I saw this the other day...

and it got me thinking about our dad. Our dad was a big, barrel-chested construction worker who looked tough and was a man's man. However, if you spoke with him you would immediately find out that he was a gentle, loving man with a special place in his heart for animals.
Most of my childhood memories revolve around animals: adopting them, rescuing them, taking care of them... but the most memorable day was when our dad brought home two lhasa apso puppies.
While he was leaving a construction site, he heard cries coming from a dumpster. He opened it to find two "mop puppies" who were just thrown away. Angry and hurt that someone could treat an animal with such cruelty and disregard, he took them home with the hope that we could save them. After we cleaned them up and made them comfortable, we found out that both puppies had parvo. Our dad was crushed, but he quickly told us that the puppies deserved to be treated with as much love and kindness that they could ever receive in a lifetime. He kept them warm, he petted them and spoke to them, and he watched them all night until they passed
away.  That was the character of our dad -- a man filled with compassion for all living creatures who believed that they deserve all of the love that a person could give. This is our story, we would love to hear yours.