​​So, Beagle understands me when I tell her to stop shredding that $20 bill. Like most other commands, she must consider it more like a suggestion she chooses to ignore.

Do dogs really need a purpose? That question keeps rolling around in my head. Do giraffes have a purpose? What about cats? If dogs have a purpose, I believe it's greater than what they give humans, though what they give us is pretty special. I believe the love they show is a reflection of how God loves us; unconditionally. Even dogs that are mistreated still love their owners. I've never understood that. 

I avoid animal movies like animal shelters. Even though the pain at the shelter is real, the pain I feel when I watch an animal die in a movie is grief. I just put my beloved Tommy Boy to sleep a few weeks ago. Movie-grief doesn't touch the real thing, but it still taps into an emotion everyone dreads. Life is hard enough.  Did movie producers believe children could escape "Old Yeller" without severe psychological damage? Want more? "Bambi." "The Yearling," "Where the Red Fern Grows," "Sounder." Even comedies like "Turner and Hooch" and "Marley and Me" have heart-crushing endings. Now, a movie where a dog dies over and over to be instantly reincarnated into another dog. A new adventure, a new life. Watch the trailer and tell me what you think. I'm going to read up on it a little more to see if I can make it through without needing a good therapist afterward.  

Great story by The Washington Post that about how your fur coats can help orphan baby animals. 

This pit bull was stabbed in Knoxville while saving a woman from an attacker. Police officer got the boy to a vet. He's going to be put up for adoption once his wounds heal. Bet dozens of people want to adopt him.

This is the television news story about this boy who was named "Hero."

In the meantime, my Facebook page and my conversations have been heartbreakingly sad. So, I've finally decided to dust the snow off of this video to show you how much fun we had with Tommy and how I'm a klutz. You can ask my friends and family. Enjoy. Watch all the fun with Tommy and wait for about 29 seconds. Turn up the sound. You will have to play it repeatedly to get the full effect of the sound and movement. ​

In the meantime, my Facebook page and my conversations have been heartbreakingly sad. So, I've finally decided to dust the snow off of this video to show you how much fun we had with Tommy and how I'm a klutz. You can ask my friends and family. Enjoy. Watch all the fun with Tommy and wait for about 29 seconds. Turn up the sound. You will have to play it repeatedly to get the full effect of the sound and movement. 

​The watering "system" for my dogs: Each morning, fill a bowl the size of my bathroom sink with 2 gallons of water. Set it down in my kitchen on a lime green foam pad that says "woof." Done.

The key to this "system" is placement. If I'm rushed and don't notice the "woof'' pad is out of position, you can bet your butt; I'll tump it. Two gallons of water flowing across my kitchen floor. Good times.

The TORUS Watering System eliminates that calamity. At first glance, it's clear science and design easily beat my 2-gallon bowl method.  The TORUS 2-liter bowl looks a space ship, while the 1-litter is smaller and flatter, a sort of serving dish for a cat or small dog. Both sizes are available in pink, red, blue and charcoal. The system was created by New Zealand company Heyrex, which also designs other products to help pets stay healthy and to make things easier for pet owners. 

Bragging Points for TORUS WATERING SYSTEM: 

• Made from BPA food-grade material
• Easy Cleaning
• 1L & 2L stored water capacity
• Auto-refills without batteries
• Filters water as it dispenses
• Lock function for portability
• Monthly replacement filters
• Less refilling and fewer spills/mess
• Ergonomic, robust & durable design
• 12-month warranty
• Designed in New Zealand

The bowl has a dial on top with three positions. The first is a water faucet. You have to pull the dial straight up to open the bowl for filling. That's also where you put the single carbon filter it includes. You can buy more to replace it once a month. Since I live in Memphis, the tap is fine. 

Once it's filled it takes a little jiggering to replace the dial. The water is stored in a reservoir around the side of the bowl, which makes the weight-slosh a bit strange since you don't see the water. Once you set the bowl down, turn the dial to the wavy water signal with a drip. The bowl trickles out about a cup of water. Therein lies my problem. 

​The law says you must call 911, but you don't have to wait for law enforcement. If you cannot get the doors open,, you can break into the car to rescue the dog. You can render aid or take it to the nearest veterinary clinic. Just let someone know so they can tell the police officer. The police officer will deal with the owner, who could be charged with aggravated animal cruelty. 

​Please, don't just limit your search for animals. It's probably something none of us would ever expect to see in our lifetime, but you must check to see if there's any sign that a child might have ridden in the car. If you see toys or a car seat, stop and look inside. Check the floorboard.  

You can't case the car for a break in, but that quick look may save a child's life.

I'll leave you with some quotes from heatkills.org about the danger of leaving children or animals in cars. It says children have died in cars when temperatures are at 63 degrees. 

Never leave your pet in a parked car when the outside temperature is above 70 degrees. Not even with the windows partway down, not even in the shade, not even for a quick errand. Dogs and cats can’t sweat like humans, so they pant to lower their body temperature. If they’re inside a car, recycling very hot air, panting gives no relief, and heat stroke can happen quickly. – Michael Dix DVM, Medical Director, Best Friends Animal Society

“Children have died in cars with the temperature as low as 63 degrees. Basically the car becomes a greenhouse. At 70 degrees on a sunny day, after a half hour, the temperature inside a car is 104 degrees. After an hour, it can reach 113 degrees.”
– Jan Null, adjunct professor at San Francisco State University (source data here)



“Even on a relatively cool day, the temperature inside a parked car can quickly spike to life-threatening levels if the sun is out, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have found. They hope their findings will put to rest the misconception that a parked car can be a safe place for a child or pet in mild weather. ‘There are cases of children dying on days as cool as 70 degrees Fahrenheit,’* said lead author Catherine McLaren, MD, clinical instructor in emergency medicine. Though past research has documented the temperature spike inside a car on extremely hot days, this is the first time anyone has looked at cooler days, she added.”
– Stanford University press release: “Parked cars get dangerously hot, even on cool days, Stanford study finds” (2005)