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Eudora Welty's The Lovely Bones

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Good guardians know that a companion animal http://www.care2.com/causes/after-only-20-minutes-in-shelter-cat-breaks-out-and-hunts-down-his-rescuer.html is a forever commitment. But one anonymous woman couldn't give her cat, Susie, the forever home she deserved. She was dying. The woman gave Susie over four years in a loving home,but she couldn't stop there. So Susie's guardian decided to give Susie one last gift: she let the world see Susie through her loving eyes.

"I Hope You Enjoy Susie as Much as I Have"

As reported in The Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/cats-dying-owner-left-a-beautiful-note-to-her-future-family_55b63c86e4b0a13f9d190571 a man walks into Maryland's Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center. …show more content…

She began the letter with, "Dear Friend" to set the tone. And with complete faith that Susie will have a new family goes on to say: "Thank you for adopting my friend, …show more content…

Any edge for a shelter cat is a good thing. As the Los Angeles Times reports, http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-0121-cat-limit-20150121-story.html there are many dogs and cats in shelters, but a disproportionate number of cats are euthanized. In fact, "the live/save rate for cats in shelters is only 55%, compared with 81% for dogs."

Dear Friend

Susie is already one of the lucky ones, but all animals have a story and are just as worthy of a forever home. I hope that Susie's letter also helped her guardian prepare for the transition. Writing, especially by hand, can be a really cathartic experience. In the spirit of Susie's friendship, this is how I might start my own letter about my dog, Maya:

Dear Friend,
Thank you for adding Maya to your pack. She'll love and adore the humans, especially the ones who offer belly rubs and massages; or whoever has the best food. But I can't say the same about cats.

How would your own letter about your companion animal start? Share their story in the comments

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