Poem to my Foster Dog - by Diane Morgan

I am the bridge
between what was and what can be.
I am the pathway to a new life.

I am made of mush
because my heart melted when I saw you,
matted and sore, limping, depressed,
lonely, unwanted, afraid to love.

For one little time you are mine.
I will feed you with my own hand,
I will love you with my whole heart,
I will make you whole.

I am made of steel
because when the time comes,
when you are well and sleek,
when your eyes shine,
and your tail wags with joy,
then comes the hard part.

I will let you go --
not without a tear,
but without a regret.

For you are safe forever --
a new dog needs me now. 


THE PIECES OF MY HEART
(On Fostering)
Copyright Jim Willis 2001

Our paths will cross for only a short time,
but while you are in my care I will be devoted to you.
If memories of your former life are painful, I will help erase them.
No longer will you hunger and I will help to heal your wounds.
If your former life was good, I will promise you an even better future.

One day our time together will come to an end
and you will go off to your new home, healthy, happy and healed.
As a parting gift, I will give you a piece of my heart to remember me by.
I may shed a tear...not for my loss, but for your gain.

Perhaps our paths may cross again for a fleeting instant
and I will be comforted by the aura of love that surrounds you.
There will always be a bond between us,
though we walk separate paths through this life.

After we reach our heavenly reward our paths may cross again.
You may try to return the piece of my heart
with thanks for all that I did for you.
I will tell you to keep it and thank you
for showing me that I could be better
than I thought I could be,
and that I learned in giving came the greatest gifts.

The pieces of our hearts are like grains of sand.
They are pulled along a current beyond our control
until they come together and form a safe haven.

I, like you, came to understand what it meant to be saved.
 

Beyond The Rainbow 

As much as I loved the life we had and all the times we played,
I was so very tired and knew my time on earth would fade.
I saw a wondrous image then of a place that's trouble-free
Where all of us can meet again to spend eternity.

I saw the most beautiful Rainbow, and on the other side
Were meadows rich and beautiful -- lush and green and wide.
And running through the meadows as far as the eye could see
Were animals of every sort as healthy as could be.
My own tired, failing body was fresh and healed and new
And I wanted to go run with them, but I had something left to do.

I needed to reach out to you, to tell you I'm alright
That this place is truly wonderful, then a bright Glow pierced the night.
'Twas the glow of many candles shining bright and strong and bold
And I knew then that it held your love in its brilliant shades of gold.

For although we may not be together in the way we used to be,
We are still connected by a cord no eye can see.
So whenever you need to find me, we're never far apart
If you look beyond the Rainbow and listen with your heart.

Linda 


WITH LOVE FROM A LONELY DOG

I wish someone would tell me
what it is that I have done.
And why I must be chained outside
and left alone so long.

They seemed so glad to have me
when I came home as a pup;
There were so many things we'd do
while I was growing up

The master said he'd train me
as a companion, dog and friend,
The mistress said she'd never fear
to be alone again.

The children said they'd feed me
and brush me every day
They'd play with me and walk me every day,
if only I would stay

But, now the master 'hasn't time"
the mistress says I shed....
She won't allow me in the house,
not even to be fed.

The children never walk me;
they always say "not now"
I do wish I could please them,
can someone tell me how?

All I had you see, was love
I wish someone could explain
Just why they said they wanted mine
and then left it on a chain. 

Author - Unknown


Rescue Me 

Rescue me not only with your hands but with your heart as well.
I will respond to you.
Rescue me not out of pity but out of love.
I will love you back.
Rescue me not with self-righteousness but with compassion.
I will learn what you teach.
Rescue me not because of my past but because of my future.
I will relax and enjoy.
Rescue me not simply to save me but to give me a new life.
I will appreciate your gift.
Rescue me not only with a firm hand but with tolerance and patience.
I will please you.
Rescue me not only because of who I am but who I'm to become.
I will grow and mature.
Rescue me not to revere yourself to others but because you want me.
I will never let you down.
Rescue me not with a hidden agenda but with a desire to teach me to trust.
I will be loyal and true.
Rescue me not to be chained or to fight but to be your companion.
I will stand by your side.
Rescue me not to replace one you've lost but to sooth your spirit.
I will cherish you.
Rescue me not to be your pet but to be your friend.
I will give you unconditional love.

Author Unknown 


Here in this House....

I will never know the loneliness I hear in the barks of the other dogs
out there.
I can sleep soundly, assured that when I wake my world will not have
changed.
I will never know hunger, or the fear of not knowing if I'll eat.
I will not shiver in the cold, or grow weary from the heat.
I will feel the sun's heat, and the rain's coolness,
and be allowed to smell all that can reach my nose.
My fur will shine, and never be dirty or matted. 

