Pike put down the cat. He slid from Pike's arms like molasses and puddled at his feet.

Some of us find our way with a single light to guide us; others lose themselves even when the star field is as sharp as a neon ceiling. Ethics may not be situational, but feelings are. We learn to adjust, and, over time, the stars we use to guide ourselves come to reside within rather than without.

The sense of smell in all dogs is their primary doorway to the world around them.

When dogs fulfill their roles they are ecstatically happy.

I began to encounter real-life stories of dogs protecting their wounded or dying or dead handler... or dogs refusing to leave the bodies of the people they were bonded to, sitting in cemeteries for days or sometimes weeks. You find these stories endlessly.

It's easy to sound good. All you do is leave in the parts where you act tough and forget the parts where you get shoved around.

Lucy took a single plain donut from the bag and held it for me to take a bite. Tender and light and still warm from the frying. Not too sugary.