If I didn't Have Dogs .. (For my clients at Christmas)

Instead of Christmas cards this year I am giving this to all of my holiday boarding and grooming clients. The formatting has been lost here but I used colors and different type face to make it look more like a geeting card.

I know we have a lot of animal lovers here and thought you would appreciate this.

Much of it was taken from an email that frequently circulates around the dog community, but some of it was changed to fit my particular situation.

IF I DIDN'T HAVE DOGS ...

I could walk around the yard barefoot in safety.

My house could be carpeted instead of tiled and laminated.

All flat surfaces, clothing, furniture, and cars would be free of hair, and I’d have time to dust.

When the doorbell rings, it wouldn't sound like a kennel, and I could get to the door without wading through fuzzy bodies who beat me there.

I could sit on the couch and my bed the way I wanted, without taking into consideration how much space several fur bodies would need to get comfortable.

I would have money .... and no guilt to go on a real vacation.

I would not be on a first-name basis with 4 veterinarians, as I put their yet unborn grandkids through college.

The most used words in my vocabulary would not be: out, sit, down, come, no, stay, and leave him/her/it ALONE.

My house would not be cordoned off into zones with baby gates.

My house would not look like a day care center, toys everywhere and playpens for the ones who need an occasional "Time-Out".

My desk would be neat instead of covered with dog magazines, vet bills, and shot records.

My pockets would not always contain things like poop bags, treats, and an extra leash.

I would no longer have to spell: O-U-T, B-A-L-L, F-R-I-S-B-E-E, W-A-L-K, T-R-E-A-T, G-O, R-I-D-E, K-I-T-T-Y, C-O-O-K-I-E, B-A-T-H

I would not have as many leaves INSIDE my house as outside.

I'd look forward to spring and the rainy season instead of dreading "mud" season.

I would not look strangely at people who think having ONE dog/cat ties them down too much.

I would not have the satisfaction of seeing the look of joy and contentment in the face of a dog that once was sad, unwanted, and unloved.

I would not have to answer the question "Why do you have so many animals?" from people who will never have the joy in their lives of knowing they are loved unconditionally by someone as close to an angel as they will ever get.

How EMPTY my life would be if I didn’t have dogs! And I am always happy to have yours added to the pack.

Happy Holidays
Mike, Lorelle
and the Girls:
Harriett, Bridgette, Maggie,
Pixie and Tsunami