DEVOTION OF DOGS
We were talking not long ago about an old dog owned by two members of the family, and it was remarked that the dog in his declin- ing years has become inordinately jealous of the other household pet, a cat. He never molests the cat but his misery at the prospect of being usurped in the affections of his mistress is very real and his dejection touches the heart so that the cat is rarely praised for fear of making the dog unhappy. This attach- ment reminded me of another dog that had a deep-rooted affection for his master. Adora- tion shone from the eyes of this mongrel and its devotion to its elderly owner increased so that soon his contact with other members of his family became unbearable to the dog. Finally, when he attacked the old man's wife, the dog had to be put to sleep. instances of this sort of jealousy are fairly common but I never hear of them without wondering what makes such a close bond or feeling sorry for the animal that centres its life and affection on man, how- ever kind.
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