Animal cruelty laws are far too lenient

Transcript of personal comment from this episode of The Web-DVM:

As I stated, this leads into my personal comment tonight, which is in regard to a sad reality that I have voiced my grievance with before: that our criminal justice system is disgustingly lenient with its punishment in animal cruelty cases. The fact that operating what was essentially a torture and death camp for innocent animals bears only misdemeanor offenses is nothing short of appalling. That sends a message to our citizens that torture and murder is evil, but when enacted on animals, is simply just naughty. It certainly does little to nothing to deter sick individuals from enacting their sadistic fantasies on innocent animals.

I find it curious that the only circumstance that makes these offenses felonies, are if the deceased animals were ultimately found to have been the property of other people. Now this sends another lovely message: torture of animals is only wrong if they are the property of other people, but strays and wild animals? No worries, torture away, there’re plenty more where they came from.

What kind of criminal justice system is this? Having grown up near New York City, and practiced veterinary medicine just 10 miles west of the town where McDonough allegedly committed these atrocities, I know that New Yorkers consider themselves the most savvy and sophisticated citizenry in the country and even the world. Yet with regard to animal cruelty, the criminal justice system is as backwards as a third world country.

You will recall that I reported on Michael Vick some time ago, that I actually supported his reinstatement back into the NFL, because he had served his time in accordance to our criminal justice system, and as such, had a right to rejoin society and make a living the only way he knows how. You may also recall, however, that I felt his penalties were a joke for the degree of his offenses.

I am not deluded into thinking that stiffer penalties will truly lead these cruel individuals to see the error of their ways. While I support affording Michael Vick the right to make a living, I still feel strongly that in his heart he is a cruel sadist. If cruelty is in someone’s heart, they are not sorry for their crimes, they are just sorry that they got caught – these leopards rarely change their spots.
However, stiffer penalties accomplish a number of positive things. First and foremost, they remove these people from society, sparing innocent animals their wrath. Next, it serves as a deterrent the perpetrators and others who share their brand of evil intent, that if you are caught, you will serve the time and be branded with the stigma of being a convicted felon. Lastly, it sends a message to all that torture of animals is not just wrong, but a serious crime against society.

So rise up, New Yorkers, and make a stand for the animals of your state. I know how most of you love and care for animals, with many of you I was privileged to have as clients in the three years I practiced in Long Island. Make your voices be heard, that you will no longer accept your laws being so tolerant of animal cruelty. And that does not just go for New Yorkers, but any other state that essentially condones animal cruelty with lax penalties for violators. Remember the enlightened words of the great Mohandas Gandhi:

"The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

Want to reform human healthcare? Start by acting more like veterinarians!

Transcript of personal comment from this episode of The Web-DVM:

We have a little change in format tonight, as we are forgoing news stories in lieu of a more than typical substantial personal comment tonight. My comment deals with a subject that is in the forefront of the minds of most Americans right now, the subject of human health care. While I agree that our health care system is badly in need of reform, that health insurance companies are a big part of the problem, where that aspect of reform should go is not within the scope if this program.

The reform I am talking about, starts at the level of the care givers and health institutions themselves, to hold themselves accountable to a higher standard, in short, to start acting more like the veterinary industry does. If you bear with me for the few several minutes, I briefly want to recount two recent personal experiences I had in the human health care system that are abominable examples of what is wrong with our health care system, then explain to you how we veterinarians do it differently, and frankly, emphatically better.

On week 16 of my wife's pregnancy with our beloved Austin, she was out to dinner with her brothers when she suddenly experience a gush of clear fluid. Terrified that she may have expelled life sustaining amniotic fluid, she proceeded straight to the emergency room having called me to meet her there en route.

Upon arrival, we began our experience by waiting more than 90 minutes from admission to actually having her in a bed and ready to be examined. Once there, we were greeted by nurses, but there was still another thirty minutes before a physician came in to see her. Only the caregiver that came in was not a physician at all, but a physician assistant, known by the abbreviated term, PA. After she performed her examination and told us she suspected a threatened miscarriage, I asked her when the doctor would be in, to which she replied, there would be no doctor, that she was the assigned care giver in the emergency room that evening. Apparently, potentially losing your unborn child and having excellent health insurance does not qualify for actually getting an MD in this hospital.

The PA next came in with a device called a Doppler to check for the baby's heartbeat. Having seen my wife's regular top notch OBGYN take some time to locate the heartbeat previously with a Doppler, and having had a lot of personal experience with the use Doppler in animals, I knew that there was an art to successfully using Doppler, the mastering of which comes with experience.

