CaraBella, Queen of Flynnland

Psalm 30:5, 10, 11, 12

"...Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning."

"Hear me, Lord, and have mercy on me.
      Help me, O Lord.”

You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.
      You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,
that I might sing praises to you and not be silent.
      O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!"


Joy came to me in a fur package.  Her name is CaraBella, Queen of Flynnland.  Cara means beloved friend; Bella means beautiful; the rest is self explanatory.

Cara (formerly Queenie) was surrendered to animal control in Philadelphia late December/early January.  Then the wonderful folks at Second Time Around Rescue, STAR, pulled her from there, had her spayed, chipped, UTD on shots, and listed her for adoption with Petfinder.com.  That is where I saw her photo, and read her bio.  That was on Tuesday, 25 January 2011.  We met her on Saturday, the 29th and she came home with us that afternoon.  STAR thinks she may be 1-2 years old.  She has a German shepherd face and the fur on her neck feathers typical of GSD.  She has erect, pointed ears, but are kinda-of small.  Also, she has a long torso.  All the rest is the unknown breed.  Could be pitbull, lab, or another breed with a broad flat head and big backside.  She is very docile, loud noises don't phase her; she is sweet, and greets with kisses.  Other dogs and cats, well, so far, not so good.  Did I mention she knows how to open doors? 

I am curious to see if she would be a good candidate for a therapy dog.  I am going to wait about a year or so, after we get some good solid OB training (she was not responding to any commands but is doing pretty good on sit).  She walks nicely on the leash for me.  Praise the Lord for that favor!

So here she is, photos from my phone-camera, both taken the first day at work.

waiting in the car, on the ride home:

snozzing, giving belly.  Hard to see from this picture, but her belly is shaved from her spay surgery.

I'll write more about her later.  But, I'll just close with these thoughts I had today, about why God gave us dogs.  A) to demonstrate how we should love unconditionally, quick to forgive, be faithful and loyal  B) the obedience we expect from our dogs is what our Father wants from us, particularly "come"--when He calls us, we should run to Him just as fast as we can.



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From Rainbow Bridge To Heaven

God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each able to produce offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” Genesis 1:25-26 (NLT)


Dylan, my German shepherd dog, turned 10 years old the other day. He is a gorgeous boy, classic black/tan/red sable/saddle-back, semi-plush coat, and up until a few months ago, had very little gray hair on his muzzle. Although the gray hairs have increased, black is still the dominant color. His ears are generally erect. If you compare to the hands of a clock, they are typically standing at 10:10, indicating a relaxed mood. When something has his attention, then the ears assume an 11:05 position. On Tuesday, his birthday, his ears were at 2:55. This means only one thing: he has an earache. Poor boy, he has so many aches and pains these days.

Dylan was diagnosed with hip dysplasia in both hips at eight months old. The right hip socket is too shallow to support the ball end of the leg bone. Hip replacement surgery was not an option because the left hip, also very shallow, wasn’t able to support the extra weight. Like me, he doesn’t know life without pain. Unlike me, however, he never complains. He’s such a trooper. He runs and plays, and has the highest play drive I’ve ever seen in a dog.

The average life span of a German shepherd is shorter than other breeds. Our remaining time together is short. I hope, and have prayed, that God takes him, sparing us of the gut-wrenching, heart-breaking decision to end his life. I so do not want to do that again. Ten years ago, we had our other bubby euthanized. On his final Friday, he was doing okay, and by Monday, he could not move his hind legs. He also stopped eating and drinking--that was the sign he was ready to go.

Accompanying our beloved companions to “Rainbow Bridge” is, for many, a part of sharing life with an animal. We are stewards of everything we have, including our pets. It is our responsibility to take care of the master’s possessions, as he would care for them. Showing mercy to a suffering animal by releasing their spirit from their broken body is by far the hardest task. Just like humans, their bodies are only temporary vessels, or tents, that house their spirits while they are here on earth. Our beloved pets, and people, are not the visible bodies; they are the invisible spirit that the body holds. Euthanasia releases the spirit to go on and then receive its permanent new body. When the Lord calls us to join Him to live in the Eternal City, we will have new, perfect bodies that will never die. I believe animals, our pets included, will too. I wonder, will we be reunited with them on that glorious day?


Scriptures

In that day, the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will lie down with the baby goat. The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all. The cow will graze near the bear. The cub and the calf will lie down together. The lion will eat hay like a cow. Isaiah 11:6-8 (NLT)

And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang: “Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.” Revelation 5:13 (NLT)

Cat Angel

( for T )

Dear friend,

To you, this message I ask the helpers to send.
You loved me and cared for me,
my broken parts you tried to mend.

Our nature is to roam,
we have no permanent place to call home.
We live on the street,
in abandoned places,
and sometimes we meet
people who look past the scars on our faces
into our eyes and our souls.

If I could speak, I’d say
thanks for your love.
I like it here, but I can’t stay.

Don’t take my leaving
as a sign of failure on your part;
please don’t be sad and grieving.
You’ve given me the best gift: your heart.

Love like yours I’ll never again know.
but it’s time for me to move on.
I have another adventure and must go.

I’m not one to say goodbye.
Don’t lock the door,
because I might return
to see you once more.

While I’m away, continue to care for my pals,
the toms and the gals
the abandoned, the feral and the strays,
that have accepted you and trust you,
who unlike me, aren’t called away.

The Runaway

( for T )

I will never know
where you were before you came to me,
and since you left, where you are now.

I only know that you are gone.

You didn’t give me the chance
to say so-long,
to wish you a safe journey.

No final embrace
to look into your face,
your eyes, your soul.

You probably don’t know
your life made mine
a little more whole.

Be safe, be well.
If our paths cross again,
only time will tell.