Here in this house...
There will be an effort to communicate with me on my level.
I will be talked to and, even if I don't understand,
I can enjoy the warmth of the words.
I will be given a name so that I may know who I am among many.
My name will be used in joy, and I will love the sound of it! 

Here in this house...
I will never be a substitute for anything I am not.
I will never be used to improve peoples' images of themselves.
I will be loved because I am who I am, not someone's idea of who I should be.
I will never suffer for someone's anger, impatience, or stupidity.
I will be taught all the things I need to know to be loved by all.
If I do not learn my lessons well, they will look to my teacher for blame.

Here in this house...
I can trust arms that hold, hands that touch...
knowing that, no matter what they do, they do it for the good of me;
If I am ill, I will be doctored.
If scared, I will be calmed.
If sad, I will be cheered.
No matter what I look like, I will be considered beautiful and thought to be of value.
I will never be cast out because I am too old, too ill, too unruly, or not cute enough.
My life is a responsibility, and not an afterthought.
I will learn that humans can almost, sometimes, be as kind and as fair as dogs. 

Here in this house...
I will belong.
I will be home. 

Author unknown 


I AM FAMOUS NOW

I was born today. One of ten. My daddy was very famous.
I have lots of half brothers and sisters. My mother is very famous.
Since she got famous, she only has puppies.
No more loving hands. No more fun trips...just puppies.
She is always sad when they leave her.

I left home today. I didn't want to go, so I hid behind my mama and my 3 littermates that were left. I didn't like you. But one day they said I would be famous.
I wonder-is famous the same as fun and good times?
So you picked me up and carried me away, even though you were concerned about me hiding from you. I don't think you liked me.

My new home is far away. I am scared and afraid. My heart says, "BE BRAVE". My ancestors were. Did they go to "good homes", like mine?

I'm hungry because I can't eat too much because it will be bad for my bones. I can't bite or snap when the children are mean to me. I just run and play and pretend I am in a big green fields with butterflies and robins and frogs. I can't understand why they kick me.

I am quiet but the man hits and says loud things. The lady doesn't feed me good things like I had with my mother. She just throws dry food on the ground, then goes away before I can come too close for touching and petting. Sometimes my food smells bad but I eat it
anyway..

Today I had ten puppies. They are so wonderful and warm. Am I famous now?
I wish I could play with them, but they are so tiny. I am so young and playful that it is hard to lay here in this hole under the house nursing my puppies.
They are crying now. I am so hungry. I scratch and worry at my fur.
I wish someone would throw me some food. I am also very thirsty.

Now I have eight puppies. They got cold in the night and I could not make them warm again. They are gone. We are all very weak. Maybe if I take them all out on the porch, we could get some food?

Today they took us away. Someone grabbed my puppies. They cried and whimpered. We were put into a truck with boxes in it.

Are my babies famous now?
I hope so because I miss them. They are gone, and this new place smells of urine, fear and sickness.
Why am I here? I was beautiful and proud like my ancestors. Now I am hungry, dirty, in pain and unwanted. Maybe the worst is unwanted. No one came although I tried to be good.

Today someone came. They put a rope on me and led me to a room that was very clean and had a shiny table.

They put me on the table and someone held me and hugged me. It felt so good!! Then I felt tired and laid down in the arms of someone who cared.

I AM FAMOUS NOW. TODAY SOMEONE CARED.

Author Unknown... 



Rescued Hearts

Taking care of rescued dogs is something I do best
I know because I've done it
And I've surely passed the test.

The dogs I've bathed, the food I've fed
The vacuuming I've done
And all to watch a frightened soul sit dreaming in the sun.

My own dogs I've neglected, but I tell them every day
I love them and I cherish them
Though a new dog's come to stay.

I know they understand this, for in their eyes I see
The love that I have given them
Come shining back to me.

Some people think I'm crazy
Some others think I'm great
But very few can understand, what really is at stake.

If I can love and help a dog, to find a better way
My own life's so much richer
I look forward to each day.

So now you know my secret, it's there for all to see

The love I give, the life I save
I do it all for me.

© Copyright 1996 by Kathleen Parsons, 


Room For One More Dog

I see by his coat he must be a stray, The untidy
look gives him away. He's lost his will and is so
thin Hasn't eaten, since God knows when. I know
as I coax him through the door, There's always room for one more.

The other night in the freezing rain, That little
female came again. Matted and soaked crying in
need, Lost and alone with babies to feed. Her
pleading eyes I couldn't ignore, There's always room for one more.

