Why Title This Blog "What We Owe to Dogs"?

As this blog progresses many posts will simply be dog-related: anecdotes, memories, random thoughts, and a few plugs for rescue activities in my locale: Jacksonville, Florida.  However, many will reflect my deep-seated belief that humans have reneged on a contract, a partnership, that they formed with these animals thousands of years ago.

Humans created dogs as we know them now.  We designed and adapted them to play specific roles in a partnership.  Some of those roles were positive, but all too often we asked dogs to perform tasks that were unpleasant or unsavoury.  Unfailingly they performed those roles and the only cost to us was food and companionship.  Yet, although the dogs required so little, although they asked so little, somewhere along the way many humans decided that even this cost was too high.  Worse still, many seem to have decided that these animals do not even deserve a modicum of dignity.  Abuse, abandonment, downright cruelty are often the currency with which these loyal partners and companions are repaid. As a tough economy hits hard even some who thought of themselves as dog-lovers have abandoned their companions .

I realize that there are many true lovers of these beautiful creatures. The cruelty and neglect is not exhibited by everyone, but even a few abusers--and there seems to be more than a few--can cause untold suffering. So what do we owe to dogs?  I contend that we owe them at least the same love, care, companionship, and protection that they have given to us.