. Only dogs were lower so I took out my helplessness and my anger on them.

I didn't know that a dog would have been the very answer to my prayers.
I didn't know that I could have had a best friend. I could have had unconditional love and affection from the very ones I was cruel to... It breaks my heart to think about it. My Sarah Belle has taught, is teaching, me so much...

I've already learned things about love and loyalty that I never knew. All from my Sarah Belle...

Dogs are a gift from God I'm sure of it! I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn one day that my Sarah Belle is actually an angel. I know she's a blessing...

Thank You God...