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In the heat of the summer, the grasses and weeds in some of the vacant yards grow rather tall, and it was in one of these weedy yards the puppy was lying. At the sound of our car passing by she lifted her head just enough to be glimpsed. When we approached her, again she raised her head but not with the eager interest of a healthy puppy. She was entirely lethargic and very skinny; clearly she was in distress of some sort. There were no other puppies around, no mother dog, no person. We put her in the car and she waited quietly as we finished the alley route. A veterinary examination located her problem. She had a severe case of coccidia, a common parasite that can bring down the strongest animal, but puppies and kittens become weak and die from coccidia very quickly. The good news for this little girl is that we found her in time, and a week’s worth of daily medication got her back on her feet and into the spirit of pure puppiness.
She’s now a member of a household with feline companions as well as a person, all of whom she sometimes drives a little batty with her boundless energy and constant need to play.
If you can get going without pep pills, If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains, If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles, If you can eat the same food everyday and be grateful for it, If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time, If you can overlook it when those you love take it out on you when no fault of yours, something goes wrong, If you can take criticism and blame without resentment, If you can ignore a friend's limited education and never correct him, If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend, If you can face the world without lies and deceit, If you can conquer tension without medical help, If you can relax without liquor, If you can sleep without the aid of drugs, If you can say honestly that deep in your heart you have no prejudice against creed, color, religion or politics, Then, my friend you are almost as good as your dog. Author Unknown |
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