this is a board that talks about issues concerning animals...your own pets as well as animal rights,alerts,bills before congress that need our attention.This is a family board but as abuse cases may be posted it may not always be for the sensitive readers.Please be kind to each other,thanks!
> A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying >the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead. > > > > He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been >dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them. > > > > > > > After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side >of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was >broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight. > > > > > > > When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch >that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate >looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got >closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side. > > > > > > > When he was close enough, he called out, 'Excuse me, where are we?' > > > > > > > 'This is Heaven, sir,' the man answered. > > > > > > > 'Wow! Would you happen to have some water?' the man asked. > > > > > > > 'Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought >right up.' > > > > > > > The man gestured, and the gate began to open. > > > > > > > 'Can my friend,' gesturing toward his dog, 'come in, too?' the >traveler asked. > > > > > > > 'I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets.' > > > > > > > The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and >continued the way he had been going with his dog. > > > > > > > After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he >came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had >never been closed. There was no fence. > > > > > > > As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a >tree and reading a book. > > > > > > > 'Excuse me!' he called to the man. 'Do you have any water?' > > > > > > > 'Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in.' > > > > > > > 'How about my friend here?' the traveler gestured to the dog. > > > > > > > 'There should be a bowl by the pump.' > > > > > > > They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an >old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it. > > > > > > > The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, >then he gave some to the dog. > > > > > > > When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who >was standing by the tree. > > > > > > > 'What do you call this place?' the traveler asked. > > > > > > > 'This is Heaven,' he answered. > > > > > > > 'Well, that's confusing,' the traveler said. 'The man down the road >said that was Heaven, too.' > > > > > > > 'Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. >That's hell.' > > > > > > > 'Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?' > > > > > > > 'No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave >their best friends behind.'