Why Puppy Dogs Should Run for Public Office

My wife and I watch the evening news together. We have two traditions.

Before each broadcast we try to guess which stories will air. We base our speculations on various news releases we have heard throughout the day.

The second tradition is to anticipate the “puppy dog story” that invariably comes at the end of every broadcast. After twenty-five minutes of violence, scandal and destruction, it is nice to cuddle up to a positive story about something that makes people happy. And many times, the “puppy dog story” is about…

…a puppy dog!

Unless it is the recent story about an emotional support alligator some guy in Florida takes to schools and nursing homes. All I can say is, sooner or later an alligator is going to do what alligators do. I’m just glad no puppy dogs were around when the alligator guy was interviewed.

Puppy dogs are fun to be around. They are supportive, loyal and loving. When they are raised correctly, depending on the breed, they do well in social settings. And Puppy dogs seem to speak a universal language. Carry one with you into a crowd and he will be an instant hit!

Yup. Or should I say, “Yalp!” We love puppy dogs.

I have been thinking a puppy dog would make a great politician. Actually, in 1968, a group by the name of The Royal Guardsmen released a song called, “Snoopy for President”, promoting the candidacy of the famous Peanuts character. The chorus proclaimed, “Some wear the sign of the elephant and some wear the sign of the mule. But we’ll hold the sign of the beagle high and love will shine right through.”

See what I mean? Puppies always seem to make things better.

If a puppy dog served in public office, we could choose the characteristics we wanted in a leader by selecting the appropriate breed. If we wanted to “get things done” we could elect a working dog. I’m not sure who could fill the role of Surgeon General, but the Bible tells us about some dogs that licked Lazarus’ sores (Luke 16:21).  If we just knew what kind of dogs these were, we could sign them up.

In times of world conflict, a German Shepherd could stand guard over our communities, unless we were attempting to negotiate peace. In that case, a Labrador Retriever might be a better choice.

To avoid opening up any cans of worms, I will refrain from too many suggestions. I also realize puppy dogs grow up, and sometimes big dogs are not so cute and cuddly. But that’s that point! We can put a puppy dog in office and as they grow out of their cuteness we can train them to do their job!

A politician who responds to verbal and manual cues. Now that’s a thought that might just work!

Did I mention we could elect a Border Collie?

Ok.

Worms back in the can.

I merely believe if a puppy dog makes us all feel good after we watch the world come unraveled on the evening news, maybe a few of them in public office would have the same effect.

It couldn’t hurt.

And we would save a bundle on security. We could put a leash on our leaders and pretend they were pets. No one would know.

So many possibilities.