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If You Want a Friend, Get a Dog!
By
M J Plaster
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Carl Icahn, the hostile
takeover master who was THE original corporate raider, is
often quoted as saying, "In this business, if you
want a friend, get a dog!" The rest of us already
knew that dog was man's best friend, and with good reason.
Dogs as pets date back at least as far as the days of
Pompeii, where the remains of a dog stretched out next to
a little boy were recovered from the rubble at Pompeii.
We all know that dogs are cute, warm, and cuddly,
requiring little more than food, water, shelter and
affection to return unwavering devotion. Dogs have earned
their rightful place as a family member. In fact, what
family portrait is complete without the family canine?
Dogs earned their place of prominence years ago among
their blind and deaf owners and in local, state, federal
and international law enforcement. Hint: be sure to rid
your coat pockets of doggie biscuits the next time you
travel, unless you want to be attacked by a drug and
bomb-sniffing dog.
A quick glance through the amazing true stories ripped
from the headlines below demonstrates that dogs may never
fall from their pedestal as man's best friend! While it's
true that we must do for dogs what they cannot do for
themselves, have a look at the things that dogs have done
for us that we could not or did not want to do for
ourselves.
Dogs CAN smell cancer
On September 24, 2004, the Associated Press reported that
the first scientific experiment to prove what has long
been suspected—that dogs can smell cancer—was
successful. A dog's sense of smell is far superior to that
of a human's: 10,000 to 100,000 times better. The results
of the study appeared in the British Medical Journal. The
study proved that dogs could indeed smell cancer. What
remains to be determined is whether dogs can effectively
communicate the presence of cancer. What's most promising
is that dogs may well be able to detect the presence of
cancer before high-tech medical testing.
Dogs help seniors live longer
In 1999, a study reported in the Journal of American
Geriatrics concluded what many have known intuitively and
anecdotally for a long time: seniors with pets live longer
and fuller lives both physically and mentally. Once again,
science proves common sense. Dogs require walking. Active
seniors with pets have lower blood pressure, visit their
doctors less frequently, require hospitalization less
frequently and when they are hospitalized, the duration is
shorter. Assisted living facilities and nursing homes have
moved almost en masse to allowing visiting pets or housing
a resident pet for their residents. The Delta Pet Partner
certifies pets to visit nursing homes and hospice
facilities. If you have an elderly parent, consider giving
the gift of life, a companion dog.
Hostage miniature dog escapes and eludes captors
In 1992, a teeny tiny 11-year-old Pomeranian was
reportedly stolen from its home in Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma. The following January, a father/daughter team in
Corpus Christie, Texas, saw a van chasing the little dog.
The driver abandoned the van and began chasing the dog on
foot, but could never catch the dog. Finally, the dog's
captor fled the scene, abandoning the dog, an animal
perhaps 1/20th the size of its captor. The daughter chased
the dog, and the dog willingly jumped in her arms. Since
the dog wore tags, the father/daughter team returned the
dog to its owners.
What's next? Courier dogs?
Actually, that's old news! In 2001, it was reported that a
then five-year-old golden retriever named J.C. delivered
its owners' prescriptions from the pharmacy. The pharmacy
was located in the same strip mall as the owners' shop in
Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, and J.C. always accompanied the
owners to the pharmacy. The dog began carrying the
prescriptions back from these outings. J.C.'s not just any
old dog. It was reported that he took instruction well,
and when instructed, he ran down to the pharmacy and
returned with prescriptions in tow.
Since the beginning of their relationship with humans,
dogs have fended for their owners, rescuing them from all
sorts of perilous situations. Won't you consider rescuing
a dog from the loneliness of life without an owner?
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