Of course I'm talking about our furry 4-legged friends, the dogs.
They give us companionship, comfort, understanding, and emotional therapy. They protect us and serve as our doorbells. They even warn us when we're choosing the wrong companions.
Mine are alarm clocks - keeping track of me throughout the evening hours and letting me know when it's time to get up and take a break. (Because the clock says 9 or 11 and it's time to go outside.)
Dogs (and cats) are often the only reason for some shut-ins to open their eyes in the morning.
And once again they're proving that they're better than technology...
For instance, according to a recent Newsweek article, Labradors can detect certain cancers with a 98% accuracy, while technology is correct only 10% of the time.
German Shepherds can detect roadside bombs more accurately than technology - in spite of the $20 billion cost of that technology.
And of course we all know how dogs can find and rescue lost people - even when they don't want to be found. (Who hasn't seen an old movie with the hounds tracking an escaped convict.)
Dogs save lives every day, and yet we humans treat them with utter disrespect.
The work the large breeds do is impressive, but small breeds work hard too. Studies have found that little guys like Jack Russell terriers can sniff out bedbugs with a 95% success rate - which is 3 times better than mere sight detection. They're now being "hired" by professional exterminators.
And of course they're just as good if not better at the companionship job. After all, they fit on a lap.
Kudos today to all those struggling to save the dogs and cats made homeless by the tornados... and prayers to all those critters and their human families.
I care not much for a man's religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it.
Abraham Lincoln
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