My wife and I were raised with dogs, and when Cheryl and I started our new life together, it did not take long for us to bring home our first fur babies (a Scottish terrier and a wire-hair terrier). Over the years we’ve had many other wonderful companions. James Cromwell is quoted as saying, “Pets are humanizing. They remind us of our obligation and responsibility to preserve and care for all life.”
Like many of you, our dogs are like our children, and it’s truly a privilege to share our lives with these remarkable individuals. They are such a blessing by being loyal, protective and their sincere desire to love us unconditionally. Therapy animals have proven they have a special sensitivity that can detect human emotions and even the condition of our health. When we make eye contact with our furry friends, it seems they can see into our soul with a devotion that is pure and without question.
We now have a young English bulldog named Teddy Roosevelt who is our latest best friend. At 70 pounds, he loves to take turns squeezing into our recliners with us in the evenings. When it’s time for bed, he labors to make it upstairs for another chance to snuggle with us. Anatole France is quoted as saying, “Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.”
Sometimes I’m surprised how much our dog knows. We’ve not actually tried to teach him a lot of tricks, but when he’s lying around, it seems he always has one eye on us as he listens to every word and watches every move we make. I believe for all that he does not understand, he is learning to interpret our voice intonations and habits in order to somewhat figure out what’s going on.
Speaking of our beloved companions, I want to share a story with you about an amazing pet out of Shelbyville, Tennessee, that for over the last 100 years has been declared as one of the most intelligent animals ever known. It’s not a dog, dolphin, elephant or a monkey, but rather a horse named Beautiful Jim Key. It’s a fascinating and true account of the deep love between a compassionate man and a clever stallion and how this relationship revealed that animals are much more perceptive than was ever imagined.