There's a new face on the docks today, Hungry but
clean to our dismay, I stroked her head. Her body
ripples - When she got up I saw she was crippled
She started to go, but fell on the floor. There's always room for one more.

There's the poor doggy standing in the rain, I've
tried to entice him time and again. One ear's
lopsided, the other's been torn, Blind in one
eye, lost and forlorn. He's coming now, so I'll
open the door. There's always room for one more.

These stories are true, as I've said before, There's always room for one
more.

"He is your friend, your partner, your defender,
your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader.
He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart."

Unknown 


I Want to Quit
By Joan C. Fremo (Great Pyrenese Rescuer) 

I want to quit! My health is bad. There are days I feel so terrible
that I can barely move. My phone bills are outrageous, and I could
have replaced my van with the funds I have spent these last 3
years---on animals that were not my own. 

I want to quit! I spend hours and hours emailing about dogs. There
may be 500 messages when I start---and at 4 AM, when I finally shut
down the computer, there are still 500 emails to be read. 

I want to quit! Gosh, I haven't the time left to email my friends. I
can't remember the last book I read, and I gave up my subscription
to my local newspaper---I used to enjoy reading it, cover to cover,
but now it often ends up in the bottom of the squirrel's cage---unread. 

I want to quit! I've spent days emailing what seems like
everyone---trying to find a foster home, help for a dog languishing
in a shelter---but his time has run out, and the shelter has had to
euthanize to make room for the next sad soul. 

I want to quit! I swear, I walk away from my computer to stretch my
legs---let the dogs out---and come back to find another dog in
desperate need. There are times I really dread checking my email.
How will I find the funds, the help, to save yet another dog? 

I want to quit! I save one dog, and two more take its place. Now an
owner who doesn't want his dog---it won't stay in his unfenced yard.
An intact male wanders... This bitch got pregnant by a stray... This
3-month-old pup killed baby chicks... The dog got too big... This
person's moving and needs to give up his pet. I ask you,
friends---what town, what city, what state doesn't allow you to own a pet? 

I want to quit! I just received another picture, another sad soul
with tormented eyes that peer out of a malnourished body. I hear
whimpering in my sleep, have nightmares for days... 

I want to quit! Many of the "Breed People" don't seem to want to
hear about these dogs. Breeders either don't realize, or just don't
care, how many dogs of their breed are dying in shelters. 

I want to quit! I just got off the phone. "Are you Pyr Rescue? We
want to adopt a male to breed to our female." How many times do I
have to explain? I have tried to explain about genetics, about
health and pedigrees. I explain that rescue NEUTERS! I usually end
up sobbing, as I explain about the vast numbers of animals dying in
shelters across the country, as I describe the condition many of
these animals are found in. I wonder if they really heard me... 
 
I want to quit! It is not like I don't have enough rescues of my own
to worry about---but others have placed dogs improperly and aren't
there to advise the new owners.

I want to quit! There ARE some unscrupulous rescues out
there---hoarders, collectors, and folks who will short change the
care of the animals to make a dollar. The save them all, regardless
of temperament, putting fellow rescuer's and adopters at risk but
not being truthful. 

I want to quit! I have trusted the wrong people--- had faith and
heart broken... 

I want to quit! AND THEN... My dog, Magnus, lays his head in my lap,
he comforts me with his gentle presence---and the thought of his
cousins suffering stirs my heart. 

I want to quit! AND THEN... One of those 500 emails is from an
adopter. They are thanking me for the most wonderful dog on
earth---they cannot imagine life with out their friend---their life
is changed, and they are so grateful. 

I want to quit! AND THEN... One of my adopted Rescues has visited a
nursing home. A patient that has spent the last few years unable to
communicate, not connecting---Lifts his hand to pat the huge head in
his lap, softly speaks his first words in ages--- to this gentle furchild. 

I want to quit! AND THEN... A Good Samaritan has found and vetted a
lost baby, "I can't keep him, but I'll take care of him until you
find his forever home." 

I want to quit! AND THEN... "Jamie took his first steps holding on
to our Pyr." "Joan, you should see this dog nursing this hurt
kitten!" "I was so sick, Joan, and he never left my side..." 

I want to quit! AND THEN... I get an email from a fellow rescuer,
"Haven't heard from you in a while---you OK? You know I think of you..." 

