Animal Stories

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=110 BGCOLOR="#666699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="06300840erlcjm.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Four Corners Ferret Rescue</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Four Corners Ferret Rescue"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="News"><U>News</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Us"><U>About Us</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="How to Help"><U>How to Help</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id64.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Giving your Ferret Up"><U>Giving your Ferret Up</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id63.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Before you Adopt...."><U>Before you Adopt....</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id65.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ferret Nutrition"><U>Ferret Nutrition</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id42.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="FAQ"><U>FAQ</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id53.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Media (sounds and webcam)"><U>Media (sounds and webcam)</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id48.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ferrets"><U>Ferrets</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id54.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ask Angel"><U>Ask Angel</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id55.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Robbies Reviews"><U>Robbie's Reviews</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id59.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Resources"><U>Resources</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id61.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Application Page"><U>Application Page</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id58.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rainbow Bridge"><U>Rainbow Bridge</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id57.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Animal Quotes"><U>Animal Quotes</U></A>   |   <B>Animal Stories</B>   |   <A HREF="id7.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U>Contact Us</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id60.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U>Links</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=190 BGCOLOR="#CCCCFF" TEXT="#080000" background="05d11c00egdysm.png"> <div> <B><IMG SRC="065b0670.jpg" border=0 width="176" height="103" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>Dear Father, hear and bless</B></div> <div> <B>Thy beasts and singing birds:</B></div> <div> <B>And guard with tenderness</B></div> <div> <B>Small things that have no words. </B></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=370 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> Animal Stories</div> <div> Below are some stories to think about.  These sad stories are all too true, and before you buy an animal from a petstore or breeder you should read them.  WARNING: if you are like my mother and it upsets you to read sad animal related stories, please do not read or if you are child ask your parents.  But do read "Kitten in Paradise" its a good story and not too sad.    </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="452" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="448"><div> HOW COULD YOU?</div> <div> By Jim Willis 2001</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> When I was a puppy I entertained you with my antics and made you laugh. You called me your child and despite a number of chewed shoes and a couple of murdered throw pillows, I became your best friend. Whenever I was "bad," you'd shake your finger at me and ask "How could you?" - but then you'd relent and roll me over for a bellyrub. </div> <div> My housetraining took a little longer than expected, because you were terribly busy, but we worked on that together. I remember those nights of nuzzling you in bed, listening to your confidences and secret dreams, and I believed that life could not be any more perfect. We went for long walks and runs in the park, car rides, stops for ice cream (I only got the cone because "ice cream is bad for dogs," you said), and I took long naps in the sun waiting for you to come home at the end of the day.</div> <div> Gradually, you began spending more time at work and on your career, and more time searching for a human mate. I waited for you patiently, comforted you through heartbreaks and disappointments, never chided you about bad decisions, and romped with glee at your homecomings, and when you fell in love.</div> <div> She, now your wife, is not a "dog person" - still I welcomed her into our home, tried to show her affection, and obeyed her. I was happy because you were happy. Then the human babies came along and I shared your excitement. I was fascinated by their pinkness, how they smelled, and I wanted to mother them, too. Only she and you worried that I might hurt them, and I spent most of my time banished to another room, or to a dog crate. Oh, how I wanted to love them, but I became a "prisoner of love."</div> <div> As they began to grow, I became their friend. They clung to my fur and pulled themselves up on wobbly legs, poked fingers in my eyes, investigated my ears and gave me kisses on my nose. I loved everything about them, especially their touch - because your touch was now so infrequent - and I would have defended them with my life if need be.</div> <div> I would sneak into their beds and listen to their worries and secret dreams. Together we waited for the sound of your car in the driveway. There had been a time, when others asked you if you had a dog, that you produced a photo of me from your wallet and told them stories about me. These past few years, you just answered "yes" and changed the subject. I had gone from being your dog to "just a dog," and you resented every expenditure on my behalf.</div> <div> Now you have a new career opportunity in another city and you and they will be moving to an apartment that does not allow pets. You've made the right decision for your "family," but there was a time when I <I>was</I> your only family. </div> <div> I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the animal shelter. It smelled of dogs and cats, of fear, of hopelessness. You filled out the paperwork and said "I know you will find a good home for her." They shrugged and gave you a pained look. They understand the realities facing a middle-aged dog or cat, even one with "papers."</div> <div> You had to pry your son's fingers loose from my collar as he screamed "No, Daddy! <I>Please</I> don't let them take my dog!" And I worried for him and what lessons you had just taught him about friendship and loyalty, about love and responsibility, and about respect for all life. You gave me a goodbye pat on the head, avoided my eyes, and politely refused to take my collar and leash with you. You had a deadline to meet and now I have one, too.</div> <div> After you left, the two nice ladies said you probably knew about your upcoming move months ago and made no attempt to find me another good home. They shook their heads and asked "How could you?" </div> <div> They are as attentive to us here in the shelter as their busy schedules allow. They feed us, of course, but I lost my appetite days ago. At first, whenever anyone passed my pen, I rushed to the front, hoping it was you - that you had changed your mind - that this was all a bad dream...or I hoped it would at least be someone who cared, anyone who might save me. When I realized I could not compete with the frolicking for attention of happy puppies, oblivious to their own fate, I retreated to a far corner and waited.</div> <div> I heard her footsteps as she came for me at the end of the day and I padded along the aisle after her to a separate room. A blissfully quiet room. She placed me on the table, rubbed my ears and told me not to worry. My heart pounded in anticipation of what was to come, but there was also a sense of relief. The prisoner of love had run out of days. As is my nature, I was more concerned about her. The burden which she bears weighs heavily on her and I know that, the same way I knew your every mood. </div> <div> She gently placed a tourniquet around my foreleg as a tear ran down her cheek. I licked her hand in the same way I used to comfort you so many years ago. She expertly slid the hypodermic needle into my vein. As I felt the sting and the cool liquid coursing through my body, I lay down sleepily, looked into her kind eyes and murmured <I>"How could you?"