Just a Dog

The reaction of people to the search for Luger has been interesting, to say the least. There have been friends who have only helped minimally, and strangers who have helped phenomenally. There have been those who show compassion and understanding, and those who shrug and pass it off as if Luger were no more than a lost cellphone.

And so when this short essay appeared in my email the other day, an essay I had seen many times, it resonated with me as never before. A search of the internet credits authorship to Richard Biby of Broken Arrow, OK. :

Just a Dog

From time to time people tell me, "Lighten up, it's just a dog," or, "That's a lot of money for just a dog." They don't understand the distance traveled, the time spent or the costs involved for "just a dog."

Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a dog." Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a dog," but I did not once feel slighted. Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by "just a dog," and, in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just a dog" gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day.

If you, too, think it's "just a dog," then you will probably understand phrases like "just a friend," "just a sunrise," or "just a promise." "Just a dog" brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy. "Just a dog" brings out the compassion and patience that makes me a better person.

Because of "just a dog" I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future. So for me, and folks like me, it's not "just a dog" but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past and the pure joy of the moment.

"Just a dog" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day. I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a dog" but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a human."

So the next time you hear the phrase "just a dog" just smile....because they "just don't understand."

Richard A. Biby

Today, I feel caught between a rock and a hardplace. As much as I want to be out there searching every single day, putting up posters far and wide just in case someone who sees the posters also sees Luger, I also have some other commitments that now demand my attention – not the least of which is my commitment to my own family of critters.

And so, while I continue to replace posters whenever I have the chance and to watch for Luger wherever I go, while I will continue to check out likely spots when I have a few hours to spare, I have had to lessen my daily involvement in searching. And while I will continue to update the blog should there be any news to report on the search for Luger, it is also time to return to more diverse topics.

In doing so, I am acutely aware that Luger’s absence is unbearable for Karen and Norm, and that they will never stop searching for him as long as he is missing.

Luger is not “Just a Dog”. Luger is family.