The Doggie Jackpot.

On a sad evening where my BFF suspects that one of her two dogs is possibly terminally ill, I thought I should offer up a short commentary on the lives of dogs. Originally, this came from an idea that sprouted this past weekend as I contemplated the mortality of all living things, my dog included -- that's who I am.

We humans, consider this idea of winning the lottery as a jackpot of a lifetime.  Dogs seem to be indifferent to the quality of your vehicle, your home, or clothing.  I see the same affection in homeless people's dogs, as I see in my own.

My dog is just as happy lying on the sofa, as he is in his bed, or simply on the bathroom rug.  He cares not the difference between a stick broken off from a tree, or a squeaky toy, or even a tennis ball.  Though he recognizes the differences between each object, it does not matter which one he gets to play with, but that he gets to play.

When we come home, our dogs are excited and eager to greet us.  When we leave, they are overcome with either sadness, anxiety, boredom or all of the above.  They are, however, never indifferent to our comings and goings.

To a dog, whose concerns are not of the philosophical contemplation of life and death, but that of yesterday, today and tomorrow, joy is measured in how one's life exists, not how well they are remembered after death.

A dog's winning jackpot is to find a home where one is loved and is part of a family.

As a puppy purchased from a pet store, my friend's dog was deaf.  When she went back to return him they informed her that they would have to put him down. She could not accept that fate of this puppy, so she refused to return him, and instead they gave her a second puppy.  So you see, he already hit the jackpot.

A Dog's Life.

Cappy long ago hit the jackpot.