A farmer had some puppies he needed to sell, so he painted a sign advertising the four pups and nailed it to a post on the edge of his yard. As he was driving the last nail into the post, he felt a tug on his overalls. He looked down into the eyes of a little boy.

"Mister," he said, "I want to buy one of your puppies."

"Well," said the farmer, as he rubbed the sweat off the back of his neck, "These puppies come from fine parents and cost a good deal of money."

The boy dropped his head for a moment. Then reaching deep into his pocket, he pulled out a handful of change and held it up to the farmer.

"I've got thirty-nine cents. Is that enough to take a look?"

"Sure," said the farmer. And with that, he let out a whistle. "Here, Dolly!" he called.

Out from the doghouse and down the ramp ran Dolly, followed by four little balls of fur.

The little boy pressed his face against the chain link fence. His eyes danced with delight. As the dogs made their way to the fence, the little boy noticed something else stirring inside the doghouse. Slowly, another little ball appeared, one that was noticeably smaller. Down the ramp it slid. Then in a somewhat awkward manner, the little pup began hobbling toward the others, doing its best to catch up.

"I want that one," the little boy said, pointing to the runt.

The farmer knelt down at the boy's side and said, "Son, you don't want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you like these other dogs would."

With that, the little boy stepped back from the fence, reached down and began rolling up one leg of his trousers. In doing so, he revealed a steel brace running down both sides of his leg, attaching itself to a specially made shoe.

Looking back up at the farmer, he said, "You see sir, I don't run too well myself, and he will need someone who understands."

With tears in his eyes, the farmer reached down and picked up the little pup. Holding it carefully, he handed it to the little boy.

"How much?" asked the little boy.

"No charge," answered the farmer. "There's no charge for love."

--Unknown

Important Things I Learned About Life From My Cat  

* Life is hard and then you nap.  

* Curiosity never killed anything except maybe a few hours.  

* Variety is the spice of life:  One day ignore people, the next day annoy them and play with them when they're busy.  

* When in doubt, cop an attitude.  

* Climb your way to the top - that's why the drapes are there.  

* Never sleep alone when you can sleep on someone's face.  

* Make your mark in the world - or at least spray in each corner.  

* When you go out into the world, always remember, being placed on a pedestal is a right, not a privilege.  

* Always give generously; a bird or rodent left on the bed tells them, "I care."  

*DOG TIP*

Getting your dog to walk on a loose leash is easy. However, sometimes your dog--especially if he's a young or adolescent dog--will still instist on walking slightly in front of you. He's not pulling on the leash... he's just not walking along side you, in the heel position. (The heel position means that his right leg is aligned with your left leg, and his toes and your toes line up, when you stop).

*CAT TIP*

Washing your hands frequently and regular deworming your cat is important to help protect yourself from intestinal parasites. Keep your pet flea-free as fleas can
transmit tapeworms to pets and people alike. Wash all fruits and vegetables before eating and do not allow your children to go barefoot on playgrounds or beaches where they are exposed to pet stools.

*BONUS TIP*

Put a piece of rubber matting under the dog or cat dish. It should hold the dish in place and catch spills.