[nagdu] taking too much for granted

[Criminal Justice Major Extraordinaire]

Hi, all,
I wonder if it is just me, or how many of us really take too much for 
granted?
Do I find myself relying on Odie for more than what it's worth?
I ask this question for a good reason.
Sadly, there was another fire which happened in the Platte River Division 
area not too far from where Harrison Memorial Animal Hospital is as Natalie 
and I both take our furry partners there.
A victum was lost and it turned out to be a chihuhua.
I'm not sure if the mother, teenage sister or little boy will make it either 
as they all have severs, outtside and inside enternal burns and all three of 
them are on breathing machines.
This sudden incident really makes me look back at a sudden tragic disaster 
Odie and I could have easily faced, March 27, 2008 around 3:30 PM.
I reflect back on that day each year and will never forget it emotionally.
When a staff apartment caught fire on the second floor, that was twenty-five 
feet away from the apartmet which I along with Odie and Dale live in.
Odie and I were originally here already, but it is still our home from that 
day.
Around the same time, I was taking a deep nap and was tired, after a long 
day.
I woke up to the tail end of the building fire alarm being shut off by the 
fire department and there were at least six fire trucks downstairs.
Truth is that I didn't hear the alarm immediately.
Odie was my hero that day and he definitely saved both our lives.
The two of us could have died easily because although the actual fire wasn't 
in our apartment, our place was engolfed by heavy, thick smoke.
Neither of my smoke detectors activated and they had failed on me for a 
second time within three months.
To not have to go through the whole story again and to just cut it short, 
the fireman who found Odie and I in the north stairwell of the building at 
the second level helpped me get outtside as I experienced a full blown 
severe asthma attack by then from the smoke.
That same fireman told me this, "You are very, very, very lucky that Odie 
woke you up and let you know what was going on.
The two of you would have died from smoke inhailation."
>From that time on, I made up my mind and felt that I'd never live withoutt 
another dog after that day, more because if technology failed, I know my 
four-legged furry kid would definitely let me know.
As one fireman put it, Odie is a live, walking carbon manoxide/smoke 
detector.
The same fireman who helpped me out on the 27th of March also said that if 
Odie had to do it, he would have dragged me down the steps and outtside.
They would not have put it past him.
I know that bad risk factor would have been that Odie would have medically 
and physically injured himself by tearing everything up and he would have 
had to be let go.
Thankfully, it didn't get to that point only because of the fireman popping 
out of the second floor stairwell door.
Although I really shouldn't take the nose of a dog for granted, I'd have to 
be really careful of whether my next dog would alert me of danger or how 
much we'd connect to one another.
Did I depend on Odie too much during that situation?
My answer was that I did not and even all the firemen who were on scene that 
day agreed and told me that Odie was a great dog, but definitely a 
four-legged furry hero who will always live in each and everyone's hearts, 
including the residents of Sunset Park Apartments.
All of them love Odie to pieces and are inspired by how well he is taken 
care of and have commented on how well-behaved he is.
I still have to remind residents that Odie is like taking care of a human 
kid and yes, he can misbehave himself at times.
Truth is that Odie has a special spot in my heart already, despite that he 
is still living.
I still have to tell myself not to overdue it with him and be carefull with 
the part of taking him for granted too much.
If that did happen, I'd find myself in a world of trouble.
I count my blessings daily and thank the father upstairs in the skies for 
blessing me with a great, precious, lovable gift who was my fantastic guide 
dog for five and a halfy years, but is always going to be my partner, 
regardless.
When that time comes for Odie to cross over, I'll definitely be writing a 
tribute to still pay my respects to him directly.
Bibi and Odie
the happy spirited bounty labra wolf