Yesterday Leaping Lizard Barks-a-Lot, aka Lizzie, aka Lizardbreath, left her life of being a farm dog. At 14 years of age, it wasn't that she died young. No, she had a full life.....the life of a farm dog. Contrary to what animal rights people would like us to believe, Lizzie had a life that she loved. True, she was never inside a house a day of her life. Never slept in a human bed. But she had the freedom and adventures no house dog has the opportunity to enjoy. She roamed, explored, and intimately knew about 30 acres on a farm. She seriously kept a watchful eye on the place. In her way she defended it against rats, mongooses, feral cats, feral pigs. She announced the presence of every human or vehicle that entered the premises. In her own mind, she kept the neighbor's cows and horses from entering her farm. She kept an ever watchful eye on the fence line between the properties. She took her job seriously.
Lizzie was a fine dog. Smart. Observant. Quick to learn. Devoted to her owner. Bonded to her farm. She was no particular breed of dog, but that didn't matter.
Every time I saw Lizzie she was happy. I'm sure she had her down days, but they weren't often. She always seemed not only content to be a farm dog, but self satisfied with her lot.
Lizzie wasn't one of my own farm dogs. No. She belonged to a friend. My friend had a very great dog, a very great farm dog.
This is sad news! I know it leaves a Lizze-shaped hole in your heart. But I love reading how she lived a life of true canine purpose - something denied to most dogs today.
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