</I> </div> <div> Perhaps because she understood my dogspeak, she said "I'm <I>so</I> sorry." She hugged me and hurriedly explained it was her job to make sure I went to a better place, where I wouldn't be ignored or abused or abandoned, or have to fend for myself - a place of love and light so very different from this earthly place. With my last bit of energy, I tried to convey to her with a thump of my tail that my <I>"How could you?"</I> was not meant for her. It was you, My Beloved Master, I was thinking of. I will think of you and wait for you forever.</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> May everyone in your life continue to show you so much loyalty.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> The End.</div> <bR> <div> <I>A note from the author: </I></div> <div> <I>If "How Could You?" brought tears to your eyes as you read it, as it did to mine as I wrote it, it is because it is the composite story of the millions of formerly owned pets who die each year in American and Canadian animal shelters. Anyone is welcome to distribute the essay for a noncommercial purpose, as long as it is properly attributed with the copyright notice. Please use it to help educate, on your websites, in newsletters, on animal shelter and vet office bulletin boards. Tell the public that the decision to add a pet to the family is an important one for life, that animals deserve our love and sensible care, that finding another appropriate home for your animal is your responsibility and any local humane society or animal welfare league can offer you good advice, and that all life is precious. Please do your part to stop the killing, and encourage all spay & neuter campaigns in order to prevent unwanted animals</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>=============================================================</I></div> <bR> <div> Eternal Sleep</div> <div> by Terri Onorato </div> <bR> <bR> <div> It wasn't all that long ago</div> <div> I ran the dusty track for show,</div> <div> devoted and driven my face pierced the wind</div> <div> as race after race I fought to contend.</div> <div> Slow at the turn and lacking in grace</div> <div> I did what I could but I never placed.</div> <bR> <div> I loved to run hard and hear the crowd roar</div> <div> yet those cheers turned to boos when I didn't score.</div> <div> Folks lost their money when they bet on me</div> <div> they tagged me a loser, said "Retire number three!"</div> <div> I had no idea what I was likely to find</div> <div> as I walked from the track for the very last time.</div> <bR> <div> My person was waiting, eyes teared and face so long</div> <div> I sensed inside the sadness that this time I'd not go home.</div> <div> I tried to change my person's mind and wagged my mighty tail</div> <div> but I knew deep down without a doubt, like racing I had failed.</div> <div> We drove along the country roads till we came upon a town</div> <div> where erected off the main drag was a place known as the pound.</div> <bR> <div> A pretty woman came outside and took me from my crate</div> <div> my person signed the papers and with one look at my face</div> <div> said, "I'm sorry that I have to go and leave you here to sleep</div> <div> but you're not as fast as others, you no longer earn your keep"</div> <div> I felt my heart break into bits and walked with head bent low</div> <div> I knew that it was over and I had no place to go.</div> <bR> <div> Inside the dingy building I was checked and tagged and weighed,</div> <div> a voice said, "We will put him down, tomorrow if not today."</div> <div> I heard the pretty woman state, "Don't look him in the eye,</div> <div> he has that greyhound gaze that says, 'I do not want to die.""</div> <div> They put me in a kennel with the others on death row,</div> <div> I lay down on the concrete and moaned so soft and low.</div> <bR> <div> Morning filtered through the glass, I stretched my weary bones</div> <div> the pretty woman came to me and said, "It's time to go."</div> <div> The hall was long and stark and cold, I did not cry or weep</div> <div> I used my eyes and face and soul to halt eternal sleep.</div> <div> She tried her best to use defense and look away from me,</div> <div> she seemed to know how wrong it was to do this deadly deed.</div> <bR> <div> She bent down close and held my face against her silken cheek,</div> <div> the needle entered my front leg and quickly I felt weak.</div> <div> I heard the pretty woman sob as she lay me on the floor,</div> <div> I saw a last glimpse of her face and then I saw no more.</div> <div> I may not have been the fastest dog to ever run the track</div> <div> I just wish someone had loved me so I could have loved them back.</div> <bR> <div> ========================================================================================</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> I look out </div> <div> And all I see</div> <div> Are ghosts of dogs</div> <div> That used to be.</div> <bR> <div> Left to die</div> <div> Their hearts stayed true</div> <div> My dreams of them</div> <div> Make me so blue.</div> <bR> <div> All the ones</div> <div> I could not save,</div> <div> Whose curly tails</div> <div> No longer wave.</div> <bR> <div> Their happy legs</div> <div> Have stilled their dance.</div> <div> They never really</div> <div> Had a chance.</div> <bR> <div> The ones whose</div> <div> Ears no longer hear,</div> <div> Beckon me</div> <div> And call me near.</div> <bR> <div> Those bright eyes</div> <div> no longer see</div> <div> Yet deeply burned</div> <div> Their mark on me.</div> <bR> <div> Thoughts of</div> <div> once soft, shiny coats</div> <div> make me vow</div> <div> this solemn oath:</div> <bR> <div> Forgotten they</div> <div> Shall never be!</div> <div> Every one of them</div> <div> You see,</div> <div> Will live on</div> <div> In my memory.</div> <div> forever and ever</div> <div> Haunting me.</div> <bR> <div> =====================================================================================</div> <bR> <div> Do I Go Home Today? </div> <bR> <bR> <div> My family brought me home</div> <div> cradled in their arms.</div> <div> They cuddled me and smiled at me, </div> <div> and said I was full of charm.</div> <div> They played with me and laughed with me, </div> <div> they showered me with toys.</div> <div> I sure do love my family</div> <div> especially the girls and boys.</div> <div> The children loved to feed me, </div> <div> they gave me special treats.</div> <div> They even let me sleep with them --</div> <div> all snuggled in the sheets.</div> <div> I used to go for walks, </div> <div> often several times a day.</div> <div> They even fought to hold my leash, </div> <div> I'm very proud to say.</div> <div> These are things I'll never forget --</div> <div> a cherished memory.</div> <div> I now live in a shelter --</div> <div> without my family.</div> <div> They used to laugh and praise me</div> <div> when I played with that old shoe.</div> <div> But I didn't know the difference</div> <div> between the old ones and the new.</div> <div> The kids and I would grab a rag</div> <div> for hours we would tug.</div> <div> So I thought I did the right thing</div> <div> when I chewed the bathroom rug.</div> <div> They said that I was out of control, </div> <div> and would have to live outside.</div> <div> This I did not understand</div> <div> although I tried and tried.</div> <div> The walks stopped, one by one; </div> <div> they said they hadn't time.</div> <div> I wish that I could change things; </div> <div> I wish I knew my crime.</div> <div> My life became so lonely, </div> <div> in the back yard on a chain.</div> <div> I barked and barked all day long</div> <div> to keep from going insane.</div> <div> So they brought me to the shelter</div> <div> but were embarrassed to say why.</div> <div> They said I caused an allergy, </div> <div> and then, kissed me good-bye.</div> <div> If I'd only had some classes, </div> <div> as a little pup</div> <div> I wouldn't have been so hard to handle</div> <div> when I was all grown up.</div> <div> "You only have one day left,"</div> <div> I heard the worker say.</div> <div> Does this mean a second chance?</div> <div> Do I go home today? </div> <bR> <div> By Sandi Thompson</div> <bR> <bR> <div> =====================================================================================</div> <bR> <div> BEFORE I DIE </div> <bR> <bR> <div> 'Tis lonely here in prison,</div> <div> I dream of sun, of fields,</div> <div> I saw them from a window once,</div> <div> but I don't know how they feel.