I hadn’t been thinking about Walter at all, I guess, that night I locked up the geese. But one morning, when I went in to split some kindling for him, I noticed that his couch was no longer by the window.
“Oh, but the days do be long now!” he told me. “I keep thinkin’ about them geese of yours,” he said. “I do miss seein’ them go by the window! I keep thinkin’ if I was a goose and you was to give me the choice between bein’ a safe prisoner or flyin’ free, and maybe gettin’ my neck bit off, I know what I’d choose!”
Next morning I let the geese out of the shed, and I locked up the dogs. And the geese took off and went shrieking around the farm and over the house and through the trees till I thought they would drop from sheer fatigue.
“Heck no, they’re not tired! ”Walter said. “Can’t you hear them laughing up there?”
He had his couch smack tight to the window again. I’ll go in one morning, I thought, and find him dead on that couch.
But I was wrong about that. They found him one soft, misty, green morning in April about halfway back to the woods. He had a little pack on his back and a pair of field glasses.
Maybe, if some of you happen to cross over before I do, you might tell Walter for me that the geese are still flying free. He shouldn’t be hard to find, because if things are like they say they are over there, he’ll have had no trouble making it all the way to the woods this time.
H. Gordon Green
Of Dogs and Angels
During my years in animal welfare work—I served as the president of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals—I have heard wonderful stories about the power of the human-animal bond. One of my favorites is about a girl and her very special dog.
When the girl was born, her parents were stationed with the U.S. Army overseas. The tiny baby spiked a fever of 106 degrees and when they couldn’t help her at the military base, the baby and her family were flown home to the United States where she could receive the proper medical care.
The alarming fever kept recurring, but the baby survived. When the episode was over, the child was left with thirteen different seizure causes, including epilepsy. She had what was called multiple seizure syndrome and had several seizures every day. Sometimes she stopped breathing.
As a result, the little girl could never be left alone. She grew to be a teenager and if her mother had to go out, her father or brothers had to accompany her everywhere, including to the bathroom, which was awkward for everyone involved. But the risk of leaving her alone was too great and so, for lack of a better solution, things went on in this way for years.
The girl and her family lived near a town where there was a penitentiary for women. One of the programs there was a dog-training program. The inmates were taught how to train dogs to foster a sense of competence, as well as to develop a job skill for the time when they left the prison. Although most of the women had serious criminal backgrounds, many made excellent dog trainers and often trained service dogs for the handicapped while serving their time.
The girl’s mother read about this program and contacted the penitentiary to see if there was anything they could do for her daughter. They had no idea how to train a dog to help a person in the girl’s condition, but her family decided that a companion animal would be good for the girl, as she had limited social opportunities and they felt she would enjoy a dog’s company.
The girl chose a random-bred dog named Queenie and together with the women at the prison, trained her to be an obedient pet.
But Queenie had other plans. She became a “seizure-alert” dog, letting the girl know when a seizure was coming on, so that the girl could be ready for it.
I heard about Queenie’s amazing abilities and went to visit the girl’s family and meet Queenie. At one point during my visit, Queenie became agitated and took the girl’s wrist in her mouth and started pulling her towards the living room couch. Her mother said, “Go on now. Listen to what Queenie’s telling you.”
The girl went to the couch, curled up in a fetal position, facing the back of the couch and within moments started to seize. The dog jumped on the couch and wedged herself between the back of the couch and the front of the girl’s body, placing her ear in front of the girl’s mouth. Her family was used to this performance, but I watched in open-mouthed astonishment as the girl finished seizing and Queenie relaxed with her on the couch, wagging her tail and looking for all the world like an ordinary dog, playing with her mistress.
Then the girl and her dog went to the girl’s bedroom as her parents and I went to the kitchen for coffee. A little while later, Queenie came barreling down the hallway, barking. She did a U-turn in the kitchen and then went racing back to the girl’s room.
“She’s having a seizure,” the mother told me. The girl’s father got up, in what seemed to me a casual manner for someone whose daughter often stopped breathing, and walked back to the bedroom after Queenie.
My concern must have been evident on my face because the girl’s mother smiled and said, “I know what you’re thinking, but you see, that’s not the bark Queenie uses when my daughter stops breathing.”
I shook my head in amazement. Queenie, the self-taught angel, proved to me once again how utterly foolish it is to suppose that animals don’t think or can’t communicate.
Roger Caras
More Chicken Soup?
Many of the stories and poems you have read in this book were submitted by readers like you who had read earlier Chicken Soup for the Soul books. We publish at least five or six Chicken Soup for the Soul books every year. We invite you to contribute a story to one of these future volumes.
Stories may be up to twelve hundred words and must uplift or inspire. You may submit an original piece or something you clip out of the local newspaper, a magazine, a church bulletin or a company newsletter. It could also be your favorite quotation you’ve put on your refrigerator door or a personal experience that has touched you deeply.
Send a copy of your stories and other pieces to the following address:
Chicken Soup for the Soul
P.O. Box 30880 • Santa Barbara, CA 93130
fax: 805-563-2945
Web sites: www.chickensoup.com
www.clubchickensoup.com
We will be sure that both you and the author are credited for your submission.
