Penny From Heaven...Or From Harlem to the Hamptons

"I looked at all the caged animals...the cast-offs of human society. I saw in their eyes love and hope, fear and dread, sadness and betrayal. And I was angry.

"God," I said, "this is terrible! Why don't you do something?"

God was silent for a moment and then He spoke softly.

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Come Play With Me

To A Squirrel At Kyle-Na-No
by William Butler Yeats

Come play with me;
Why should you run
Through the shaking tree
As though I'd a gun
To strike you dead?
When all I would do
Is to scratch your head
And let you go.

Living near Prospect Park in Brooklyn, I frequently see squirrels in the park, especially when I’m with my dog PoohBear, who always sees them first as he dashes across the field to investigate. But I’ve never seen a baby squirrel.

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VICKtory Dogs!

Are Pit Bulls naturally aggressive towards humans?

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Tricks for Treats!

My neighbor has two dogs. One of them says to the other, "Woof!"
The other replies, "Moo!"
The dog is perplexed. "Moo? Why did you say, 'Moo'?"
The other dog says, "I'm trying to learn a foreign language."—Morey Amsterdam

Everywhere I look on the city streets there are hints of what I think is one of the most fun autumn holidays. Witches, ghosts, goblins, skeletons and a variety of character costumes fill the store windows.

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Strong Hearts/Strong Minds

Me Saving a Dog by Daniel
“One day I was walking through the street when I saw this dog running real fast. A man was coming after him with a gun. I stopped him and I asked him “why are you trying to kill him?” “Because he bit my daughter,” the man said.

“Why do you have to kill him? You could just take him to the dog pound.”

“Maybe I don’t have to kill him. Okay. I’ll take him to the dog pound.”

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Fido Want a Carrot?

To Hare is Human
Carrots wait for no one
So I’ll pick them now
Before they are eaten
By some slobby cow
Carrots wait for no one
So I’ll eat them now.—cartoon starring Bugs Bunny and Wile E. Coyote from Merry Melodies by Chuck Jones, 1956

My dogs eat carrots. However, I have to pulverize them into their meat or they’ll very delicately, with disdain, pick out the smallest slice and toss it on the floor as if it were some unpleasant annoyance!

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Blessing of the Animals: A Celebration of Creation

Blessed are you, Lord God,
maker of all living creatures.
On the fifth and sixth days of creation,
you called forth fish in the sea,
birds in the air and animals on the land.
You inspired St. Francis to call all animals
his brothers and sisters.
We ask you to bless this animal.
By the power of your love,
enable him or her to live according to your plan.
May we always praise you
for all your beauty in creation.

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Chained Dogs—The Sad Truth

For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.—Nelson Mandela, South African Civil Rights Leader

Doesn’t man’s best friend deserve more than a life on a chain?

I’d like to talk about a widespread practice here in the U.S. and in other countries that has lately come into question. Chaining or otherwise tethering a dog in the yard.

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Amen BowWow

“God turns clouds inside out to make fluffy beds for the dogs in Heaven, and when they are tired from running and barking and eating ham-sandwich biscuits, the dogs find a cloud bed for sleeping. God watches over each one of them. And there are no bad dreams.”—Cynthia Rylant

This morning was a bit difficult as I recently had knee surgery—with all the stiffness and soreness that comes with the experience. While I’m glad the pre-surgery pain is gone, this stiffness can dampen even the brightest day.

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God and Dog

“I look up and I see God; I look down and see my Dog. God thought up and made the dog, dog reflects a part of God.”—W.J. Francisco

Many years ago, when I had my first rescued dog, Baby Bear, there was a day when I lost patience. I was tired, he was doing something that in my human world was not acceptable. So I yelled, "No!" loudly and with anger and pulled on his collar harshly.

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