I watched as this PA was clearly not confident with the device, while she failed to find my baby's heartbeat. She then told us that since Doppler was not infallible (at least in her hands), the definitive state of the baby could not be determined, but that the signs did not look good. Her recommendation was that was we go home and call our OBGYN first thing Monday morning to have an ultrasound scheduled. Dumbfounded at this point since it was Friday, I asked her why we could not get an ultrasound right then and there, and her answer was that the urgency of the situation would not allow her the authority to order one!

Having quickly gone from dumbfounded to appalled, I asked her to meet me outside the room in the hallway, where I told her that I will not allow her to enact such cruelty on my wife and I, to make us go through the emotional turmoil of an entire weekend of not knowing whether or not our baby lived. I told her in no uncertain terms that if denying us an ultrasound was her final position, that Monday morning I would not only be calling the OBGYN, but also submitting a grievance with the Florida state medical board, as well seek out the most aggressive shark of a lawyer I could find and sue them.

As luck would have it, my discussion with the PA revealed that an ultrasound was not out of the question after all, and my wife was promptly taken into ultrasound, where we saw our little guy happily swimming around in Mommy's uterus. I was so elated, I hugged the ultrasonographer, not only because of the news her scan brought us, but also because her diagnostic capability was the only bit of professionalism and quality care we had received the entire evening.

In another recent health care experience, I was referred to a specialist by my primary doctor. To my dismay, it would be 3 weeks before I could be seen by this specialist, and the only other alternative for this specialty was all the way in Orlando. Also to my dismay this specialist, as it turned out, only actually worked 3 1/2 days a week.

After I finally had my appointment with this doctor, he had ordered a battery of blood tests, telling me that they would be in in one week, and that I should call back then for results. I called as he said one week later and a nurse confirmed that the blood work was in. This is when the fun really began.

She promptly was about to refer me to the receptionist so I could make an appointment with the doctor to review the blood work, when I asked her why he could not go over results over the telephone as I do for my clients. She proclaimed that the doctor as a strict policy does not review labs results over the telephone, that it must be done in person with an office visit. At this point very unhappy with the way I was being treated, I was still was willing to go along with this nonsense, until I was informed that it would be another 2 weeks to get an appointment to review my labs!

Right then, I was done with this doctor. After making me wait 3 weeks for an appointment and one week for the test results, just so that he could bill my insurance company another office visit, he was making me wait another 2 weeks to get my results. No way!

I told the nurse that I was effectively done with this doctor, that his policies and lack of accommodation was disgusting, and demanded that she fax me my lab results. I interpret lab data every day for dogs and cats, much of which are the same parameters as for people, so I certainly was capable of interpreting my own. And if not, I would drive to another state for help, rather than take this abuse any further.

This last part is the icing on the cake. When I demanded to get my lab work faxed to me, the nurse informed me that she could not, for the administrative paper pusher that normally was in charge of something like that, was on vacation and would not be back for another week. I said to the nurse, "So you are telling me that there is only one person in your office that is capable of sending a fax?" Her answer to me was that it was not a matter of being capable, but that it was policy that only this one person was in charge or processing paperwork. Finally, I said, "Go to your manager, doctor, or whoever your superior is today, and tell her that refusing to release my labs is both unethical and illegal in the state of Florida, and that she could either fax them to me immediately, or fax them at a later time when the Florida state medical board ordered them to after I filed my grievance. I had my results in hand 15 minutes later.

Being a health provider for dogs and cats, all I can say to the medical profession is four words, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" I would be put out of business and run out of town if I or my hospital behaved like this. Let me tell you how we do it in veterinary medicine so that you can see what real health care is.

No matter how booked up we are, we do not turn away a sick patient, find a way to fit them in, even if it means working through our lunch break and/or staying late, sometimes very late. Routine blood work is back within 10 minutes, most other blood work back within one business day, even tissue biopsies are back in 2 business days. When the results come in, I call the owner free of charge and review them, as well as answer any and all questions, no matter how long it takes.

When owners call with questions about a particular treatment course, refills, or just general questions, I communicate with them through a technician if possible to save time, but come to the telephone regularly myself if the questions are very involved, or if the client feels more comfortable talking directly to me.

When we have to refer a patient to a specialist, there is NEVER anything even approaching 3 week wait, with our nearby critical care and specialty referral center happy to receive patients right away, within minutes, or at most within an hour or two at most, even under non critical circumstances.