</div> <bR> <div> I've never known a caress,</div> <div> a friend, a bone, a toy,</div> <div> I'd happily companion,</div> <div> a human girl or boy.</div> <bR> <div> But some men have decided,</div> <div> with selfishness and greed,</div> <div> that my fate shall be a cage,</div> <div> and for my keep, I'll breed.</div> <bR> <div> What should fuel this folly?</div> <div> My kind may bark in vain.</div> <div> We care not for your commerce,</div> <div> and few know of our pain.</div> <bR> <div> We're hidden well from justice,</div> <div> for our freedom same may cry.</div> <div> God grant me, please, just one request --</div> <div> Let me play once before I die.</div> <bR> <div> =====================================================================================</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Prayer of a Stray</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Dear God please send me somebody who'll care!</div> <div> I'm tried of running, I'm sick with despair.</div> <div> My body is aching, it's so racked with pain,</div> <div> and dear God I pray as I run in the rain.</div> <div> That someone will love me and give me a home,</div> <div> A warm cozy bed and a big juicy bone.</div> <bR> <div> My last owner tied me all day in the yard</div> <div> Sometimes with no water - and God that was hard!</div> <bR> <div> So I chewed my leash, God, and I ran away</div> <div> To rummage in garbage and live as a stray.</div> <bR> <div> But now, God, I'm tired and hungry and cold,</div> <div> And I'm so afraid that I'll never grow old.</div> <bR> <div> They've chased me with sticks and hit me with stones</div> <div> While I run the streets just looking for bones!</div> <bR> <div> I'm really not bad, God, please help if you can,</div> <div> For I have become just a "victim of man!"</div> <bR> <div> I'm wormy , dear God, and I'm ridden with fleas and</div> <div> All that I want is an owner to please!</div> <bR> <div> If you find one for me, God, I'll try to be good</div> <div> And I won't chew their shoes, but I'll do as I should.</div> <bR> <div> I'll love them, protect them and try to obey</div> <div> When they tell me to sit, to lie down or to stay!</div> <bR> <div> I don't think I'll make it too long on my own,</div> <div> Cause I'm getting so weak and I'm so all alone.</div> <bR> <div> Each night as I sleep in the bushes I cry,</div> <div> Cause I'm so afraid God, that I'm going to die!</div> <bR> <div> And I've got so much love and devotion to give,</div> <div> That I should be given a new chance to live.</div> <bR> <div> So dear God please, please answer my prayer and</div> <div> Send me someone who will really care...</div> <div> That is, dear God, if you're really there!</div> <bR> <div> Author Unknown</div> <div> =======================================================================================</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> The cries get louder</div> <div> as each day goes by.</div> <div> So many of us are here,</div> <div> but we don't know why.</div> <bR> <div> Locked in this cage,</div> <div> what was our crime?</div> <div> I hear the voices,</div> <div> say we're out of time.</div> <bR> <div> I'm just a little creature,</div> <div> I'd be faithful and true.</div> <div> I just need some love,</div> <div> that's all I ask of you.</div> <bR> <div> They walk by my cage,</div> <div> not noticing my pain.</div> <div> Now the vet has been called,</div> <div> because I heard my name.</div> <bR> <div> I leave this world unwanted,</div> <div> so why was I born?</div> <div> My hopes have been shattered,</div> <div> my soul has been torn.</div> <bR> <div> The footsteps get closer,</div> <div> it's time to say goodbye.</div> <div> Please love your pets,</div> <div> so no more needlessly die</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Karen Halls</div> <bR> <div> =======================================================================================</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Sorrow fills a barren space,</div> <div> you close your eyes and see my face.</div> <div> I think of times I made you laugh,</div> <div> the love we shared, the bond we had. </div> <div> The special way I needed you,</div> <div> the friendship shared by just we two.</div> <div> The day's too quiet, the world seems older,</div> <div> the wind blows now a little colder.</div> <div> You gaze into the empty air, </div> <div> and look for me, but I'm not there.</div> <div> I'm in heaven and I watch you,</div> <div> and I see the world around you too.</div> <div> I see little souls wearing fur,</div> <div> souls who bark and souls who purr.</div> <div> Born unwanted and unloved,</div> <div> I see all this and more above.</div> <div> I watch them suffer, I see them cry,</div> <div> I see them lost, I watch them die.</div> <div> I see unwanted thousands born,</div> <div> and when they die, nobody mourns. </div> <div> These little souls wearing fur,</div> <div> Some who bark and some who purr.</div> <div> are castaways who unlike me,</div> <div> will never know love or security.</div> <div> A few short months they starve and roam,</div> <div> or caged in shelters nobody takes home.</div> <div> My pain and suffering came to an end,</div> <div> so don't cry for me, my person, my friend.</div> <div> But think of the living, those souls with fur,</div> <div> some who bark and some who purr.</div> <div> And though our bond can't be broken apart,</div> <div> make room for another in your home and heart.</div> <bR> <div> =======================================================================================</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Lord of all creatures, great and small.</div> <div> When my days on Earth have gone by,</div> <div> Help me to be brave in the face of pain.</div> <div> Let me go quickly,</div> <div> But not before I can tell my people that I loved them</div> <div> And was grateful for their care and love for me.</div> <div> Please, Lord; do not let me die hungry, or thirsty, or cold.</div> <div> Ease my fear. Shorten my journey. Let me go alone, if I must,</div> <div> But let me remember love and kindness.</div> <div> Let me know, one last time,</div> <div> The warmth of a human hand on my fur,</div> <div> And the sound of my name spoken gently.</div> <bR> <div> =======================================================================================</div> <bR> <div> A Dog Sits Waiting</div> <bR> <div> A dog sits waiting in the cold autumn sun,</div> <div> too faithful to leave, too frightened to run.</div> <bR> <div> He's been here for days now with nothing to do,</div> <div> but sit by the road, waiting for you.</div> <bR> <div> He can't understand why you left him that day.</div> <div> He thought you and he were just stopping to play.</div> <bR> <div> He's sure you'll come back, and that's why he stays,</div> <div> How long will he suffer?  How many more days?</div> <bR> <div> His legs have grown weak, his throat's parched and dry.</div> <div> He's sick now from hunger and falls, with a sigh.</div> <bR> <div> He lays down his head and closes his eyes.</div> <div> I wish you could see how a waiting dog dies.</div> <bR> <div> ~Kathy Flood</div> <bR> <div> ==============================================================================</div> <bR> <div> A Kitten in Paradise</div> <bR> <div> Once upon a time there lived, in a thoroughly disreputable street, a thoroughly disreputable man; that is to say, he lived there when he was not in jail - where he went very often and deserved to go very much oftener.  In prison he was supported by the tax-payers' money, and out of prison he supported himself by annexing other people's property; in fact he stole so much and so often that, if he had not wasted the proceeds in drink, he ought to have been quite well off.</div> <bR> <div> It happened one day, as he was returning home from a neighbouring pub; that he leaned against a lamp-post till the street grew a little more steady; and, as he stood embracing the stem of the lamp-post, he heard a plaintive noise at his feet.  It was the cry for help of a kitten, strayed and hungry; a small, shabby kitten, very young and inexperienced - otherwise it would hardly have appealed for help to anyone so unprepossessing as the drunken, disreputable thief.  The drunken theif was in the foolishly cheerful stage of intoxication - so the kitten's plaintive crying amused him.</div> <bR> <div> "Ullo," he said, "and what 'ave you got to grouse abaht?  Got a thirst on her, eh? - and the pubs all shut?  Or perhaps they've turned yer out of yer pub, same as they turned me last night."  