In the city, you often seen people without homes standing on street corners holding signs, asking for money. These days, these people aren’t often as alone; many of them now have dogs to stand with them. And I used to think that was extremely wrong.
At one time in my life, I thought it was irresponsible for the homeless population to have companionship.
And that’s a terrible thought. It’s selfish and lacks empathy, understanding and wisdom, but it was a stage I went through.
I would say, “How can someone who can’t feed themself feed an animal? How can someone without a place to sleep take care of something else?” And I would miss the point entirely.
There is something extremely beautiful in the friendship between dog and man, and something even more beautiful in the friendship between a dog and a person experiencing homelessness. It is a picture and a glimpse into more of what humanity should look like.
Dogs don’t care what we look like or smell like. They don’t care what we do for a living, how much money we make or who is in our social circle. They just care about you and them, and they’re always happy to greet you, each time they see you. They want companionship and have empathy. Dog just seem to understand some things we don’t and see past things we see, without fear. And that’s beautiful.
-Cliff
Cliff’s Note: Be a friend like man’s best friend.