Farewell puppy Caine, your light lives on

I don't want this to be a depressing blog post so I'm trying to find the so called "silver lining" in this story of Mama Petunia and her puppies.  The eleven week old puppy Caine died Saturday afternoon of an enlarged heart.  Instead of a lingering death, Caine was happily playing outside in the grass when his heart just stopped.

This story has had several heartbreaking turns but it has also captured the hearts and attention of people all over the world, and the hope is that more will join the fight to help rescue and save this breed.  Pit bulls have such a bad reputation, and granted, there have been horrible cases of humans who were badly injured or even killed by pit bulls.  But in reality, they are probably the most affectionate, loyal and forgiving among all the breeds of dogs.  The fault is squarely at the door of the humans who cruelly use them for what they call "entertainment" and of course for money. The dog isn't the problem, but people are.  However, for every cruel person who is guilty of abusing these creatures, there are so many others who want to help them.

And why are so many dedicated to helping dogs?  It's because these animals are an anchor in what can be a gray, dark and troubled world and they demonstrate what we wish all mankind could practice:  unconditional love and forgiveness, a loyalty that knows no bounds, and an innate sense of wanting to comfort us when we are sad, lonely or sick.  Just as importantly, they have enormous capacity to play and just enjoy the moment they are living.  They feel and live joy in a way that is difficult for us to understand at times.  We see that same joy in young children but it seems to disappear as we get older.  But dogs bring that joy back to us not matter what our age may be.

So, instead of being sad, we should use the light that puppy Caine brought into the lives of so many who didn't even know him, and use that light to do something good for someone or some animal.  And just in case any of you want to donate to Pittie Rescue in the Chicagoland area, they are in need of your time, medical supplies, daily supplies, the list is long.  If you don't have money to spare, they would love your time.  You can also make purchases for them directly from Amazon.  Disclaimer:  Pittie Rescue does not even know about this blog so they are not the ones responsible for this request.  It is entirely my own.

We have to use the bad things that happen in life to do good.  It is the only way.

Naomi