The difference in mind between man and the higher animals, great as it is, certainly is one of degree and not of kind.

– Charles Darwin

I used to talk to my dog Tasha in complete sentences, like, “Why don’t you move over into your seat, Tasha,” and she understood. My Dad tells a story of a time when he took our Stella to a picnic area of a small lake near Delano.

Dad often took Stella for walks off leash on the bluffs here in Carpinteria, and sometimes on the beach. She had a unique habit of looking back frequently, to make sure her people were still with her. That day in Delano, there was no one else around. Dad let Stella off leash and let her sniff around the trees, and he hid behind one of them to watch her. In a moment, she began to look for him. She looked all around at the trees and the lake. She walked all around his pickup truck, looking up at the windows. She did not wander off. And she was so happy when he stepped out from his hiding place.

Our pets have intelligence beyond our understanding of it. Their capacity for companionship simply cannot be overstated, and their legendary unconditional love is far more than pack instinct. It is a gift from God.