Dear Diary...

My thankful thoughts on Thanksgiving Day

OK, this is my diary, but I am writing it with help from my brother Ringo because he devoted his Thanksgiving Day diary to a very special message for very special dogs.

Today we gather together with family and friends to celebrate the gifts that we are so lucky to receive. Everyone on Dogster and Catster shares so much with me and my family that I want to share my thoughts and thanks with you today.

I am thankful for my home, where I feel safe and loved. Here I never again have to worry about being abandoned or rejected. For that, I am especially thankful for the rescue groups who work so hard and give so much to help dogs and cats like me and my brothers. Some of the things they encounter are so horrible that many people would not be able to cope, but they somehow manage to keep doing it. These people are truly angels on earth.

I am thankful for my family, because I know that they will always be there for me no matter how naughty I am, no matter what might happen to me or them. I didn't get to choose them, but I know they chose me and that makes me feel very special. And I want to tell everyone how much I love my Gramma and Grampa... I can't help myself, I just go crazy when they come to visit!

I am thankful for the devotion and compassion of those who chose to work in the veterinary field, helping dogs and cats to stay well and treating them when they become ill or injured. It must be very difficult to see animals in pain and to feel the grief of their families when they have to send one to the Bridge. Yet they always greet us with smiles and treats and loving words, and always make us feel like we are the only critter in the world while we are there with them.

I am thankful for all of the fantastic friends that my brothers and I - and our parents - have met here on Dogster/Catster. We have so much fun here, but that's only the beginning of it... we have come to know and love each other in a way that is almost beyond comprehension. And I am even thankful for those who we haven't met yet, because I know that there are thousands and thousands of them out there who just pop up seemingly from nowhere when some pet or family needs a helping hand or soothing words of comfort.

I am thankful for dogs and cats like Gizmo the Great!, Samuel Jacob and Xavier, just to name a few of many, because these critters inspire us to be all that we can be, and inspire people to help us do that.

And I am thankful for Dogster and Catster HQ for bringing this whole world into our home. There are millions of websites of all kinds out there, and NONE are comparable. The people and critters at HQ might poop in the kitchen once in a while, so to speak, but after we grumble at them a little bit it's back to normal -- which means maintaining a dog/cat-friendly, people-friendly site that brings us virtually (no pun intended) everything we could hope for in a pet's website. It's all here... friends, fun, advice, and sharing of all kinds of stuff. It's the best!!!

There are a zillion other things to be thankful for, and most of the time we don't even realize how blessed we are. But today is the day to really think about it.

Please join me in spending this day reflecting on all of our gifts!

-Web