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Monday, February 21, 2011

Is a dog really a man's best friend?

The remains of Hachiko

Even if you're strictly a bona fide cat lover, it's nearly impossible not to be moved by the brand of loyalty unique to dogs. Buddhists believe that on the day that the Bud­dha died, he summoned all animals to his side. Only members of 12 species -- dogs among them -- reached him before his death. He rewarded those who came with a year of their own, which is why the cat has no sign in the Chinese zodiac.

Although not every dog is necessarily friendly by nature, stories emerge from time to time of a dog becoming separated from his or her family and undertaking an incredible journey toward reunion. Dogs are used in therapy for Alzheimer's disease and in clinical settings as comfort for the terminally ill. And consider this: Between Jan. 19 and Jan. 31, 2008, no fewer than five different families in the United States and Canada were saved by their dogs when their homes caught fire. All of this substantiates the old saying that dogs are man's -- and woman's -- best friend.

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