CHAPTER 12
DEAR OLD MMAX
I don’t like people who don’t like dogs. If my dog doesn’t like you then it’s a given, I won’t either. Dogs are a far better judge of human character than am I. I trust my dog. I include here all mammalian animals, cats, tigers, elephants, monkey’s squirrels, wolves, foxes and Opossums, raccoons and all the rest.
What you may not have thought about is whether or not your pet has a unique soul? We do know that all God’s creatures have as we do, unique DNA. Dogs and many other critters have also totally unique characteristics built into their noses that act like fingerprints in humans, no two are alike.
DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is found in all known living things and acts like a set of biological instructions. These instructions make every breed, species and dog totally  unique.Dogs don’t have fingerprints. However, the substitute biometric marker for fingerprints in dogs is their nose print. It has been supposed that just as the pattern of every person’s fingerprints is unique, each dog’s rhinarium (the section of bare skin at the tip of a dog’s nose) has a distinguishing design of dimples, dots, and ridges that, when combined with the shape of his nostril openings, is distinctive enough to conclusively identify one dog among all others.
Since God saw fit to take the trouble to insure that no two animals are the same, that each is indeed unique, it’s incumbent upon us to ask why? I believe it is so that HE, as well as we, can distinguish one from the other. It might be a stretch here but what the hell, in for a nickel, in for a pound! I think all God’s creatures indeed have a soul. I believe that the common thread here is the emotion and capacity of an for love within and between species…
You can find many stories and photos on Instagram of all manner of animals, domestic and wild, who have special loving relationships with humans and each other.
I am probably not the first to suggest that animals have a soul nor will I be the last. It seems to me that since God gave them uniqueness he intended to also give them the gift of eternal life. Since all animals are (except humans) motivated and directed by installed (inherited) instinct (genetic instructions) and since it’s been shown that all have a marvelous capacity to love, I believe they also are possessed with a soul. Further, when we look into their eyes an inner beauty, their soul looks back. Many of us feel and sense this.
Any of us who have watched the many amazing stories wildlife photographers have captured on film have seen the endless, effort, determination and loving care female animals expend on their young. The mama bears, foxes, wolves, dogs, kangaroos and all manner of critters devote their lives to insuring the safety and well-being of their young. This is every bit exactly as human mothers care for their babies.
When we humans lose out pets we grieve as much or perhaps more than we might over the loss of a relative. Grown tough men have tears flowing when their trusted old four footed pal breathes his last. I know I have cried and I’m a hard-hearted bastard. We remember the days of their short lives; we remember them as playful puppies and for all the days they were with us. How they loved and protected us, how they walked, ran and played with us…never, ever to be forgotten. I remember every one of my doggies, cats and horses -the remembering hurts as much today as ever.
Do we humans hope to one day be united with our best furry pals. Do we see ourselves crossing over that rainbow bridge and finding them all waiting with tails wagging? Perhaps, certainly many of us pray so.
When we enter the woods to walk the Appalachian Trail for example, taking you dog means you can sleep well knowing nothing can or will get close without Maxx letting you know. Maxx will fight any bear and almost always frightened them away. There is no perimeter protection that comes remotely close to doing the job that Maxx does!
MAXX, MY DOG
He was a good dog, as good as their kind get,
He, like all his pals, simply loved without question or reservation,
He trusted me and was there for me, always, but, at the end,
I was not there for him… I tried,
Maybe I loved him too much and maybe, not enough,
I loved him more than most people I know
Probably that’s a flaw, to love a dog too much…
Maxx ran as a pup on my farm, He chased the horses
and ran in the green fields under blue skies,
He ran with the wind and his joy was there,
Maxx learned to ride in my truck, if you asked about a car ride,
his big ears went up, head cocked, expectant and happy…
I took him with me as much as I could, everywhere,
He rode to Florida with me, to the beach, on my boat and on long walks,
Max was a good dog, big and strong, he was kind to cats and small dogs
Oh, there were some dogs he didn’t like, but only two I remember,
Max was a handsome dog, he trusted me, and I tried to be true to him, I tried.
His ear once needed a vet, the guy did a terrible job,
But Maxx trusted me and I tried. In the end, his hips were bad and only got worse,
I gave him shots and medicine, maybe not the right ones,
He got worse…he trusted me … I tried,
I had to go far away and he hated to see me pack,
He would lie down and look so sad, nothing could cheer him up and
I always went away…
When I came home, he was very happy, he knew the sound of my car,
his heart filled with joy, he always was there for me,
Maxx trusted me…and I tried,
When he was very bad and could hardly walk I had to go far away again,
I thought for only two weeks.. “Hey Maxx, I’ll be back,
I’ll see you once again. I never did…. I tried,
For Maxx, who left this life May 26th on a rainy day in 1996. Never forgotten..
We brought Iram from Russia. Iram was a big Shepherd, about a hundred pounds. He was trained to be a bomb finding dog, EOD (explosive ordinance detection). The good news for me was that he never found one. He lived with us for 11 years and we and he had a good and great life. Iram was smarter than any dog I ever had. He was able to communicate his thoughts with me. He was a rare dog who sensed his own impending death and in his last year, asked me to write his life story. Hard to believe but, nonetheless it’s true. I was just the translator. MY LIFE STORY by Iram. Read it at www.robert-j-firth.com.
So, today I’m here, I’m warm, I’m alive. I’m in my home, my things, collected over the years, surround me. My family is here, my wife, my dog, my cat. My car’s in the garage, I can take it and go. The ocean is close by, some old friends too. I’m alive and, if you’re reading this, so are you.
Of course, I know what the future will bring; it brings an end, to me, to you and to all living things. The absolute certainty of not being haunts us all. The fear of not being cannot be swept under the rug. We have our time and then, we’re out of time! AMAZON HARDBACK
Robert J. Firth
www.robert-j-firth.com
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Author: Robert J Firth
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