Were it only to learn benevolence to humankind, we should be merciful to other creatures.
~ Plutarch
I take our dog, Furphy, everywhere I go. He is a little Lhasa apso and gets all the hellos and greetings when we are out.
In my therapy groups, he always knows when the sessions are over and lets me now it’s time to take him for a walk. I point this out to the group members, hoping they will follow his example and learn to speak up when they have needs.
In one group, a man was sharing a tragic story about his cancer when the room was filled with the sound of someone snoring. The speaker was very upset that someone would be so uncaring as to fall asleep while he was speaking about his anguish. When the listeners pointed to Furphy, the snoring culprit, the speaker and everyone in the room burst into laughter.
Furphy is an excellent therapist and knows when a good laugh is needed or when a little attention is necessary. God grant that some day we will be as kind to animals as they are to us.
Adopt a pet or two and experience pet therapy every day.