For information about speaking engagements, other books, audiotapes, workshops and training programs, please contact any of the authors directly.
Problems with Your Pet?
Do you have a pet that continues to bite, bark, dig, chew, scratch or make messes despite repeated warnings or punishment? Have you thought about kicking it out of bed, out of the house, or worse?
Unrealistic expectations and lack of understanding about pet behavior has resulted in millions of innocent pets being taken to shelters and euthanized each year, along with the accompanying human guilt and grief.
The key to understanding your animal’s behavior is to first understand that it’s not “a little person” but a proud member of another species. All animals instinctively act like they would in the wild, unless we teach them otherwise. Without proper training, it’s just a matter of time until the pet behaves in a way that is natural to them, but that runs counter to people’s wishes. Sadly, the pet pays the ultimate price.
There are solutions! If you or someone you know has a pet with a behavior problem, ask your veterinarian where to obtain accurate information and referrals to trained behaviorists.
Individuals who have raised and trained animals for decades are getting better results with new, gentler methods. People are learning that they can teach an old cat new tricks, such as using a scratching post or a litter box. They’re also learning that love, patience and kindness are far more effective tools for training a dog than a belt or the back of a hand.
Join us in eliminating the needless killing of pets for treatable behavior problems. Ask your veterinarian for advice or referral, or contact:
/> American Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals
Behavior Hotline (212) 876-7700 xHELP (#4357)
www.aspca.org
American Veterinary Medical Association
(847) 925-8070
www.avma.org
American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior
Referrals to a veterinary behaviorist
[email protected] Animal Behavior Society
Listing of certified applied animal behaviorists
Fax (812) 856-5542
www.animalbehavior.org (select applied behavior section)
More Resources
Television
When you land on Animal Planet, you’re in for a surprise. It’s everything you love on TV but with an animal twist! Action. Adventure. Comedy. Pet care shows. Even sports. Shows like Emergency Vets, The Crocodile Hunter, Petsburgh U.S.A. and the world’s most fascinating wildlife documentaries. Animal Planet . . . it brings out the human in us. Visit them at www.animalplanet.com for great tips on pet behavior problems.
Internet
Petopia.com (www.petopia.com), the “Internet Pet Paradise,” is the most comprehensive pet site on the Internet, offering quality products and useful, objective information. Petopia.com’s goal is to be pet lovers’ absolute and most-trusted resource for caring for their pets. Petopia.com has joined Dr. Marty Becker, his coauthors and Health Communications, Inc., in the “Million Pet Mercy Mission,” a bold crusade to find loving homes for 1 million of the estimated 6 million pets that will be euthanized—for often treatable behavior problems— nationwide in the year 2000. For online help and solutions, visit Dr. Becker at www.petopia.com.
Magazines
Rodale’s Pets: part of the family focuses on all aspects of the people-pet partnership—emotional, physical and spiritual. It also provides specific ways of improving problematic behavior that can ruin this relationship. There is a book series and Public Television series also called Pets: part of the family. Hosted by Gary Burghoff—“Radar” on the M*A*S*H series, the show covers a wide variety of heartwarming and practical segments on all kinds of pets. For more information visit their Web site at: www.petspartofthefamily.com.
Products
For behavior management information or for a referral, visit www.gentleleader.com.
Organizations Dedicated to Helping Pets
In an ongoing effort to return a portion of the priceless gifts that pets give mankind, part of the proceeds from Chicken Soup for the Cat and Dog Lover’s Soul will be donated to the following organizations. Contact them directly for more information and join us in supporting them generously.
American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF)
Committed to the special relationship between people and pets, the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) fosters animal health and well-being by funding treatment for animals injured in disasters, promoting the bond between people and animals, supporting studies to save and improve the lives of animals, and enhancing veterinary education.
Disasters pose a huge threat to the bond we share. Fortunately, the AVMF can be a source of help and hope as floods, hurricanes, fires and tornadoes continue to devastate our country each year. A partnership between the AVMF, the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Red Cross is helping to establish the resources and networks to address this issue.
You can support the AVMF by sending a contribution to: 1931 N. Meacham Rd., Schaumburg, IL 60173-4360. You can also reach them by calling 800-248-2862, ext. 207, by e-mail at
[email protected], or by visiting their Web site at www.avma.org/avmf.
Actors and Others for Animals
Actors and Others for Animals is a powerful and tireless force against animal cruelty worldwide. Using celebrity power, but supported entirely by donations, this nonprofit organization provides spay/neuter outreach, disaster relief, in-school humane education programs, pet-assisted therapy, help-line referrals and emergency veterinary subsidies. Support Actors and Others for Animals: P.O. Box 33473, Granada Hills, CA 91394, 818-386-5870.
Best Friends Animal Sanctuary
There are never fewer than eighteen hundred dogs and cats and other animals at the sanctuary and, once they come to Best Friends, these once-sad little faces are guaranteed a life that makes up for whatever went before. Support the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary: Kanab, UT 84741-5001, 435-644-2001,
[email protected], www.bestfriends.org.
