He lays on the floor at the top of the stairs
Looking all sad and alone.
Waiting, so patient, his heart filled with hope,
Almost "praying" his master home.

He's not terribly bright, and he's clumsy in deed,
And God knows he was large from the start;
But his doggie devotion, so faithful and true,
Proves that this doggie has heart.

He's a "Heinz 57," with a little of this,
And a whole lot 'o' little 'o' that!
He's a heeler, and shepherd, and pinch of a Lab,
And perhaps just a bit of a cat!

He was tossed with his 'sibs' on the side of the road,
Unwanted, unneeded and scared.
He was rescued and crated and mostly ignored.
Of love, he was never aware.

I'm sure there was One looking out for this dog
Who knew we'd be caught unawares,
And obtain this shivering, ghost of a dog,
Too frightened to climb up the stairs.

With issues of food and space and size,
Aggressive and crippled with fears,
I'm amazed at how far this "fear biter" has come
In just a couple of years.

He has learned to be gentle with me and my cats,
And with my Happy Dog, too;
And if you speak softly and move very slow,
He'll even be gentle with you.

I suppose he's worth little to some in this world,
But with Jessie I never will part;
For his faithful wait at the top of the stairs
Has truly stolen my heart.

-- Jaye Lewis

This story was discovered in a Petwarmers issue.
Jaye was kind enough to let us post this lovely story on our site.