"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated...the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man." - Mahatma Gandhi

During the '70s we lived in St. Peters, Missouri. One day, we noticed a white Shepherd puppy at our back fence. The pup never seemed to have food or shelter. During freezing rain or snow, she would sit pitifully under an eave seeking shelter. One day, we found the tiny puppy sitting on our back porch. I was thrilled to see her! Our rear fence joined her fence from another block but there wasn't an entry hole. Apparently, this determined puppy weaved through a mile of unfamiliar roads and fences. We returned the puppy, but she came back the next day. We finally kept her. For weeks we expected the owners to inquire, but they didn't even notice the puppy was gone. We named her Fritzie.

A few months later we heard a knock on the front door. Mom wasn't home from work yet, so I timidly opened the door. Fritzie stood barking at the door behind me. A male voice demanded that we return his dog. I hurridly slammed the door. When Mom got home she talked to the man. We'd give his dog back if he would reimburse our vet bills and pay boarding fees. We never heard from the man again.

  
For years Fritzie was my best friend! Later, I left for college in Arizona and Fritzie stayed home in Missouri. Once I graduated and bought a house, I brought Fritz to Arizona. She spent her final years in the desert enjoying colorful wildflowers and long hikes. A first love is always special, one that never bears the burden of comparison but sets a standard for later love.

Dime

When posting a dog for adoption, use a creative bio and great picture. This is your best advertising tool. Post the info on www.Petfinder.com. The sample below attracted a good applicant in a few short days...... "Black and white puppies are a dime-a-dozen at shelters. One of the most popular shelter currencies are Border Collie mixes. Four month-old "Dime" was at the Lampasas Shelter and had no venture capital to buy his way out of this high-kill shelter. But, Dime was so cute that he found a way into rescue and yielded high rates of interest! True to his Border Collie reputation, Dime is intelligent and playful. He’ll stick his head in a water bucket and madly dash around the yard. He is housebroken, crate trained and adores people. He’ll gradually mature into a 50 lb dog. Dime invested wisely with his vet and is current on shots and neutered. If you’re looking for a mutual fund companion and a lifetime investment, Dime is worth your dollar!"

Dogs need physical activity to stimulate their emotional and physical well being. The following activities are healthy and necessary to engage a dog's heart and mind... Remember, a tired dog is a good dog!

• daily walks
• fetch
• hide and seek 
• play dates 
• training sessions