The bottom line is that in veterinary medicine, we think of the needs and well being of the patient first and foremost, rather operate with abject apathy and arrogance under the guise of policy, red tape, and feeling that we are justified in charging for every single word we speak.

All this said, this is not an indictment of all medical doctors and health care institutions. For example, the rest of my wife's pregnancy with Austin unfortunately was not smooth, and it was ultimately the tireless dedication of our wonderful OBGYN group that delivered him safely to us, not a hair on his little head harmed. In a nut shell, this OB group operates more like us.

Unfortunately, health care institutions like the ones that saved my son's life, are becoming increasingly the minority, with the nonsense that I previously relayed to you, more the norm. Congress will hash out what they will, and people will debate and shout until they are blue in the face on how health care reform should proceed. Regardless of whatever the result of that debate is, health care providers should think long and hard about reforming themselves first and foremost and becoming a little more like us.

Keep your pets safe this Halloween

Transcript of personal comment from this episode of The Web-DVM:

In my personal comment today, on the eve of Halloween, I wish to educate owners on potential dangers that this holiday can pose to our pets. Beginning with cats, especially darkly colored or black cats, there are historical and deep seeded superstitions among some people regarding black cats' association with bad omens or witchcraft on Halloween. Unfortunately, this premise not uncommonly leads to a few disturbed individuals that take these superstitions seriously to a point that they would do harm to a loose feline, especially if darkly colored. That is why in the days leading up to Halloween, the day itself, and for a few days after, it is recommended that you keep all cats indoors and out of harms way from superstitious loons that would wish to do them harm.

Next, let's talk about candy. This is less a problem with cats, but a very common problem with dogs getting into and feasting one or more stashes of candy. This can lead of course to GI disturbance, including vomiting and diarrhea, but can also lead to more serious consequences.

In the case of mass consumption, dogs typically will not take the time to spit out plastic wrappers, but will instead consume the candy, wrappers and all. If enough wrappers are consumed in a short period of time, they can get jammed up in the gut, and cause life threatening GI obstruction, resolvable only by surgical removal in many cases.

If large quantities of chocolate are consumed, there is a component of chocolate called thiobromine, that is liver toxic in certain concentration in dogs, making ingestion of large quantities of chocolate potentially life threatening.

If you are a pumpkin carver, know that dogs absolutely love the taste of pumpkin pulp, making them usually willing to consume as much as is available to eat. While this is not life threatening, pumpkin has a laxative effect on dogs, with large consumed quantities enough to give your dog a case of gas and diarrhea that could make your whole family's life miserable. I speak from experience on this one, with my wife an I to this day, still reminiscing about our mutt Lulu's pumpkin farts from the Halloween of 2001, when she dined on the guts of three carved pumpkins after getting into the garbage. It was a smell I will never forget, and seemed for go on for day without end!

So enjoy your your Halloween, to be sure, one of the most fun holidays for people and pets of all ages. To keep it safe for your pets, just be certain keep your cats inside, keep all candy out of reach of dogs, and do not leave pumpkin pulp accessible to your dogs.

You get what you pay for - pet health care is no exception

Transcript of personal comment of this episode of The Web-DVM:

In my personal comment today, I want to touch on a recent clearly evident shift in veterinary medicine, where we are finding ourselves increasingly less involved in preventive health care, with the paradigm having moved to where sick patients are representing a much greater percentage of our overall caseload. In a still troubling economic climate, many pet owners have either foregone preventive health care altogether, or have chosen to go to so called discount clinics, where they can get spays, neuters, and vaccines at bargain basement prices.

It is the latter that I want to focus on today, where health care is just like anything else: you usually get what you pay for. With regard to vaccines, inside anonymous sources have indicated that many of these discount clinics do not select their vaccines based on their being the best and safest, but instead coerce the veterinary pharmaceuticals into bidding wars, where the lowest bidder wins their account. As one may expect, the lowest bidder often tends to be a company that has a less than stellar track records with vaccine effectiveness, quality control, and safety.

Regarding spays and neuters, I have been informed by former staff of some of these places, that they save money by using one surgical instrument pack for multiple patients, rather than have a freshly cleaned, sterilized pack for each individual patient. I have been informed that they use outdated and less tolerated anesthetics and stitching materials because they are cheap, do not utilize the best quality and safest pain management medications, or even forgo pain medication altogether.

Finally, because the doctors of these clinics work with such volume, there are reports that some do not take the time to scrub between surgeries, nor cap, mask, or gown for each surgery, opting instead to simply change gloves.

