Why God Made Dogs

Today is Wednesday, October 16, 2013.

"God said, 'I need somebody strong enough to pull sleds and find bombs, yet gentle enough to love babies and lead the blind.  Somebody who will spend all day on the couch with a resting head and supportive eyes to lift the spirits of a broken heart.'  So God made a dog."

I'm not a dog person; I'm a cat person.  Nevertheless, even I can appreciate that dogs interact with human beings in ways that cat's just don't.  We've all heard stories of dogs that have traveled miles and miles to be reunited with their owners, dogs that have saved their owners from being burgled, losing their house in a fire, or being run over by a car.  We've heard stories of dogs running to get help for their owners, saving children from drowning, and working with mentally ill and terminally ill patients, the elderly, and special needs children.  The biggest reason for why dogs are thought of as humankind's best friend is their loyalty.

The mounted remains of Hachiko are on display at the
Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo. Photo credit: Muramasa

In Japan, there is a statue of a little dog named "Hachiko" at one entrance to Shibuya Station.  The statue was erected in honor of a little dog who used to accompany his master to the station, then wait at the station for his master to come home from work every evening.  One day in 1925, the owner, a professor who worked at the Imperial Museum, died while at work.  The faithful little dog waited patiently at the station for his master for ten more years. Hachiko was a of a Japanese breed called Akita, named after the prefecture (province) that this breed hails from. This is one of only four breeds of dog that are native to the Japanese islands, and one of the most ancient breeds of dog still alive today. Akitas are exceptionally loyal dogs.  The statue of the dog at Shibuya Station marks the spot where he waited, and is now a famous place for friends to wait for each other.

Recently, I've seen a number of really cute images of children with dogs.  Here are some shared by Facebook friends that just melted my heart. :-)