The Divinity Of Dogs

The Divinity Of Dogs

A veteran principal was leaving a very difficult meeting.
Although the school board had cut the budget every way possible, the
town council was demanding far more savings. But where? Fire a
teacher? Eliminate music or art? Additionally the school system was
in a challenging transition from being part of a three town unit to
becoming a small and vulnerable stand alone. It's no wonder that this
good man walked as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders
until a creature with deep, wise eyes and a swiftly wagging tail
greeted him with the ardor of a teen at a concert. Whatever else was
going on in the world, when he was with that precious dog that
dedicated professional had himself a little bit of heaven. You could
see his cares melt away.
All too often we call our companion animals pets, implying that
we own them in the same way we possess a car or flat screen tv. We
buy and surrender them on the flimsiest of reasons. Recall how
chihuahuas flooded shelters when pocketbook pups became passe? Not to
mention how we breed to get more exotic strains. It's sinful, that's
what it is, especially when by Biblical standards the four footers
have us left way behind. Thinking as I do, I was delighted when I saw
Jennifer Skiff's The Divinity of Dogs on the Orono Public Library's
new book shelves.
At the beginning of the book Skiff informs us that in Hebrew the
word for dog is Kev-lev which means "full of heart." That's basically
the theme of the book. The dozens of dogs portrayed in stories and
pictures are full of heart and soul and bravery and loyalty and
unconditional love and uncanny smarts.
*Little Bit, purchased from a lady selling puppies in a basket, a
probable chihuahua, nosed her person's breast until she went to see a
doctor. A pea sized cancer was discovered and removed.
*Coco, a Yorkie-Poo eased a 13-year old Russian orphan's transition to
a new country and adoptive home.
*Cooper, a Shih Tzu, helped his people, unable to bear children or to
adopt, to find meaningful involvement with the children in their
neighborhood.
*Bo, a boxer, prevented his person from killing herself following her
son's death.
*Molly, a Doberman, saved her people from death by lightning strike.
*Ziva, a golden retriever, helped a five-year-old autistic boy to say
his first word. (The picture accompanying this story is about my
favorite in the book. It shows a large, gentle dog seeming to
converse with a very small bird perched on her paw.)...
And there are so many more precious fur covered angels depicted
in this amazing book. If you're a dog lover you gotta read it. If
you enjoy books that touch your very soul you'll want to read it. If
you're bowed down under the troubles of this world and not sure
there's anything worth caring about you need this book more than
anyone else.
But don't stop at reading. If you aren't in a position to adopt
a furever friend there are many good organizations listed that could
use help. Also we all need to speak up for the sentient beings with
whom we share the planet. For instance next Easter if a friend is
considering putting something live in the kids' baskets you can remind
him that fuzzball chicks morph into smelly awkward critters that poop
everywhere and rabbits have a lot of special needs. Cut down on the
number of critters abandoned when they outgrow cuteness.
I think the author of Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner put it best.
"He liveth best
Who loveth best
All creatures great and small.
For the same God
Who made us
He made and loveth all."
On a personal note, I just have to share this memory from my college
years. I was attending Gordon College, a Christian college in
Massachusetts. Bible classes and chapel were mandatory. I was
involved in quite the debate on whether or not cats would be in
heaven. The people on the other side maintained that cats, lacking
the cognitive powers to grasp salvation requirements, would be
noticably absent. I was sure they were wrong. A benevolent Diety
would not condemn innocent creatures to eternal damnation. Not to
mention how could heaven be heaven without cats? We had a famous or
at least semi famous theologian speak at chapel. When I shook his
hand I asked if he'd like to have lunch my treat in the school
cafeteria with me and my friends. A professor told me that was a kind
offer but he was being taken to a nice restaurant. Fortunately the
theologian had had his fill of nice restaurants and wanted to try the
cafeteria. I was told to not bring the cat thing up. Obedience was
not my forte. I was assured that cats would indeed be in heaven and I
would be surrounded by them. I'm sure the same is true for dogs.
A great big shout out goes out to all who tend to the dogs, cats, and
other creatures who are tortured, neglected, and abandoned and deserve
a whole lot better.
Julia Emily Hathaway




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