The idea amused him so much that he picked up the kitten and stuffed it in his dirty pocket; and, on the way home, seeing a milk-can standing outside a neighbor's door, he picked that up too - and carried it off to his lodging.</div> <bR> <div> " ' Ere you are," he said to the kitten.  "Try a drop o' that to stop yer 'owling - the kids next door are standing treat."  Then he sat on his bed and laughed in a silly drunken fashion while the kitten lapped and lapped at the milk as if it would never leave off.  And in the eyes of the kitten, the dirty drunken man with his silly drunken chuckle was an angel of infinite mercy.</div> <bR> <div> As it happened, however, the children whose milk had been taken had been watching from their window when the thief lurched off with their can; and before the kitten had finished its meal, there arrived a policeman with the children's father at his heels.  So as a result of treating the kitten to a drink, the disreputable thief appeared once more in court; and, as his previous convictions were many and he was wanted on one or two other accounts, he again retired into the jail, at the taxpayers' expense.  And, being in jail, he thought bitterly of the cause of his latest misfortune.</div> <bR> <div> " 'Ere I am," he said, " 'Ere I am in this blanketty cell, and all because of that blanketty kitten!  I'll teach it to come yowlin' to me for drinks - if its 'anging abaht when I come out o' this, I'll send it for a swim with a stone round its little neck."</div> <bR> <div> But when he came out he saw no kitten - because, though he did not know it, the kitten had long been dead.  When its angel of mercy went away with a policeman, it waited and hoped for his return; and when he did not come back and there was no more milk, it went out into the street to look for him.  And while it ran about calling for the angel of mercy, a motor-van came round the corner very quickly.  And that was the end of the shabby little kitten - except that a street-cleaner swept up its body.  It died, unregretted by a living creature; and the drunken theif soon forgot that it had ever existed.</div> <bR> <div> The time came, however, when there was also an end to the drunken theif.  He died, like the kitten, very suddenly - as the result of a barhouse brawl; and, also like the kitten, unregretted by a single living creature...And his ugly black soul, having left its body, made its way to the gate that leads to Paradise and stood before Peter - in whose hand is the key to the gate.</div> <bR> <div> Now some of us think that it is hard to enter Heaven; but that is very far from the truth.  On the contrary, it is a very hard thing to keep out of Heaven; for the Apostle Peter, in whose hand is the key, remembers that, on earth, he was a liar and a coward who denied his Master in His time of need.  Therefore, he is merciful, even to the greatest of sinners; because he himself has needed great mercy and obtained it.  Also, at the right hand of Peter, stand the Holiest of all the Holy Angels; whose eyes are so pure that they cannot see evil and sin.</div> <bR> <div> There is only one reason for which the soul of a sinner is turned away from Paradise - and the reason, is that on one in Paradise has need of him.  It is the right of the blessed to have the fullness of joy - and how shall the blessed have the fullness of joy when those whom they love are in torment?  So it happens that very few souls are shut out of Heaven; when the blackest of sinners is kneeling before Peter, there will come a cry of welcome from beyond the gate - and Peter will turn his great key.</div> <bR> <div> Like every other soul, the soul of the drunken thief came to kneel at the judgment seat of Peter.  And when Peter saw its blackness he raised his hand for silence in Heaven; for he knew that so foul and begrimed a sinner could enter only if another soul loved and had need of him.  Then the Hosts of Heaven stilled their praises and were silent - listening for the call that did not come.</div> <bR> <div> And, as it did not come, the Holiest of all the Angels veiled his face for pity; and Peter, when he had waited in vain said: "You cannot enter - since no one in Heaven has need of you."</div> <bR> <div> But, even as he said it, the Holiest of all the Angels raised his head and called, "Listen!" and when Peter listened, lo, he heard a very tiny cry!  Then, as the Black Soul looked up from its uttermost despair, the key was turned and the gate was opened - and there stood on the threshould a kitten...for to the kitten, the Black Soul, befouled with many sins, was more glorious than the Shining Ones who looked upon the Face of their Father.  It loved the little Angels, its playfellows in Paradise, but the Blace Soul had saved it in the night of its hunger and despair.  So, when it heard the little Angels talking of the Infinite Mercy of God, its eyes would grow very round and wise, as it thought, "I know all about that," and it pictured the Lord of Infinite Mercy in the likeness of a drunken thief.</div> <bR> <div> Then Peter said; "You may enter, since one of the blessed has need of you."</div> <bR> <div> But the Black Soul shrank from the open gateway and covered his face with shame: remembering how, when he sat in his cell, he had planned to drown the kitten with a stone round its little neck.  So he cried, "No, no - I am not worthy!" and turned towards the place of Outer Darkness.</div> <bR> <div> Then the Holiest of all the Angels, whose eyes are so pure that they cannot see sin, barred the way to Outer Darkness with his wings; and he spoke the will of Infinite Mercy to the soul that knew itself unworthy.</div> <bR> <div> "Until you came, Heaven was not Heaven to a child of God.  Without you, it cannot know the fullness of joy; the Lord has need of you, to make glad the heart of His kitten."</div> <bR> <div> And once again, Peter said, "Enter," and this time the Black Soul drew nearer.</div> <bR> <div> Then the kitten rejoiced and was exceedingly glad; and it marched in front of Peter and purred, with its tail straight up.  And it called to the Angels, "See who comes here, see who comes this way!" very proudly, while the Angels bent low to the kitten as it passed, because it had saved a soul alive.  But the kitten thought that they bowed in reverence to the man who was like unto God...and the Black Soul followed through the gate of Heaven on his knees.</div> <bR> <div> And the Hosts of Heaven - like the kitten, rejoiced and were exceedingly glad.</div> <bR> <div> ~Cicely Hamilton</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> ===============================================================================</div> <bR> <bR> <div>  Dogs In Heaven</div> <bR> <bR> <div>                                 As old man and his dog were walking down a dirt </div> <div>                                 road with fences on both sides, they came to a </div> <div>                                 gate in the fence and looked in. It was nice - </div> <div>                                 grassy, woody areas, just what a 'huntin' dog </div> <div>                                 and man would like, but, it had a sign saying </div> <div>                                 "No Trespassing," so they walked on.</div> <bR> <div>                                 They came to a beautiful gate with a person in </div> <div>                                 white robes standing there. "Welcome to Heaven," </div> <div>                                 he said.</div> <bR> <div>                                 The old man was happy and started in with his </div> <div>                                 dog following him. The gatekeeper stopped him. </div> <div>                                 "Dogs aren't allowed. I'm sorry, but he can't </div> <div>                                 come with you."</div> <bR> <div>                                 "What kind of Heaven won't allow dogs? If he </div> <div>                                 can't come in, then I will stay out with him. </div> <div>                                 He's been my faithful companion all his life. I </div> <div>                                 can't desert him now."</div> <bR> <div>                                 "Suit yourself, but I have to warn you, the </div> <div>                                 Devil's on this road and he'll try to sweet talk </div> <div>                                 you into his area. He'll promise you anything, </div> <div>                                 but the dog can't go there either. If you won't </div> <div>                                 leave the dog, you'll spend Eternity on this </div> <div>                                 road."