of love and devotion
Early in the new year I heard about a local story which was heartbreakingly tragic, but just as worthy of paying tribute to. In suburban Chicago, an 11-year-old boy named Ryan James took his dog Sammie out for a Saturday morning walk, a ritual they shared every day, regardless of weather (which hasn't been pleasant this winter).
His family believes Ryan must have lost hold of Sammie's leash, and then went after her as she ran onto a partially frozen retention pond. Both were later found dead, having fallen through the unstable ice. Ryan's mother said, "He took her out no matter what. He loved that dog. He went after instead of just letting her go in" ("Boy and his Dog Die in Minooka Retention Pond," Chicago Breaking News Center, Dan Simmons, 01/10/10).
In all honesty, I'm not sure how far the following verse should be applied when it comes to animals. But when thinking of Ryan's dedication to his dog, even when he might not have completely understood the danger he was in, it's hard not to hear in the background: "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13, NIV) .
Please pray for Ryan's family, as they continue to cope with his loss. The world lost a real hero, and a very special young man.
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On a somewhat related note, Karen Swallow Prior sent me a story about a German Shepherd mix who, after his mother was badly hit on an expressway, "ran circles around (her), barking at cars and authorities in an attempt to keep them away." He saved her life by doing so, in fact ("Video: Dog Saves Dog on Major Deegan Expressway in NYC," TransWorldNews, 05/15/09; AP video):
A similar scenario unfoled in Chile, where "a surveillance camera on a Santiago freeway captured images of a dog trotting past speeding cars to pull the body of another dog, mortally struck by a vehicle, away from traffic, to the median strip." The "hero" dog has never been found, and is thought to be homeless ("Dog Tries to Rescue Dog that was Hit by Car," AP/CBS News; AP video):
(photo copyright Studio Porto Sabbia/123rf.com)
February 13, 2010
Reader Comments (2)
Thank you for this blog, Ben. How sad about the young boy and his dog who lost their lives. Yes, indeed, "Greater love..." -- even one animal to another, as shown in two videos. Very touching.
Thanks for the note, mom, and I agree - Ben