I can clearly sympathize with people wishing to save money wherever they can in these trying economic times, but if you consider your pet a cherished family member as most of our subscribers and viewers do, saving by utilizing discount spay/neuter/vaccine clinics may not be the best place to save a buck.
Reputable full service veterinary clinics do not skimp on anesthetics, suture materials, advanced monitoring equipment, and quality vaccines. We utilize the gold standard pain management protocols and medicines, have a freshly sterilized surgical pack for each individual patient, and scrub, cap, mask, and gown for each surgery.
For me, compromising this standard of care to slash costs in order to get greater volume in my practice is not worth the price that my patients could pay, and the degree to which my conscience would suffer.

So I caution that the next time you may consider using a discount spay/neuter/vaccine clinic, that if it seems to good to be true, it probably is. Good medicine costs more, and for me, good medicine is not negotiable.

Way to go Philadelphia Eagles

From this week's episode of The Web-DVM:

- From cat food recall story, date codes for Premier Edge cat food brands recall:

RAF0501A22X 18lb
RAF0501A2X 6 lb.,
RAH0501A22X 18 lb.
RAH0501A2X 6lb.


- Transcript from personal comment:

In my personal comment today, I just want to say, "Way to go Philadelphia Eagles!" And I do not say that in any football sense of the phrase.

As reported by the Examiner.com, The Philadelphia Eagles are putting their money where their mouth is. Just a few months after catching flack for signing convicted dog felon, Michael Vick, the Eagles are making good on a promise to support animal welfare groups.

Earlier this week, the team unveiled a program called TAWK, which stands for Treating Animals With Kindness. According to the Eagles' TAWK press release, the initiative focuses on public education and awareness to reduce the abuse of animals, promote responsible adoption, encourage spay and neuter and put an end to dog fighting.

TAWK was developed in collaboration with animal welfare experts and will benefit from the reach of the Philadelphia Eagles' brand to advocate for responsible care and treatment of animals in the region and beyond.

Christina Lurie, Eagles Owner and Eagles Youth Partnership President Joe Banner, in conjunction with the heads of various animal welfare groups, together shared the details of the initiative and announced a half million dollar commitment for a grant program to support animal welfare organizations.

The Eagles organization will provide a matching grant of $50,000 each for three initial programs:

-- End Dogfighting Program - Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) will bring their grassroots, preventative method to tackle dogfighting in Philadelphia,

-- Low-cost Spay and Neuter Facility - Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) to support the construction of a low-cost spay and neuter facility in Philadelphia,

-- Mobile Veterinary Clinic - Berks County Humane Society to support their new mobile veterinary clinic that will serve neighborhoods in Reading, Chester and parts of Philadelphia, PA.

Home construction encroachment into wildlife habitats displaces animals and puts people and pets in danger.

Transcript of personal comment from this episode of The Web-DVM:

My personal comment tonight has to do with the abduction of Jessica Simpson's dog by a coyote, an occurrence that is becoming increasingly common in California. In addition to California, we are seeing attacks by wild predators to pets and small children in residential neighborhoods all over the country. Here in my home state of Florida, we regularly hear of attacks from bobcats, wild boars, alligators, and black bears.

Of course when this occurs to a beloved pet or child, our first natural reaction is severe anger and even violence toward the animal that perpetrated an attack. However, when one really thinks about it, is neither rational nor reasonable to blame wild animals for what they instinctively do: seek out prey in order to feed themselves and their young.

As we humans continue to expand into their natural habitats as we extend our settlements building ever further into their hunting territories, we risk paying the consequences.

To continue to build into the natural habitats of our wildlife, however, we do more than just place our pets and children in danger, we displace thousands of wild animals who are often killed as they encroach into what was once their hunting grounds.

To indiscriminately build residential neighborhoods in old forests and/or ever closer to wildlife preserves, places the future human inhabitants and their pets in danger, but also tragically displaces thousands of wildlife species, many of which are not even predators that are dangerous to man or pet.

So we should not aim our vitriol toward the coyotes, bobcats, black bears, or wild boars when these incidents occur. We should instead advocate for common sense home building that provides the housing needs of a growing population, while remaining sensitive to avoiding wildlife rich woods and forests.

Why anyone is building new homes right now is beyond me anyway. With a foreclosure market that has rendered our homes virtually worthless, what is the economical sense in BUlLDING MORE HOMES? Yet it is happening right here in my local jurisdiction with prominent developers currently making a pitch to our town council to build more houses in an area rich in wildlife preserves - a beautiful treasure which brought many of us here in the first place and want to keep it that way!

