Your Questions About Dog’s Life Vest

Are there any stories about Dogs that make you cry?

Does anyone have a story or poem about dogs that makes them cry?

While answering another question I came across ‘Eulogy to a Dog’ EVERYTIME I read these words I get choked up and more often than not I am in tears by the end. It’s not a story per se It’s actually the closing arguments to a court case dating back to 1870. A man shot his neighbor’s dog “Old Drum”. Drum’s owner sued, and this poignant passage was spoken by Attorney George Graham Vest:

“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 the 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 a man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him and the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous is his dog.”

“Gentleman 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 encounters 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. 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.”

Needles To say Old Drum’s owner won.

http://www.warrensburg.org/drum.htm
Dreamer – Rainbow Bridge is tough 🙁 But! Once you get through it and the tears stop alteast you feel a little more at peace with your furry friend’s passing.

Love I can’t even LISTEN to “angel” anymore! I used to volunteer in a shelter and I keep seeing the faces of all the dogs we put down 🙁 I had to put my own dog down when he was very sick – the dog I raised from a puppy. Yet rubbing the ears of the dogs who I hardly knew or even the aggressive ones who whould have ripped my arm off if not for a muzzle somehow seemed – harder =(
one_fishslayer – Yep men are definately allowed to cry over dogs *nod nod*

Did you hear about the dog who gave birth to 17 puppies?!?

News link with a photo of some of the puppies: http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/cutestuff/4481316/Dog-has-17-puppies-all-survive

A dog in Germany has given birth to 17 puppies, leaving their owner thrilled but fatigued after having to feed them with a bottle for several weeks because their mother couldn’t cope with the demand.

Owner Ramona Wegemann said she barely slept for more than a couple of minutes without interruption during about four weeks in an “exhausting” struggle to make sure all of the purebred Rhodesian Ridgeback puppies would survive.

She said when she was “finished feeding the last puppy, the first was hungry again.”

Wegemann’s dog Etana gave birth to eight female and nine male puppies on September 28 in Ebereschenhof, which is near Berlin.

At least five times a day, Wegemann gave the dogs a bottle with special milk because their mother’s nipples could have never coped with the demand, and when the puppies were not hungry, they wanted to be entertained, she said.

Wegemann said when dogs give birth to so many puppies several of them die within the first week. “But all of our puppies survived. This is incredible and wonderful,” the 32-year-old added.

It was the second time that Etana gave birth. She gave birth to eight puppies in her first pregnancy, not uncommon for the dog’s breed, Wegemann said.

“The birth of the puppies was very special. All puppies were born naturally, no caesarean was necessary,” she added. It took Etana a full 26 hours to give birth to all of the puppies – and Wegemann was as baffled as amazed.

But caring for 17 puppies turned out to be a full-time job: Wegemann put her work as an independent animal psychiatrist on a hold and her husband took as much vacation as he could.

Their lives have been turned upside down by the puppies, and their living room is now occupied by a giant box that houses the puppies.

But even Wegemann still struggles to recognise them: The females puppies are called Bahati, Binta, Bahya, Bashima, Batouuli, Binki, Bora, Bisa and the male ones are Baakir, Banjoku, Belay, Bruk, Bundu, Bayo, Bukekayo, Biton and Bulus.

Wegemann gave them all African names because the Rhodesian Ridgeback is an African hunting dog. Wegeman and her husband now plan to give most of the puppies away.

A price of 800 euro (NZ$1500) per puppy would only cover the expenses for the veterinary, vaccinations, food and the mandatory paperwork, Wegemann said. She hopes to get about 1000 euro ($1800) per dog, but said they would only give them to families with children, not breeders.

Four of the puppies have been sold, two more are already paid for and will leave their siblings shortly.
LOL em yes daaaaaaaamn indeed.
*throws a stress for less ball at Angiee*

Boyfriend of 12 years is moving to Florida for health issues..?

I have dated my b/f for 12 years. I live in my house and he lives in his house. I don’t believe in living-together. My b/f has a lot of health issues, especially arthritis. I am 51 years old and he is 62 years old. He has suffererd alot because of the cold winter months. He would like to see how Florida reacts to his ailments. (everyone says it does wonders for your health) He also has a dog (pug) that he chooses not to fly because of the dog’s health issues.

He has never been to Florida because he cannot travel with his pet. So, I offered to housesit his dog for a week in order for him to look into Florida.

He has held off going to Florida because he says he loves me and would be heartbroken if he left. So he stays here and suffers.

He wishes we could be together either in marriage or living together, but I not interested in getting married. He is getting to the point where the pain is getting worse each winter.

What do I do? Marry/relocate or let go?
I do love him. He is retired and I am still working as a teacher assistant at a junior high school. I am vested tho. Do I get another job in Florida at the ripe old age of 51? What happens if it doesn’t work out? I have to find employment in my 50’s, start all over again. I was married for 14 years. I like my freedom and independence. I don’t know if I can do a marriage. My first one failed. I have always told my b/f that he is way ahead of me. He has been retired for 20 years and I am just finally getting my act together financially. I don’t know if I am ready for a big committment never mind relocating. It sounds like I am not ready, I think.