Had to share...

[Vitani]

I know the rules about posting links, etc, but felt that this particular one wouldn't break any ( please let me know if it does )

This article caught my eye and, although I wound up with tears in my eyes, I don't regret reading it:

http://www.slate.com/id/2180065/?gt1=10837

Please be warned that it deals with death, so don't read it if you are overly sensitive to the subject. That being said...It was a wonderful insight into a very special group of volunteers - We have them here too, using not just dogs but all sorts, one woman has an Alpaca....And they really deserve much more recognition for the work they do.

Don't want to cause arguments over this, but would love to hear others opinions...They do a service to the community most of us never even think about...But an hour out of their day can mean the world to an elderly or infirm person, and can help ease the transition for those about to depart...

Rambly rambly, I apologize, but things like this I'm passionate about...

[cutepony]

soooooooooooo sad

[greenpen]

[Angelicious]

The paragraph about Maria made we well up like a baby.
I'd almost go as far as to say that dogs like that are heroes just as much as police and firemen are. They save people - though from a different kind of danger. How can somewhat not be passionate about this?

[mash]

[Queso]

That was an amazing article, thanks so much for sharing!

[Galen]

I read an amazing article about a cat that lived in the nursing home. The only time the cat would sit on someone's lap was when they were going to die within the next 12 hours. The staff learned to trust this cat so much that when the cat would decide to cuddle with a patient, the staff would call the family to let them know that it was their opportunity to say good bye. An amazing article. The cat was only wrong once in 5 years....

[Des_and_Tay]

The Sam thing made me cry.

It's amazing, though...if humans didn't, I swear dogs could run the world :]

[ChocolateGal]

I'm usually no a type of crying person but this one did bring tears to my eyes. I saw the last Blackadder last night and it was really sad at the end when they went over the top and they were shot uselessly. Mum told me that this is what used to happened in the war. Stupid officers would tell the troops to have a big "push" over the wall and not ne would survive. After i went to bed a went to sleep thinking about it and woke up crying. Even as i'm writing this tears are streaming down my face. I really thought the one about Sam was really passionate. If fact i thought all of it was really good. I've been thinkng about hte Blackadder thing that as the actors all turned out famous people (Rowan Atkinson is Mr Bean, Johnny English and preistin Four Weddings and a furneral. Tony Robinson is present of Time Team and Wosrt Jobs in Hostory and Hugh Laurie who is in Stuart Little and House. But all the other soldiers in the real war couldn't just walk away and do somthing else. Alot of deaths could of been prevented. Problems these day (cancer, tumours, demensia) shouldn't take wonderful lives away just like the war did.

[mash]

Oh my, another Blackadder fan....

I love Blackadder, that final episode is VERY emotional though. You laugh all the way through then it brings you back to reality with a allmighty crash. Very cleaver.

**Back to the topic in hand**

Animals are amazing creatures. I have a friend that is epileptic and her Golden Retriever sits and barks at her for ages when she's due to have a fit. She then goes somewhere safe and sure enough within 10-20 mins she has a fit. Uncanny really how they can sense something like that.
Maybe they can sense the change in the chemicals that we "Give off".

[ChocolateGal]