Angels Are Dog Owners, Too.

We often talk about how good dogs go to heaven, but we often miss the part about what they do once they get there.  Well, like most people, I believe all good dogs in heaven have good owners, too.  I also believe they need a daily walk just as much as dogs on earth do. However, I also wonder if the care dogs receive in heaven is underestimated by us all.

So here I am, sitting at home, when the phone rings.  It’s my sister-in-law, Michelle. She tells me her eldest son is at the local high school and the vehicle he is driving has failed to turn over. In a sense, he is stranded. She asked me if I would swing by her home to pick her up so we can decide what to do with the vehicle from that location. Her desperate words to me were, “This car cannot breakdown. I depend on it for everything.”

After tweaking under the vehicle hood, we consider the option of towing the car home instead of trying to determine the source of an electrical problem as Colorado winds of 16 miles per hour blow through our present location.  Now, I am not an auto mechanic and I have no aspirations of trying to become one. So for me, towing is always good option. Just as Michelle started dialing the phone number to quicken our impending vehicle rescue, I observe a very nice elderly couple approaching us from behind. With them, were two beautiful dogs leashed and coming our way through the park next to the school.

As they approached, what I had failed to notice was how huge these two hounds really were. The lady yelled out to us, “Hey folks, do mind if our dogs are off-leash?”  As dog owners ourselves, I quickly stated, “Not at all.”  Just then, both curious animals approached us revealing how majestic in size and gentle demeanor they were. One thing I love about dogs is how diverse each breed expresses who they are through their physical characteristics, instinct, and individual personality.

Michelle asked, “Wow, what kind of dogs are these?” The lady answered and said, “These are Irish Wolfhounds.”  Irish Wolfhounds are like Great Danes, yet they dress in a much heavier fur coat around their body, especially around their muzzles. They remind me of "Chewy from Star Wars." My question to her was how much maintenance do they require?  The lady described the breed as “couch potatoes.”  However, later, I observed one the Wolfhounds chase a low flying bird through the park.  Behavior indicative of heeler breeds like my Joey & my Hapa; who have chased birds along the beaches in California to our beautiful blue lakes here in Colorado; you know, the herding instinct hard at work.

As our conversation continued with this female stranger, I look over to my left, and there is the gentleman with his head fully engulfed under the hood of Michelle's car, reaching into the carriage of the engine compartment. So, I walk over to where he is tweaking. And a very few seconds later, he yelled out to my nephew, “try it, again son.” Low and behold, the engine turned over. I thought, “It’s a miracle.”  The lady then said, “Oh yes, he really is good at fixing things like that;” in such a matter of fact way.  The gentleman leaned over to me and said, "It was just the Starter, sometimes wires come loose like that, so you have to re-connect them again, that's all." 

We were so grateful these kind strangers with their two Irish Wolfhounds crossed our path. The Good Book says, “Be kind to strangers, for some have entertained angels unawares.” I looked over to my nephew and Michelle and said, “I believe we just encountered angels. “ This is why I believe all goods dogs go to heaven, but most of all, I think angels are good dog owners, too.