Have you heard about Hachiko?
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| Photo from Wikipedia |
He's an Akita dog born in Japan. His loyalty to his human, Hideasaburo Ueno, even long after his death, made him famous in Japan and all over the world. This was even made into a Hollywood movie featuring Richard Gere as Ueno.
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| Photo from IMDB |
When Ueno was still alive, Hachiko would always wait for him at the Shibuya Station and they'd walk home together. He did this every single day until Ueno died of cerebral hemorrhage and did not return to the station. For nine years after Ueno's death, Hachiko would go to the station at the exact time Ueno's train usually arrived. His faithfulness and loyalty impressed the Japanese so much that several Hachiko statues were erected in his memory. In Shibuya Station alone, there are two ways Hachiko is remembered. One is with the statue near one of Shibuya Station's five exits called Hachiko-guchi (The Hachiko Entrance/Exit). There are also bronze paw-prints on the exact spot where Hachiko always waited.
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| Photo from Annemarie O'Brien |
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| Photo from funzday and dogvacay |
I think we've all heard, at one point or another, an excuse (whether for us or for another person) that goes something like this "Well, you know... it's not his fault... you can't really blame him for doing that... I mean, he experienced (insert bad experience here)."
I'm a firm believer of Randy Pausch's quote, "It's not about the cards you're dealt, but how you play the hand." While it's true that we are who we are because of our past and the people we're with, it's also true that IT'S ALL UP TO US. I've heard stories where people who've had bad experiences (physical abuse, etc) become abusers themselves. I've also heard stories where people, who've had the same experiences, become inspirations. What made them different? Their CHOICES. How about dogs? Do they have a choice? A say in things? I don't have any scientific fact to back this up, but I think they do in abusive cases. Same with people, I also hear stories about dogs becoming violent because they're in violent/abusive environments all their lives. But there are also those who become meek, seeking affection from other people.
But how about if we place people and dogs in a different environment? I've heard stories about kids whose parents, while good people, don't have time for them because of work, etc. Some of these kids turn out brats, druggies, criminals, etc. While some turn out...normal. It is in these situations that dogs have the upper hand, I believe. I have 2 dogs, Hershey and Frappy. I also have friends who are pet-parents. Usually, the stories are the same. We're very busy, we have 9-5 jobs, we go out with friends, we go out with families, etc. And in the small amount of time we're home, we're so tired we rest, watch TV, surf the net and do other mundane things. What about our babies? What do they do? Do they act out? Ignore you? Become bratty? NO EFFIN WAY. Instead, they're all happy and excited, full of love, and shaking with joy, whenever they see you. They eat up the small amount of time we give them, if we do at all. And when we're too busy to play? It's ok. When you wake up the next morning, it's like nothing even happened. Our babies are still their same, lovable, hyper and loyal selves. Wow, right? That's what you call unconditional love.
I'm not saying dogs are better than humans, oh most deinfitely not. I guess this whole post is really to share that dogs are blessings. We should take care of them. We should be responsible pet owners because they are not things we own. They are family members and, like our human families, crave time and affection from us. They have feelings and deserve our love and attention. If you can't give it to them? Well, you DON'T DESERVE TO BE A PET PARENT. Your babies might seem ok and unruffled, but really, IT'S NOT OK.
I will end this post with three wonderful photos which hopefully inspires you guys, not just to be good per parents, but to be good people. :D
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| Photo from squidoo |
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| Photo from bestimagequotes |
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| Photo from jotoexplorer |