The American Humane Association (AHA)
Since 1877, AHA has been the national leader in identifying and preventing the causes of animal abuse and neglect. Programs include: advocacy to improve welfare of pets; promoting adoptions and curbing pet overpopulation; supporting animal shelters with training/grants/educational materials; emergency animal relief during natural disasters; legislation to protect pets, wildlife and lab animals; and protecting animal actors in film and TV productions. Support the AHA: 63 Inverness Dr. East, Englewood, CO 80112, 303-792-9900, www.americanhumane.org.
The Argus Center
Colorado State University, in Fort Collins, has created an innovative program called The Argus Center to develop Bond-Centered approaches to the practice of veterinary medicine. The Argus Center aims to support and train veterinarians in expanding their roles as healers to include providing pet owners with education, resource referral and emotional support thereby helping to create and strengthen Bond-Centered Families. Support The Argus Center; W102 Anatomy, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, 970-491-5786.
The Ark Trust
The Ark Trust, via its annual Genesis Awards, honors outstanding individuals in the major news and entertainment media for spotlighting animal issues with courage, creativity and integrity. The star-studded gala, airing as a TV special on Animal Planet, reflects The Ark Trust motto: Cruelty Can’t Stand the Spotlight! The Ark Trust, founded by Gretchen Wyler, also takes direct action on animal-protection issues, propelling them into the media spotlight throughout the year. Support The Ark Trust, Inc.: 5551 Balboa Blvd., Encino, CA 91316, 818-501-2275,
[email protected], www.arktrust.org.
The People-Pet Partnership (PPP)
The PPP continues founder Dr. Bustad’s Bond work through its community service programs and through its research on animal-assisted therapy for special populations. In addition to taking the Bond into care facilities, volunteers provide therapeutic riding lessons for people with disabilities. They also, “get ’em while they’re young” through a K-6 curriculum guide Learning and Living Together: Building the Human-Animal Bond. Support the PPP: Box 647010, WSU, Pullman WA 99164-7010, 509-335-4569,
[email protected], www.vetmed. Wsu.edu/depts-pppp.
Who Is Jack Canfield?
Jack Canfield grew up surrounded by animals of every kind.
There were always at least one dog—mostly collies and German shepherds, along with an occasional mutt—and two or three cats, plus hamsters, gerbils, rabbits, parakeets, white mice, box turtles, tropical fish, racoons, a horse, a cow, a goat, and eventually a kennel full of rambunctious Afghan hounds. This love of animals led to an adult life filled with a series of wonderful dogs—a Samoyed, an English sheepdog and a golden retriever—as well as too many cats to keep track of, all of which have always become members of the family with full run of the house. Jack is currently the proud owner of one dog, two cats and two pet rabbits, as well as a pond full of magnificent koi and goldfish.
Jack Canfield is one of America’s leading experts in the development of human potential and personal effectiveness. He is both a dynamic, entertaining speaker and a highly sought-after trainer.
He is the author and narrator of several bestselling audio- and videocassette programs, including the twenty-six-book Chicken Soup for the Soul series, Dare to Win, Self-Esteem and Peak Performance, How to Build High Self-Esteem, Self-Esteem in the Classroom and Chicken Soup for the Soul—Live. He is regularly seen on television shows such as Good Mornin
g America, 20/20 and NBC Nightly News.
Jack is a regularly featured speaker for professional associations, school districts, government agencies, churches, hospitals, sales organizations and corporations.
For further information about Jack’s books, tapes and training programs, or to schedule him for a presentation, please contact:
The Canfield Training Group
P.O. Box 30880 • Santa Barbara, CA 93130
phone: 800-237-8336 • fax: 805-563-2945
Web site: http://www.chickensoup.com
to send e-mail:
[email protected] to receive information via e-mail:
[email protected] Who Is Mark Victor Hansen?
Mark Victor Hansen is a professional speaker who, in the last twenty years, has made over four thousand presentations to more than 2 million people in thirty-two countries. His presentations cover sales excellence and strategies; personal empowerment and development; and how to triple your income and double your time off.
Mark has spent a lifetime dedicated to his mission of making a profound and positive difference in people’s lives. Throughout his career, he has inspired hundreds of thousands of people to create a more powerful and purposeful future for themselves while stimulating the sale of billions of dollars worth of goods and services.
Mark is a prolific writer and has authored Future Diary, How to Achieve Total Prosperity and The Miracle of Tithing. He is coauthor of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, Dare to Win and The Aladdin Factor (all with Jack Canfield) and The Master Motivator (with Joe Batten).
Mark has also produced a complete library of personal empowerment audio- and videocassette programs that have enabled his listeners to recognize and use their innate abilities in their business and personal lives. His message has made him a popular television and radio personality, with appearances on ABC, NBC, CBS, HBO, PBS and CNN. He has also appeared on the cover of numerous magazines, including Success, Entrepreneur and Changes.