I took a little dog home that day,
He was ugly and bad, it's true,
Only I could see
His true beauty shining through.

I put him down at my front door,
So he could walk inside,
And when I opened up for him,
He just stood there, eyes open wide.

A big soft bed was there for him,
A fluffy blanket blue,
A heap of toys was nearby,
All bright and shiny and new.

All this for me he seemed to say,
His little eyes they shone,
No more need to bite, or cower, or cringe
All fear and anger gone.

He paid me back a thousand times
My furry faithful friend,
A better friend I never had
Right up until the end.

We walked a long and rocky road,
Through trouble, grief and strife,
And in the dark and stormy days
He gave meaning to my life.

I thought my heart would break,
When the time came for him to go,
I buried him in his blanket blue
Beneath the cold white snow.

Sometimes I still hear his little bark,
Feel the touch of a velvet paw,
And I still stoop down to greet him
When I open my front door.

Author Unknown