A little common sense for our safety and regard for our nation's wildlife treasures can go a long way. Stay involved and informed with your local government, and make your voice heard when they choose to build irresponsibly close to or within wildlife areas.

To whoever gets my dog

Transcript from today's episode of The Web-DVM:

We have a change in our usual program format today, which is the fault of my Brother-In-Law, John. A couple of days ago, John sent me an e-mail of a short story written in the first person by a young man who had just adopted a dog from a local shelter. The story moved me in such a profound way, that I decided to share it with you in lieu of the news, my personal comment, and even our pet joke of the week.

The author of the story is unknown, and I have been unable to verify whether this story is true or not, but that is not really what is important about this tale.

What is important is this story's ever so real message of the powerful bond between people and dogs, of undying love, compassion, and courage.

I hope I can get through sharing it with you without getting choked up, as I did the first time I read it.

To Whoever Gets My Dog

They told me the big black Lab's name was Reggie as I looked at him lying in his pen. The shelter was clean, and the people really friendly.

I'd only been in the area for six months, but everywhere I went in the small college town, people were welcoming and open. Everyone waves when you pass them on the street.

But something was still missing as I attempted to settle in to my new life here, and I thought a dog couldn't hurt. Give me someone to talk to.

And I had just seen Reggie's advertisement on the local news. The shelter said they had received numerous calls right after, but they said the people who had come down to see him just didn't look like "Lab people," whatever that meant. They must've thought I did.

But at first, I thought the shelter had misjudged me in giving me Reggie and his things, which consisted of a dog pad, bag of toys almost all of which were brand new tennis balls, his dishes, and a sealed letter from his previous owner. See, Reggie and I didn't really hit it off when we got home. We struggled for two weeks (which is how long the shelter told me to give him to adjust to his new home). Maybe it was the fact that I was trying to adjust, too. Maybe we were too much alike.

For some reason, his stuff (except for the tennis balls - he wouldn't go anywhere without two stuffed in his mouth) got tossed in with all of my other unpacked boxes. I guess I didn't really think he'd need all his old stuff, that I'd get him new things once he settled in. But it became pretty clear pretty soon that he wasn't going to.

I tried the normal commands the shelter told me he knew, ones like "sit" and "stay" and "come" and "heel," and he'd follow them - when he felt like it. He never really seemed to listen when I called his name - sure, he'd look in my direction after the fourth or fifth time I said it, but then he'd just go back to doing whatever. When I'd ask again, you could almost see him sigh and then grudgingly obey.

This just wasn't going to work. He chewed a couple shoes and some unpacked boxes. I was a little too stern with him and he resented it, I could tell.

The friction got so bad that I couldn't wait for the two weeks to be up, and when it was, I was in full-on search mode for my cellphone amid all of my unpacked stuff. I remembered leaving it on the stack of boxes for the guest room, but I also mumbled, rather cynically, that the "damn dog probably hid it on me."

Finally I found it, but before I could punch up the shelter's number, I also found his pad and other toys from the shelter. I tossed the pad in Reggie's direction and he snuffed it and wagged, some of the most enthusiasm I'd seen since bringing him home. But then I called, "Hey, Reggie, you like that? Come here and I'll give you a treat." Instead, he sort of glanced in my direction - maybe "glared" is more accurate - and then gave a discontented sigh and flopped down. With his back to me.

Well, that's not going to do it either, I thought. And I punched the shelter phone number.

But I hung up when I saw the sealed envelope. I had completely forgotten about that, too.

"Okay, Reggie," I said out loud, "let's see if your previous owner has any advice."...........

The letter read;

To Whoever Gets My Dog:

Well, I can't say that I'm happy you're reading this, a letter I told the shelter could only be opened by Reggie's new owner.

I'm not even happy writing it. If you're reading this, it means I just got back from my last car ride with my Lab after dropping him off at the shelter. He knew something was different. I have packed up his pad and toys before and set them by the back door before a trip, but this time... it's like he knew something was wrong. And something is wrong... which is why I have to go to try to make it right.

So let me tell you about my Lab in the hopes that it will help you bond with him and he with you.

First, he loves tennis balls... the more the merrier.

Sometimes I think he's part squirrel, the way he hordes them.

He usually always has two in his mouth, and he tries to get a third in there. Hasn't done it yet.

Doesn't matter where you throw them, he'll bound after it, so be careful - really don't do it by any roads. I made that mistake once, and it almost cost him dearly..