I want to quit! AND THEN... A dozen rescuers step up to help, to
transport, to pull, and to offer encouragement. I have friends I
have never seen, but we share tears, joys, and everything in
between. I am not alone. I am blessed with family of the heart, my
fellow Rescuers. Just days ago it was a friend who shared her wit
and wisdom, whose late night email lifted my heart. Sometimes it is
friends who only have time to forward you a smile. Often, it is my
friends who forward me the notices of dogs in need. There are
Rescuers who see a flailing transport and do everything they can do
find folks to pull it together for you. Rescuers who'll overnight or
foster your Dog while you seek transport. There are Rescuers not
used to or comfortable with your breed, but who put aside their
discomfort to help. There are Rescuers whose words play the music of
our hearts. Foster homes that love your Rescue, and help to make
them whole again---body and spirit. Foster homes that fit your baby
in, though it may not be their breed. Rescuers whose talents and
determination give us tools to help us. Rescuers we call on for help
in a thousand ways, who answer us, who hear our pleas. Rescuers who
are our family, our strength, our comrades in battle. I know I
cannot save every Pyr in need. I know my efforts are a mere drop in
a sea. I know that if I take on just one more---those I have will suffer.

I want to quit! But I won't. When I feel overwhelmed, I'll stroke my
Magnus's head while reading my fellow Rescuers emails. I'll cry with
them, I'll laugh with them---and they will help me find the strength to go on. 

I want to quit! But not today. There's another email, another dog
needing Rescue. 

This piece is dedicated, with love and gratitude, to all my fellow Rescuers. 

Joan


DO I GO HOME TODAY? 

My family brought me home cradled in their arms.
They cuddled me and smiled at me and said I was full of charm
They played with me and laughed with me and showered me with toys.
I sure do love my family, especially the little girls and boys

The children loved to feed me; they gave me special treats.
They even let me sleep with them - all snuggled in the sheets.
I used to go for walks, often several times a day.
They even fought to hold the leash, I'm very proud to say!

These are the things I'll not forget - a cherished memory.
I now live in the shelter - without my family.
They used to laugh and praise me when I played with that old shoe.
But I didn't know the difference between the old one and the new.

The kids and I would grab a rug, for hours we would tug.
So I thought I did the right thing when I chewed the bedroom rug.
They said I was out of control and would have to live outside.
This I didn't understand, although I tried and tried!

The walks stopped, one by one; they said they hadn't the time.
I wish that I could change things; I wish I knew my crime.
My life became so lonely in the backyard, on a chain.
I barked and barked all day long to keep from going insane.

So they brought me to the shelter but were embarrassed to say why.
They said I caused an allergy, and then they each kissed me goodbye.
If I'd only had some training as a little pup.
I wouldn't have been so hard to handle when I was all grown up.

"You only have one day left", I heard a worker say.
Does that mean I have a second chance?
Do I go home today?

Author Unknown 


OLD DOGS DO NOT DIE

We have a secret, you and I,
That no one else shall know,
For who, but I can see you lie,
Each night, in fireglow?
And who but I can reach my hand
Before we go to bed,
And feel the living warmth of you
And touch your silken head?
And only I walk woodland paths,
And see, ahead of me,
Your small form racing with the wind,
So young again, and free.
And only I can see you swim
In every brook I pass.
And, when I call, no one but I
Can see the bending grass.

Author Unknown 


Time to Go

The time has come I think you know
the Lord is calling so I must go
I love you so much; I wish it wasn't so
I wish I could stay; I don't want to go

You're the best family a dog ever had
so kind and gentle never mean or mad
I'll never forget the day that we met
I was so lucky to become your pet

You opened your door and showed me your heart
I'll never forget you; we'll never part
You loved me and cared for me over the years
you taught me everything and took away my fears

The Lord is calling now I must go
but before I go I want you to know
I know it hurts to lose a friend
but I'll always be with you even to the end 

Author Unknown 


GOODBYE

With heavy hearts; and a tear in our eyes
after all these years; we must say goodbye
Please understand; we've done all we could
if there was anything we could do; you know we would

I'm sitting right here; gently rub your ears
while I talk to you softly; trying to hold back the tears
The memories you gave us; we'll never forget
especially the ones; of the day we all met

One last hug; and one last kiss
you have no idea; how much you'll be missed
To look into your eyes; this one last time
you tell me it's ok; you know it's your time

Close your eyes now; and go to sleep
we'll pray to the Lord; you're soul he'll keep
Go in peace now; our good friend
we'll stay right here with you; until the end

Dream of that special day and time
when we'll meet at the Bridge; and all will be fine
We'll run and play; side by side
with a soft warm feeling; deep down inside

Your memory will live on; in each one of us
you'll always be number 1; to all of us
Have a safe journey; through the night
I promise when you awake; you'll be in God's light

So with heavy hearts; and tears in our eyes
just for now my friend; we say goodbye 

Author Unknown


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