Healing powers of animals..

Good article and so true.
Our lives really revolve around our dog, and not just this dog, but every dog we have ever had. They sure do enrich a human's life. Our little Schnauzer keeps us moving and keeps us happy.

When I am not feeling well, my cat is there to comfort me (I have one who prefers me only). They do calm a person down and make it easier to get on with life day by day.

I have a friend on another forum, his own Schnauzer forum, and one of his dogs is a thearpy dog and they go to hospitals and nursing homes and bring much joy to people. It is really a wonderful thing he and his little dog are doing.

The dog is extremely well trained and never fails to being smiles to people in much need of one.

With all the hype about Pit Bulls (love them or hate them..) they are very very good hospital dogs. They are a highly intelligent breed. I own one - and they are also goofier than boxers.

We have had 3 or four get CGC certifications too at our local shelter.

Dog I grew up with was a cocker/ lab mix. She was named Taffy and was equally smart and hated our neighbors.. my parents also disliked them. She would not bite anyone or anything, but man she knew how to annoy people she didn't like

I would of loved to bring my dog to where I am living now (in Chicago), but there is no room for her to go outside and I can't take her for walks like I used to. She would also make a great hospital dog as she loves people and is so sweet and gentle. She is a Brittany, which is a bird hunting breed.

Animals have a sense of how we are feeling and seem to come in at the right time. If we have had bad or very sad news, they lie next to us and stay with us.

They also don't care if we get fat or older. They don't care if we can't get up and down those stairs, but they are there for us.

My late father always had a love and hate relationship with my black cat. But no matter how P'od my dad would get at him for urinating or something on doors or stuff - when he got sick and I eventually moved out of my parents basement, he missed having a cat. So when my sister was staying in Chicago and had to make the big move to Arizona she left her two cats Kiwi, and Tigger with my dad and mom. Tigger was what I would call a street thug.

When my sister lived in Florida a few years before that (they were stationed in florida, hawaii, chicago, Virginia..)

anyhow Tigger escaped one day when he was about a year old and was gone for two months finally he was found meowing on the other side of a fence- what was on the other side of the fence was a known allegator pasture. He had cuts on his nose like he had been been in fights galore. That day we knew you don't mess with Tigg. =0)

He recently passed away from getting very sick when his (wife) Kiwi died. He passed a week after she did. They were together for over 15 years. Poor guy.

Tigger was my dads cat though. He ended up keeping the two cats. They even looked alike and had the same grumpy temper. Pretty funny.

That is a sweet story: Sad, touching but overall uplifting. It shows that cats and dogs do form a bond with each other also, and often pass away very close to the other.

They gave 15 years of love and companionship, which is many more than some humans are capable of.