Eleven short years ago, I adopted a squiggly little black puppy. He was one of twelve black Labradors in the litter. As we drove him home, he slept on my thigh, all 5 pounds of him.
Today Bailey is an old lumbering hound of a dog with gray whiskers and brow. His days are spent sleeping on our bed, with our cats. He still loves to "go bub-byes". He still loves to eat and gobbles down his kibble like it is the best he's ever tasted. And he still greets us at the door with a mouth full of toys and the occasional sock. These are the small joys in life that people speak of. He is the joy in our lives and we relish these fleeting moments with him now.
It is because of my deep spiritual connection with my dog, Bailey, that I am drawn to advocacy and rescue and education and rehabilitation. It has not always been easy to provide a stable permanent home for my beloved Bailey but it's a promise I made to him that night he rode home with us. And every day, I can be proud of myself for honoring my promise to him. It makes me very sad, and sometimes ill, to learn of animals who have not fared as well as my Bailey dog.
It is my hope and another promise I make to him now that I will do my very best every day to comfort and protect every animal who finds me, in the name of Bailey and to honor my mother and my grandmother who consistently demonstrated concern and compassion for all creatures – large and small.
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