</div> <bR> <div>                                 So the old man and dog went on. They came to a </div> <div>                                 rundown fence with a gap in it - no gate, just a </div> <div>                                 hole. Another old man was inside.</div> <bR> <div>                                 "'Scuse me, Sir. My dog and I are getting mighty </div> <div>                                 tired. Mind if we come in and sit in the shade </div> <div>                                 for awhile?"</div> <bR> <div>                                 "Of course, there's some cold water under that </div> <div>                                 tree over there. Make yourselves comfortable."</div> <bR> <div>                                 "You're sure my dog can come in? The man down </div> <div>                                 the road said dogs weren't allowed anywhere."</div> <bR> <div>                                 "Would you come in if you had to leave the dog?"</div> <bR> <div>                                 "No Sir, that's why I didn't go to Heaven. He </div> <div>                                 said the dog couldn't come in. We'll be spending </div> <div>                                 Eternity on this road, and a glass of cold water </div> <div>                                 and some shade would be mighty fine right about </div> <div>                                 now. But, I won't come in if my buddy here can't </div> <div>                                 come too, and that's final."</div> <bR> <div>                                 The man smiled a big smile and said, "Welcome to </div> <div>                                 Heaven."</div> <bR> <div>                                 "You mean this is Heaven? Dogs are allowed? How </div> <div>                                 come that fellow down the road said they </div> <div>                                 weren't?"</div> <bR> <div>                                 "That was the Devil and he gets all the people </div> <div>                                 who are willing to give up a life-long companion </div> <div>                                 for a comfortable place to stay. They soon find </div> <div>                                 out their mistake, but then it's too late. The </div> <div>                                 dogs come here, the fickle people stay there. </div> <div>                                 God wouldn't allow dogs to be banned from </div> <div>                                 Heaven. After all, He created them to be man's </div> <div>                                 companions in life - why would he separate them </div> <div>                                 in death?"</div> <bR> <div> =============================================================================</div> <div>                 <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Lucida Calligraphy" >A Shelter Dog asks God...</FONT></div> <bR> <div>                                 Dear God,</div> <div>                                 What is "Time"?</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>                                 I hear the sadness in the voices of workers </div> <div>                                 here. They say my; "Time is up," that they </div> <div>                                 have to make room for yet another dog. My "Time" </div> <div>                                 is up. I don't know what that means, God. I only </div> <div>                                 know that my new friends are so sad, and the </div> <div>                                 more I wag my tail -- the harder I try to make </div> <div>                                 them feel better -- the sadder they become. I </div> <div>                                 know I have heard that word "Time" before, but I </div> <div>                                 don't understand. When I was younger, my people </div> <div>                                 would say "Time to play!" They would throw the </div> <div>                                 ball, and I would run fast. Sometimes I brought </div> <div>                                 it back to them, but other times we'd end up </div> <div>                                 chasing each other having fun. I remember "Time </div> <div>                                 to eat." My people would put down a bowl of </div> <div>                                 food, and I would enjoy dinner, wagging my tail </div> <div>                                 in joy. There was also "Time for your walk." My </div> <div>                                 boy would put my leash on, and we would go </div> <div>                                 walking together, visiting the neighborhood and </div> <div>                                 enjoying each other's company. When I was </div> <div>                                 younger I thought "Time" meant fun. Or maybe </div> <div>                                 Love?</div> <bR> <div>                                 I don't understand. "Time" must mean something </div> <div>                                 else, but how can it change, God? Before I came </div> <div>                                 here, I heard my people say, "No time to feed </div> <div>                                 you now, boy. Later, when I get home." Sometimes </div> <div>                                 my family would forget, and there was no food in </div> <div>                                 my bowl. Does "Time" mean when my belly hurts? </div> <div>                                 My people said there was no time for walks. I </div> <div>                                 tried to hold it all day long -- but God, I just </div> <div>                                 couldn't anymore. When I finally had to go, it </div> <div>                                 made my family very angry. Does "Time" means </div> <div>                                 anger? Or maybe Loneliness? My family said they </div> <div>                                 didn't have "Time." They didn't have time to </div> <div>                                 play, or time to take me to the vet, or time to </div> <div>                                 go for walks. They didn't have "Time," so they </div> <div>                                 brought me here.</div> <bR> <div>                                 Maybe I was right... They said they didn't have </div> <div>                                 time, and if "Time" means Love, how did they </div> <div>                                 lose it? Did I do something wrong? God, I think </div> <div>                                 my new friends are sending me to you. Do you </div> <div>                                 have "Time"? May I sit on the couch?</div> <bR> <div>                                 Am I a good Dog, God?</div> <bR> <div>                                 Is it "Time"?</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>                            </B><I>    </I><I>One of the most important things we can give our </I></div> <div> <I>                                Pets is "Time." The time to love them, care for </I></div> <div> <I>                                them, and train them. Animal Shelters and Humane </I></div> <div> <I>                                Societies across the country are filled with </I></div> <div> <I>                                Pets whose families didn't have "Time." Every </I></div> <div> <I>                                year, the "Time is up" for 12 million Companion </I></div> <div> <I>                                Pets. Do you have the "Time" to make a </I></div> <div> <I>                                difference?</I></div> <div> <I>                                ~ Joan C. Fremo ~</I></div> <bR> <div> ===============================================================================</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>  Now We Lay Them Down to Sleep</div> <bR> <div>                                 In a special part of heaven, where teardrops wet </div> <div>                                 the clay</div> <div>                                 God makes those special people, who have to deal </div> <div>                                 with strays.</div> <bR> <div>                                 A large handful of chosen soil, taken from this </div> <div>                                 special place</div> <div>                                 With special care, he molds their soul, and </div> <div>                                 fills it up with grace.</div> <bR> <div>                                 He sends them down from heaven above, to a world </div> <div>                                 of toil and strife,</div> <div>                                 Knowing that they will be the ones to care for </div> <div>                                 that pitiful, lonely life.