Why dogs are infinitely better than people

My best friend died yesterday. His name was Buddy and he came into my life 11 years ago. I found him wandering the street near a new house I was building and he approached me with a badly injured front leg. He was about 8 weeks old. He didn’t just wag his tail; he wagged his whole body.

I picked him up and canvassed the neighborhood, knocking on every door until I found a lady who told me that her sister had just moved into her house with her kids and the puppy. The kids had been kicking the dog; that’s why his leg was injured. I said that he was going home with me, and named him Buddy then and there. When I arrived home, my wife took one look at him and said “Hello Buddy”. (Apparently, I had picked the right name.)

Buddy was diagnosed with cancer a year ago. The vet said it was untreatable and I might have a month or more with him. He went everywhere with me, sitting beside me in the van as I did my work each day. I was the last person he saw when I took him to the vet for the final time. As hard as it was, I knew I did the right thing. He loved me, and I loved him.

I value loyalty above all else.  I guess that’s why I love dogs so much. I cannot explain how much my dogs mean to me. Tell me "It's just a dog" and I'll tell you "You're just and idiot".

When I have explained this to people, I have been told I am stupid, or insane; that dogs are dirty, that they have no morals, and they’re inherently evil.  

The difference between dogs and people is that a dog will always be there for you. If you trust or have faith in people, it’s not a matter of IF they’ll let you down, but when.   A dog will never be too busy for you.   A dog will never disparage you, and they always listen non-judgmentally.   Dogs are true friends.

People will be nice to your face while they stab you in the back. They will tell you that they’ll be there for you through thick or thin, but when push comes to shove, they will always let you down when you need them most.     They will take, and take, and take.   Most people subscribe to the Janet Jackson theory: “What have you done for me lately?  A dog doesn’t care if you’re famous, successful, rich, or good looking.  (Lucky for me)  They love you for you without using you to their own advantage.

I have had a wife, children, many so-called friends, and many dogs.  Not a single one of my dogs has ever abandoned me when I needed them.  None of my dogs has ever stolen from me, talked about me behind my back, betrayed my trust or been disloyal.    I can’t say the same thing about a single person I have ever met. 

With dogs, what you see is what you get.  Consistent, unconditional love, and absolute, 100% loyalty.  Their only fault is that they die too soon. No matter how little money and how few possessions you own, having a dog makes you rich. Before you get a dog, you can’t quite imagine what living with one might be like: afterwards, you can’t imagine living any other way.

Goodbye Buddy. I wish I was half as good a person as you thought I was. You didn’t belong to me; we belonged to each other.