Man's Best Friend

I wept when I read the story about 26 year old Lance Corporal Liam Tasker, a British soldier from Scotland who died serving in Afghanistan. My tears were not so much for Liam, although I did feel a sense of loss for one who died so young, fighting in a war that was not his war. My tears were for his 22 month old dog Theo - a springer spaniel mix.

They were part of the team from the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, whose duties include searching for roadside bombs laid by insurgents in Afghanistan. Having completed their tour of duty, both handler and dog were due to fly home. However, Theo was doing such a great job, they decided to extend his tour of duty by a week. That was when Lance Corporal Tasker was shot and killed in a firefight. Theo suffered a seizure hours later and died.

The officials believed Theo had died of a broken heart. The body of Lance Corporal Tasker and the ashes of Theo were flown back to Scotland. He was indeed Tasker's best friend to the very end. I would like to think they are up there in heaven running around and having fun.

Tasker was the 358th British soldier to die in Afghanistan and Theo was the 6th British military dog to die in service since the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. They are heroes.

I sometimes wonder what the point of it all is. Usually, in a war, there is no point. Just humans killing other humans. It sounds rather sad and pointless, but such is war. They are sad, pointless events in history. I visited Dachau in Germany where many Jews were imprisoned and killed. The plaque erected at the front of the concentration camp read - NEVER AGAIN. But it has happened again and again and again ...

We have heard and read of so many stories of how dogs remain faithful to their masters. Like the true story of Hachiko, who after his master had died, continued to wait for him each day at the train station for 10 long years. In the movie "Eight Below", the 8 huskies waited patiently for their master to return to get them, and he finally did. Of course there is the advert for Federal Express showing a Lassie-like collie being distracted (by another collie) from his task of getting help for his injured master ... but that was an advertisement.

My dad use to joke that a man's best friend is a dog and a woman's best friend is the dog's master! I told him he got it all wrong. A woman's best friend is a diamond. My dad laughed and said, that I had neither so I had better get a dog!

And I did. Dogs love us for who we are. Much like God. He too loves us for who we are. Amazing that dog and god are the same spelt backwards.

I take a moment to hug both Jordan & Chloe, my dogs who love me for who I am. And I thank God for them.