</div> <bR> <div>                                 They'll feed and care for the animals, that </div> <div>                                 others throw away</div> <div>                                 They'll wash them, and comb them, and teach them </div> <div>                                 how to play.</div> <bR> <div>                                 When the time comes, and come it must, for lack </div> <div>                                 of a good home</div> <div>                                 To this brave and lonely animal soul, who must </div> <div>                                 not be left to roam</div> <div>                                 Comes this special person, who upon this earth </div> <div>                                 must trod</div> <div>                                 And must take this lonely soul in hand, and send </div> <div>                                 it home to God.</div> <bR> <div>                                 This person must love this soul, to send it from </div> <div>                                 this place</div> <div>                                 And care enough to do the job, with dignity and </div> <div>                                 grace.</div> <bR> <div>                                 It takes a special person, to take away the </div> <div>                                 animals' fears</div> <div>                                 Bless them, for it's them that wet God's clay </div> <div>                                 with their human tears.</div> <bR> <div>                                 ~ T. McHam ~</div> <bR> <div> =======================================================================================</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> The Integrity of Ugly</div> <bR> <bR> <div>                           Everyone in the apartment complex I lived in knew who </div> <div>                           Ugly was. Ugly was the resident tomcat. Ugly loved </div> <div>                           three things in this world: fighting, eating garbage, </div> <div>                           and, shall we say, love.</div> <bR> <div>                           The combination of these things combined with a life </div> <div>                           spent outside had their effect on Ugly. To start with, </div> <div>                           he had only one eye and where the other should have </div> <div>                           been was a gaping hole. He was also missing his ear on </div> <div>                           the same side, his left foot appeared to have been </div> <div>                           badly broken at one time, and had healed at an </div> <div>                           unnatural angle, making him look like he was always </div> <div>                           turning the corner. His tail had long been lost, </div> <div>                           leaving only the smallest stub, which he would </div> <div>                           constantly jerk and twitch.</div> <bR> <div>                           Ugly would have been a dark gray tabby, striped-type, </div> <div>                           except for the sores covering his head, neck, even his </div> <div>                           shoulders with thick, yellowing scabs. Every time </div> <div>                           someone saw Ugly there was the same reaction. "That's </div> <div>                           one UGLY cat!!"</div> <bR> <div>                           All the children were warned not to touch him, the </div> <div>                           adults threw rocks at him, hosed him down, squirted </div> <div>                           him when he tried to come in their homes, or shut his </div> <div>                           paws in the door when he would not leave. Ugly always </div> <div>                           had the same reaction. If you turned the hose on him, </div> <div>                           he would stand there, getting soaked until you gave up </div> <div>                           and quit. If you threw things at him, he would curl </div> <div>                           his lanky body around your feet in forgiveness.</div> <bR> <div>                           Whenever he spied children, he would come running, </div> <div>                           meowing frantically and bump his head against their </div> <div>                           hands, begging for their love. If you ever picked him </div> <div>                           up he would immediately begin suckling on your shirt, </div> <div>                           earrings, whatever he could find.</div> <bR> <div>                           One day Ugly shared his love with the neighbor's </div> <div>                           huskies. They did not respond kindly, and Ugly was </div> <div>                           badly mauled. From my apartment I could hear his </div> <div>                           screams, and I tried to rush to his aid. By the time I </div> <div>                           got to where he was laying, it was apparent Ugly's sad </div> <div>                           life was almost at an end.</div> <bR> <div>                           Ugly lay in a wet circle, his back legs and lower back </div> <div>                           twisted grossly out of shape, a gaping tear in the </div> <div>                           white strip of fur that ran down his front. As I </div> <div>                           picked him up and tried to carry him home, I could </div> <div>                           hear him wheezing and gasping, and could feel him </div> <div>                           struggling. It must be hurting him terribly, I </div> <div>                           thought.</div> <bR> <div>                           Then I felt a familiar tugging, sucking sensation on </div> <div>                           my ear. Ugly, in so much pain, suffering and obviously </div> <div>                           dying, was trying to suckle my ear. I pulled him </div> <div>                           closer to me, and he bumped the palm of my hand with </div> <div>                           his head, then he turned his one golden eye towards </div> <div>                           me, and I could hear the distinct sound of purring. </div> <div>                           Even in the greatest pain, that ugly battled-scarred </div> <div>                           cat was asking only for a little affection, perhaps </div> <div>                           some compassion.</div> <bR> <div>                           At that moment I thought Ugly was the most beautiful, </div> <div>                           loving creature I had ever seen. Never once did he try </div> <div>                           to bite or scratch me, or even try to get away from </div> <div>                           me, or struggle in any way. Ugly just looked up at me </div> <div>                           completely trusting in me to relieve his pain.</div> <bR> <div>                           Ugly died in my arms before I could get inside, but I </div> <div>                           sat and held him for a long time afterwards, thinking </div> <div>                           about how one scarred, deformed little stray could so </div> <div>                           alter my opinion about what it means to have true </div> <div>                           pureness of spirit, to love so totally and truly. Ugly </div> <div>                           taught me more about giving and compassion than a </div> <div>                           thousand books, lectures, or talk show specials ever </div> <div>                           could, and for that I will always be thankful. He had </div> <div>                           been scarred on the outside, but I was scarred on the </div> <div>                           inside, and it was time for me to move on and learn to </div> <div>                           love truly and deeply. To give my total to those I </div> <div>                           cared for.</div> <bR> <div>                           Many people want to be richer, more successful, well </div> <div>                           liked, beautiful, but for me, I will always try to be </div> <div>                           Ugly.