Dakota, a brown-skin friend.

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die, I want to go where they went. - Will Rogers

Dakota

A couple weeks ago, my brother lost his best four-legged friend, Dakota.  She was a great comfort and companion to their family and it saddened us to hear of their loss.  We have many fond memories and stories generated in the fields of South Dakota pheasant hunting with this hell-bent hound.  Today, the day after Easter 2012, my wife found this poem among our collection and I felt impressed to share it here:

My Gift to Jesus - Jane L. Sears

I wish someone had given little Jesus
A dog as loyal and loving as mine
To sleep by His manger and gaze in His eyes
And adore Him for being divine.

As Our Lord grew to manhood,
His own faithful dog would have
Followed Him all through the day
While He preached to the crowds
And made the sick well
And knelt in the Garden to pray.

It is sad to remember that Christ went away
To face death alone and apart,
With no tender dog following close behind
To comfort it's Master's heart.

And when Jesus rose on that Easter morn,
How happy He would have been
As His dog kissed His hand and
Barked its delight
For the One who died for man.

The Lord has a dog now,
I just sent Him mine,
The old pal so dear to me.
And I smile through my tears on this first day alone
Knowing they're in eternity.