For Cody/Wodey/Bode

One of the hardest things I see in the countries I visit is the mistreatment of dogs and the amount of strays. This may seem ridiculous, considering the amount of human beings who live in squalor, but I can relate to the struggles of the dogs. The struggles I have experienced are much different than those of the people I have met. I do not have a child to understand the pain of watching your offspring starve, and have a dim future. I do, however, have a dog. Charlie Brown is my pride and joy. He relies on me for food, water, exercise, potty time and love. I give him all these things to the best of my abilities. He sleeps by my side every night. He is my companion and comfort when I am sad. He is my everything.

To see dogs on the side of the street, eating trash, breaks my heart. Infected with mange, their hairless, wound-ridden bodies shrink away from humans, for fear of being hit or kicked; a learned reality for a street dog. I think that is the hardest part for me. Not only are these animals living a drastically different lives from our dogs back home, but they are also being mistreated. I do not expect struggling people to worry about the welfare of animals when they are barely surviving themselves, but I do expect people to respect other living things and not abuse those less capable. Humans have the gift of choice, to make changes to their lives, whereas animals rely on instinct and the goodness of humans to survive.

As the Buddhist Master Cheng Yen says, "All lives are equal and therefor deserve to be loved and respected equally... The spirit of a dog can be just as noble as the spirit of a human, or even more admirable."

Cody/Wodey/Bode, the most loving of all street dogs.