</div> <bR> <div>                           ~ Author Unknown ~</div> <bR> <div> =====================================================================================</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> An Old Man's Prayer For His Cat</div> <bR> <bR> <div>                           So many years ago she came to me, a trusting tiny ball </div> <div>                           of fluff that climbed on my leg to play and sleep upon </div> <div>                           my lap. For all those years and still, we share our </div> <div>                           joys and love; but now both are grown old, and soon </div> <div>                           must die. Her eyes, like mine, are clouded and would </div> <div>                           no longer serve to catch her prey. She would not </div> <div>                           understand the missing saucer, the cold hearth and </div> <div>                           empty bed, nor bend her ways to suit some stranger's </div> <div>                           house.</div> <bR> <div>                           Pray, take her first, Oh Lord, that I may see her </div> <div>                           resting safe beneath the apple tree that once she </div> <div>                           loved to climb with such agility, beyond my reach.</div> <bR> <div>                           I shall grieve with understanding ... then anyone can </div> <div>                           bury me.</div> <bR> <div>                           ~ Author Unknown ~</div> <bR> <div> ======================================================================================</div> <bR> <div>     <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >  Rescued Dog</FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <div>                           Once I was a lonely dog,</div> <div>                           Just looking for a home.</div> <div>                           I had no place to go,</div> <div>                           No one to call my own.</div> <div>                           I wandered up and down the streets,</div> <div>                           In rain in heat and snow.</div> <div>                           I ate whatever I could find,</div> <div>                           I was always on the go.</div> <div>                           My skin would itch, my feet were sore,</div> <div>                           My body ached with pain.</div> <div>                           And no one stopped to give a pat</div> <div>                           Or to gently say my name.</div> <div>                           I never saw a loving glance,</div> <div>                           I was always on the run.</div> <div>                           For people thought that hurting me</div> <div>                           Was really lots of fun.</div> <div>                           And then one day I heard a voice</div> <div>                           So gentle, kind and sweet,</div> <div>                           And arms so soft reached down to me</div> <div>                           And took me off my feet.</div> <div>                           "No one again will hurt you,"</div> <div>                           Was whispered in my ear.</div> <div>                           "You'll have a home to call your own</div> <div>                           Where you will know no fear.</div> <div>                           You will be dry, you will be warm,</div> <div>                           You'll have enough to eat.</div> <div>                           And rest assured that when you sleep,</div> <div>                           Your dreams will all be sweet."</div> <div>                           I was afraid I must admit,</div> <div>                           I've lived so long in fear.</div> <div>                           I can't remember when I let</div> <div>                           A human came so near.</div> <div>                           And as she tended to my wounds</div> <div>                           And bathed and brushed my fur</div> <div>                           She told me about the rescue group</div> <div>                           And what it meant to her.</div> <div>                           She said, "We are a circle, A line that never ends.</div> <div>                           And in the center there is you</div> <div>                           Protected by new friends."</div> <bR> <div>                           "And all around you are</div> <div>                           The ones that check the pounds,</div> <div>                           And those that share their home</div> <div>                           After you've been found.</div> <div>                           And all the other folk</div> <div>                           Are searching near and far.</div> <div>                           To find the perfect home for you,</div> <div>                           Where you can be a star."</div> <div>                           She said, "There is a family,</div> <div>                           That's waiting patiently,</div> <div>                           And just you wait and see.</div> <div>                           And then they'll join our circle</div> <div>                           They'll help to make it grow,</div> <div>                           So there'll be room for more like you,</div> <div>                           Who have no place to go."</div> <div>                           I waited very patiently,</div> <div>                           The days they came and went.</div> <div>                           Today's the day I thought,</div> <div>                           My family will be sent.</div> <div>                           Then just when I began to think</div> <div>                           It wasn't meant to be,</div> <div>                           There were people standing there</div> <div>                           Just gazing down at me.</div> <div>                           I knew them in a heartbeat,</div> <div>                           I could tell they felt it too.</div> <div>                           They said, "We have been waiting</div> <div>                           For a special dog like you."</div> <div>                           Now every night I say a prayer</div> <div>                           To all the gods that be.</div> <div>                           "Thank you for the life I live</div> <div>                           And all you've given me.</div> <div>                           But most of all protect the dogs</div> <div>                           In the pound and on the street.</div> <div>                           And send a Rescue Person</div> <div>                           To lift them off their feet."</div> <bR> <div>                           ~ Arlene Pace ~</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>                          </div> <bR> <div>                             NOTE FROM AUTHOR: When I wrote this poem it was </div> <div>                             inspired by my foster Sheltie "Patchie" who, by the </div> <div>                             way, is in a home where he is the light of their </div> <div>                             eyes. I think now that it is more in the way I see </div> <div>                             the rescue efforts of all the people that are doing </div> <div>                             such a great a job all over this country. So I wish </div> <div>                             to dedicate this poem to all of you in rescue, the </div> <div>                             doers, the helpers, the donators of money and/or </div> <div>                             time and tears.</div> <bR> <div>                             Please feel free to recopy, reprint or resend to </div> <div>                             anyone you would like to.</div> <bR> <div> =====================================================================================</div> <bR> <div>   <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#990080" FACE="Arial" > God's Wings</FONT></div> <bR> <div>                           An article in National Geographic several years ago </div> <div>                           provided a penetrating picture of God's wings.</div> <bR> <div>                           After a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park, </div> <div>                           forest rangers began their trek up a mountain to </div> <div>                           assess the inferno's damage. One ranger found a bird </div> <div>                           literally petrified in ashes, perched statuesquely on </div> <div>                           the ground at the base of a tree. Somewhat sickened by </div> <div>                           the eerie sight, he knocked over the bird with a </div> <div>                           stick. When he gently struck it, three tiny chicks </div> <div>                           scurried from under their dead mother's wings. The </div> <div>                           loving mother, keenly aware of impending disaster, had </div> <div>                           carried her offspring to the base of the tree and had </div> <div>                           gathered them under her wings, instinctively knowing </div> <div>                           that the toxic smoke would rise. She could have flown </div> <div>                           to safety but refused to abandon her babies. When the </div> <div>                           blaze had arrived and the heat had scorched her small </div> <div>                           body, the mother had remained steadfast.