Parable of the Pug

Ken Foster, author of The Dogs Who Found Me: What I’ve Learned from Pets who were Left Behind, is one of those people you have to love. He sees a stray dog and stops to help. Even if he’s in a hurry.

That latter point is not to be dismissed as irrelevant. Years ago, a famous psychology experiment pointed out the critical factor of time in determining our actions. Forty students at the Princeton Theological Seminary took part in the experiment. The students were individually directed to a building where some were to speak about jobs, others on the parable of the Good Samaritan. Each student was then given a specific time he had to present his talk.

Along the way, a confederate was positioned to ask for help. Some of the students stopped to help; others did not. The difference between the two groups – those who helped and those who did not, had nothing to do with their assigned talk, nor their scholastic goals, age, background or any other academic or demographic variable. It was simply this: If the student had been given limited time, was in a hurry and afraid he might be late, he didn’t stop to help. Those who felt they had time, stopped.

Author Ken Foster always stopped to help, and the stories of some of the dogs he found are all poignant, some heart-rending.

BUT . . . lest we give the wrong impression, please note that The Dogs Who Found Me is not a depressing book. In fact, it is quite the opposite. One cheers at the remarkable efforts of Mr. Foster and his ever-expanding cadre of animal activists who truly live up to their name in that they take in, care for, and most often find that perfect home for the dog in need. Beyond the story itself, there are pages of practical lists, such as: “what to do when you find a dog,” and a range of animal organizations to help anyone who finds a dog or would like to adopt a dog. He even includes some commercial products he likes – or rather his dogs like.

Postscript

Pug

Pug [Photo: Pixabay]

There was an ironic twist to the ending of this blog, which originally was to be a book review. It was written several months ago but today, coming home, I thought I saw a child’s toy in the gutter. It was a Pug, hyperventilating in the intense heat and near death. As I pulled over, two women, who were renting a nearby house, came out to give him water. One of them started knocking on doors to find the owner. Another person, an elderly woman from another house, offered to take him to her vet. I ran to get a wet towel in which to cool and wrap him. Meanwhile these strangers gathered around the poor dog, comforting him, and keeping him out of the sun until we could cool him down sufficiently to safely pick him up and put him in a car.

The Pug was licensed in Alaska and after he recovered at the veterinarian his owner was traced and found. But here’s my point: I don’t know if any of the people who came to the aid of this little dog actually had the time to stop and help. Yet every one who saw this dog, did.

So often we think, especially in this fast-turning, hectic global world, that we have all become insensitive to other’s needs. But this little Pug proved otherwise. 

Have a Happy and Safe Summer

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