Next, commands. Maybe the shelter staff already told you, but I'll go over them again: Reggie knows the obvious ones - "sit," "stay," "come," "heel" He knows hand signals:

"back" to turn around and go back when you put your hand straight up; and "over" if you put your hand out right or left. "Shake" for shaking water off, and "paw" for a high-five. He does "down" when he feels like lying down - I bet you could work on that with him some more. He knows "ball" and "food" and "bone" and "treat" like nobody's business.

I trained Reggie with small food treats.
Nothing opens his ears like little pieces of hot dog.

Feeding schedule: twice a day, once about seven in the morning, and again at six in the evening.

Regular store-bought stuff; the shelter has the brand.

He's up on his shots.

Call the clinic on 9th Street and update his info with yours; they'll make sure to send you reminders for when he's due. Be forewarned: Reggie hates the vet.

Good luck getting him in the car - I don't know how he knows when it's time to go to the vet, but he knows.

Finally, give him some time.

I've never been married, so it's only been Reggie and me for his whole life. He's gone everywhere with me, so please include him on your daily car rides if you can. He sits well in the backseat, and he doesn't bark or complain. He just loves to be around people, and me most especially.

Which means that this transition is going to be hard, with him going to live with someone new. And that's why I need to share one more bit of info with you.....

His name's not Reggie.

I don't know what made me do it, but when I dropped him off at the shelter, I told them his name was Reggie. He's a smart dog, he'll get used to it and will respond to it, of that I have no doubt. But I just couldn't bear to give them his real name. For me to do that, it seemed so final, that handing him over to the shelter was as good as me admitting that I'd never see him again. And if I end up coming back, getting him, and tearing up this letter, it means everything's fine. But if someone else is reading it, well... well it means that his new owner should know his real name.. It'll help you bond with him. Who knows, maybe you'll even notice a change in his demeanor if he's been giving you problems.

His real name is Tank. Because that is what I drive.

Again, if you're reading this and you're from the area, maybe my name has been on the news. I told the shelter that they couldn't make "Reggie" available for adoption until they received word from my company commander. See, my parents are gone, I have no siblings, no one I could've left Tank with... and it was my only real request of the Army upon my deployment to Iraq, that they make one phone call to the shelter in the "event"... to tell them that Tank could be put up for adoption. Luckily, my colonel is a dog guy, too, and he knew where my platoon was headed. He said he'd do it personally. And if you're reading this, then he made good on his word.

Well, this letter is getting to downright depressing, even though, frankly, I'm just writing it for my dog. I couldn't imagine if I was writing it for a wife and kids and family. But still, Tank has been my family for the last six years, almost as long as the Army has been my family.

And now I hope and pray that you make him part of your family and that he will adjust and come to love you the same way he loved me.

That unconditional love from a dog is what I took with me to Iraq as an inspiration to do something selfless, to protect innocent people from those who would do terrible things... and to keep those terrible people from coming over here. If I had to give up Tank in order to do it, I am glad to have done so. He was my example of service and of love. I hope I honored him by my service to my country and comrades.

All right, that's enough.

I deploy this evening and have to drop this letter off at the shelter.

I don't think I'll say another good-bye to Tank, though. I cried too much the first time. Maybe I'll peek in on him and see if he finally got that third tennis ball in his mouth.

Good luck with Tank.

Give him a good home, and give him an extra kiss goodnight - every night - from me."

Thank you, Paul Mallory
I folded the letter and slipped it back in the envelope. Sure I had heard of Paul Mallory, everyone in town knew him, even new people like me. Local kid, killed in Iraq a few months ago and posthumously earning the Silver Star when he gave his life to save three buddies. Flags had been at half-mast all summer.

I leaned forward in my chair and rested my elbows on my knees, staring at the dog.

"Hey, Tank," I said quietly.

The dog's head whipped up, his ears cocked and his eyes bright. "C'mere boy."

He was instantly on his feet, his nails clicking on the hardwood floor. He sat in front of me, his head tilted, searching for the name he hadn't heard in months..

"Tank," I whispered. His tail swished.

I kept whispering his name, over and over, and each time, his ears lowered, his eyes softened, and his posture relaxed as a wave of contentment just seemed to flood him. I stroked his ears, rubbed his shoulders, buried my face into his scruff and hugged him.

"It's me now, Tank, just you and me. Your old pal gave you to me." Tank reached up and licked my cheek. "So what daya say we play some ball. His ears perked again.

"Yeah Ball You like that Ball."

Tank tore from my hands and disappeared in the next room. And when he came back......he had three tennis balls in his mouth.