</div> <bR> <div>                           Because she had been willing to die, those under the </div> <div>                           cover of her wings would live.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>                        <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#990080" FACE="Viner Hand ITC" >   "He will cover you with His feathers, and under His </FONT></div> <div>                           wings you will find refuge." </div> <div>                           Psalm 91:4</div> <bR> <div>                           ~ Author Unknown ~</div> <bR> <div> ========================================================================================</div> <div>  There's Always Room For One More</div> <bR> <div>                           I see by his coat he must be a stray,</div> <div>                           The untidy look gives him away.</div> <div>                           He's lost his will and is so thin,</div> <div>                           Hasn't eaten since God knows when.</div> <div>                           I know as I coax him through the door,</div> <div>                           There's always room for just one more. </div> <bR> <div>                           The other night in the freezing rain,</div> <div>                           That little female came again.</div> <div>                           Matted and soaked crying in need,</div> <div>                           Lost and alone with babies to feed.</div> <div>                           Her pleading eyes I couldn't ignore,</div> <div>                           There's always room for just one more.</div> <bR> <div>                           There's a new face on the docks today,</div> <div>                           Hungry but clean, to our dismay,</div> <div>                           I stroked her head her body rippled</div> <div>                           When she got up I saw she was crippled</div> <div>                           She started to go, but fell on the floor.</div> <div>                           There's always room for just one more.</div> <bR> <div>                           There's the poor doggy standing in the rain,</div> <div>                           I've tried to entice him time and again.</div> <div>                           One ears lopsided, the other's been torn,</div> <div>                           Blind in one eye, lost and forlorn.</div> <div>                           He's coming now, so I'll open the door.</div> <div>                           There's always room for just one more.</div> <bR> <div>                           These stories are true, as I've said before,</div> <div>                           There's always room for just one more.</div> <bR> <div>                           ~ Author Unknown ~</div> <bR> <div> =======================================================================================</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Twas the Night Before Christmas</B></div> <bR> <div>                           Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the </div> <div>                           house</div> <div>                           Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; </div> <div>                           The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,</div> <div>                           In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;</div> <div>                           The children were nestled all snug in their beds,</div> <div>                           With no thought of the dog filling their heads.</div> <bR> <div>                           And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,</div> <div>                           Knew he was cold, but didn't care about that.</div> <div>                           When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,</div> <div>                           I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.</div> <div>                           Away to the window I flew like a flash,</div> <div>                           Figuring the dog was free of his chain and into the </div> <div>                           trash.</div> <bR> <div>                           The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow</div> <div>                           Gave the luster of mid-day to objects below,</div> <div>                           When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,</div> <div>                           But Santa Claus - with eyes full of tears.</div> <div>                           He unchained the dog, once so lively and quick,</div> <div>                           Last year's Christmas present, now painfully thin and </div> <div>                           sick...</div> <bR> <div>                           More rapid than eagles he called the dog's name.</div> <div>                           And the dog ran to him, despite all his pain;</div> <div>                           "Now, DASHER! now, DANCER! now, PRANCER and VIXEN!</div> <div>                           On, COMET! on CUPID! on, DONNER and BLITZEN!</div> <div>                           To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!</div> <div>                           Let's find this dog a home where he'll be loved by </div> <div>                           all!"</div> <bR> <div>                           I knew in an instant there would be no gifts this </div> <div> year,</div> <div>                           For Santa Claus had made one thing quite clear,</div> <div>                           The gift of a dog is not just for the season,</div> <div>                           We had gotten the pup for all the wrong reasons.</div> <div>                           In our haste to think of the kids a gift</div> <div>                           There was one important thing that we missed.</div> <bR> <div>                           A dog should be family, and cared for the same</div> <div>                           You don't give a gift, then put it on a chain.</div> <div>                           And I heard him exclaim as he rode out of sight,</div> <div>                          <B> "You weren't given a gift! You were given a life!"</B></div> <bR> <div>                           ~ Author Unknown ~</div> <bR> <div> =======================================================================================</div> <div> <B>Little Pieces</B></div> <bR> <div>                           Melissa sat on the floor, unable to sit straight and </div> <div>                           tall like her mother had always admonished her to do </div> <div>                           when she was a child. Today, it would be impossible. </div> <div>                           And tomorrow... it probably wouldn't be possible then </div> <div>                           either. Her mind was too busy thinking about the dog </div> <div>                           that lay across her lap.</div> <bR> <div>                           When he came to be with her, he had no name. She </div> <div>                           remembered that day very well. The first sight of him </div> <div>                           was enough to break her heart into little pieces.</div> <bR> <div>                           The woman, who had taken this dog from the rough </div> <div>                           streets where he had lived, had tried to save him </div> <div>                           because she was unable to watch this young dog find </div> <div>                           his own food in a dumpster outside the crack house </div> <div>                           where he lived. Nobody cared that he was gone.</div> <bR> <div>                           His fur was very thick; so thick that she had to </div> <div>                           wiggle her fingers down to feel his bony body. And as </div> <div>                           she pulled her fingers away again, they were coated in </div> <div>                           old dirt. Black and white, he was supposed to be. But </div> <div>                           on that day he was beige and dust.</div> <bR> <div>                        &nb