In 1994, I underwent corrective surgery because my stomach had broken through my diaphragm and had moved to a place behind my heart. To make a long story short, the surgeons botched the surgery and I spent the next three years in bed, more dead than alive.
Several months into my illness, a stray Bassett hound showed up at our doorstep begging for food. She was covered with ticks and was so skinny her ribs were clearly outlined. My daughter removed the ticks, bathed and fed her and then brought her into my room.
I fell in love with her the moment I saw her, and she made her presence known almost immediately. She jumped onto my bed and curled up against my back as dogs often do when they sense a human is ill.
For the next thirteen years, she was my constant companion and rarely left my side. I owe part of my recovery to her.
One day she raced into my room and barked, and then spun in circles. I reached down to pet her, but she pushed my hand away and ran to the door. When I failed to get the message, she repeated the routine until I finally realized she wanted me to follow her. She led me to our living room where my father was lying face down on the floor in the midst of a heart attack. We rushed him to the hospital, and after he was stabilized, the doctor pulled me aside and told me if we had been five minutes later, he wouldn’t have survived.
Our Bassett hound had saved my father’s life.
That act of love was only one of many she gave to our family over the years.
Three years ago, she had a seizure while I was walking her. Before we could rush her to the vet, she vomited blood. She was diagnosed with a large tumor and we were told she would soon die. The day she died I wept as if I had lost a member of my family.
I am sharing this story because the Republicans in the Missouri state legislature are set to repeal the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act, which was approved by the Missouri voters last year. The Governor, Jay Nixon, a Democrat, has not yet indicated if he will support their efforts to overturn the bill. I am asking anyone who loves animals to contact Governor Nixon and let him know, the Republicans efforts are inhumane, and he needs to veto the bill if it reaches his desk.
Here is a link to his contact information:
http://governor.mo.gov/...
I’m sorry if this has already been posted, but it has been weighing on my mind this morning and I wanted to remind our members to call.