Rebecca Currington - Best Friends Forever: Me and My Dog: What Ive Learned about Life, Love, and Faith from My Dog

Best Friends Forever: Me and My Dog
What Ive Learned About Life, Love, and Faith From My Dog
Copyright 2010 by GRQ, Inc.
Brentwood, Tennessee 37027

Ebook edition created 2012

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Scripture quotations noted CEV are from THE CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH VERSION. Copyright 1991, 1992, 1995 by the American Bible Society. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations noted MSG are from THE MESSAGE. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Scripture quotations noted NIV are from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (North American Edition). Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations noted NLT are from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW LIVING TRANSLATION, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.,Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. www.zondervan.com

Scriptures quotations noted NRSV are from the NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION of the Bible. Copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved.

Published by Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington, Minnesota 55438
www.bethanyhouse.com

Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com

ISBN 978-1-4412-1433-1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Editor: Lila Empson Wavering
Associate Editor: Natasha Sperling
Manuscript written and compiled by Rebecca Currington in association with Snapdragon Group SM
Design: Whisner Design Group

A man may smile and bid you hail yet wish you to the devil; but when a good dog wags his tail, you know hes on the level.
Author Unknown

To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boringit was peace.

Milan Kundera

Contents

Introduction

Dogs have given us their absolute all. We are the center of their universe. We are the focus of their love and faith and trust. They serve us in return for scraps. It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made.
Roger Caras

T here was a time when dogs were wild predators that roamed about the countryside in packs. But one day (who knows why) a dog wandered into or near a human campsite and was offered scraps to eat and allowed to sleep next to a warm fire. He must have been a sharp little guy because he realized right away that this gig was worlds better than running with the pack. All he had to do for his keep was be helpful, entertaining, and pleasant to be around. Thus began the long and mutually rewarding partnership between dog and human.

That alliance is still strong today. The Humane Society estimates that 39 percent of U.S. households have at least one dog. That comes to 74.8 million dogs. And according to the American Kennel Club, there are 150 registered breedsa dog for almost every purpose, or person, under heaven.

We adore our dogs for many reasons. They are warm, cuddly, happy creatures, loyal and protective, kind and hardworking. They accept us just as we are and love us unconditionally. They connect with us emotionally and teach us without saying a word. For all this, they ask very little, only what they have always asked for: the scraps from our tables and a safe place to sleep.

My parents bought me my first dog when I was just three years old, and since then, I have always had at least one canine companion in my life. Despite the years, I can still call them all by name and describe each ones quirky personality traits. Each was, in his or her own way, unforgettable.

Best Friends Forever: Me and My Dog was inspired by the many dogs that have passed through my life and the lives of other dog lovers who have enthusiastically told me their stories. You will read about dogs that entertain, dogs that heal, dogs that work hard, dogs that fight for our freedom on foreign soil, dogs that survive unbelievable odds, and dogs that give their all for the humans they love.

I invite you to get comfortable with your favorite dog and allow each of these remarkable animals to walk off the pages of this book and into your heart.

He is very imprudent, a dog is. He never makes it his business to inquire whether you are in the right or in the wrong, never bothers as to whether you are going up or down lifes ladder, never asks whether you are rich or poor, silly or wise. You are his pal.

Jerome K. Jerome

A Hand Up!

None of us got where we are solely by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. We got here because somebody... bent down and helped us.
Thurgood Marshall

A t some point in life, everyone needs a hand up, help recovering from some unfortunate circumstance, whether the result of ones own poor choices or those of others. Unlike many humans, dogs are happy to take help from others. They appreciate the need for and the joy of being rescued.

Sophie is a rescue dog, though it isnt quite clear if we rescued her or she rescued us. Maybe it was a little of both. Our journey began when some friends told us about an organization called ARF (Animal Rescue Foundation). Their kindhearted volunteers visit the pound looking for dogs they feel are healthy enough to survive and well adjusted enough to be adopted. ARF keeps the dogs until their health can be verified, provides them with shots, tattoos their inner thighs with an identification number, and adopts them out to qualified pet owners. After passing a rigorous competency evaluation (including a home visit), we were approved and waited eagerly for the call that came on a sunny afternoon in August.

Sophie, a blond cocker spaniel/Pekingese mix, burst into the waiting room at the ARF-sponsored animal clinic with her long, fluffy tail wagging. We gave her a good inspection, which wasnt easy with all the jumping and twirling and licking that was going on; clearly she liked us. We noted her large curly ears, big brown eyes, and crooked grin, and we all agreed that she needed a French name. Anita, the ARF volunteer, just shook her head and smiled. She wasnt seeing the French connection, but she was happy to go along. After leaning briefly toward Chri or Monique, my daughter, Trish, and I settled on Sophie. She seemed to like ita lot! While the twenty-five-pound two-year-old sniffed our legs and licked our hands, the ARF volunteer filled us in on the circumstances of her rescue.

If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man.
Mark Twain

Animal control officers had found Sophie wandering in a commercial area of the city. They guessed she had not been homeless long because she was clean and well-nourished and had tested negative for heartworm. There were no obvious signs of injury or abuse, and she was friendly to people. Surely she had been someones precious pet until some catastrophe put her out on the streets, nameless and alone. When rescued she had no collar or other form of identification, and no one came to ask about her. Animal control had knocked on doors and looked for her mug on missing-dog posters to no avail. Finally, after two months of care and observation, Sophie was ready to be placed with a new family, and we were thrilled to be the chosen ones.