Honesty!!!

Hi... A very good article i would like to share with you guys!!! Hope u enjoy it as much as i do!!! =)

A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business.

Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.

He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you. "The young executives were Shocked, but the boss continued. "I am going to give each one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you.
I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one
I choose will be the next CEO."

One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.

Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew.

Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still
nothing.

By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure.

Six months went by -- still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however, he just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection.

Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at
the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives.

Jim just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!"

All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!"

When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed - Jim told him the story.

The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief Executive Officer!

His name is Jim!" Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed.

"How could he be the new CEO?" the others said.

Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow.

All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new
Chief Executive Officer!"

* If you plant honesty, you will reap trust

* If you plant goodness, you will reap friends

* If you plant humility, you will reap greatness

* If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment

* If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective

* If you plant hard work, you will reap success

* If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation

So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.

Think about this for a minute....
If I happened to show up on your door step crying, would you care?

If I called you and asked you to pick me up because something happened, would you come?

If I had one day left to live my life, would you be part of that last day?

If I needed a shoulder to cry on, would you give me yours?

This is a test to see who your real
friends are or if you are just someone to talk to you when they are bored.

Do you know what the relationship is between your two eyes?

They blink together,
they move together,
they cry together,
they see things together,
and they sleep together,
but they never see each other;
....that's what friendship is..

Your aspiration is your motivation,
your motivation is your belief,
your belief is your peace,
your peace is your target,
your target is heaven, and life is like hard core torture without it!

Please help sign this petition!!!

Article taken from here.

Targeting: Doug Eaves (County Manager)

Started by: Nina Ancharski

On Saturday January 29, 2011, an animal advocate was in an area working on rescuing a stray dog from the road when she found the dog whom we now know as Alice. Alice is a bully breed who has been living in a "box" for the past SIX YEARS. There was a wooden box, approx. 5'WX8'LX 4'tall. It was constructed of mostly wooden slats, with maybe an inch gap between some of the boards, and sheets of tin. The top was covered mostly by various sizes of tin and metal sheet, with a small section having field (chicken) wire over it. The door was made of metal/tin and was chained and locked when they first arrived.

What they saw was a very nervous, very apprehensive female Bulldog. She was beautiful, chocolate brown in color, and looked somewhat plump. It was evident that she had had a litter or two...or more...of puppies in her time. The dog did bark and go on the defensive when she first saw them. She had been inside a small plastic box that served as a "dog house" that was attached to one end of the shed. The floor was dirt at one time, but was now covered in a very thick layer of dog feces and a nasty sludge. They saw very runny poop on the ground and on the interior "walls". They could tell that the inside had probably never been cleaned or sanitized. Apparently, all the years of feces had become packed into the dirt by the dog walking on top of it all. The stench was sickening.

They had taken three large dog biscuits with them. When offered to her, the dog stopped her barking and gently took the first from my fingers, then retreated into her "doghouse" portion of her living quarters. When she finished eating the first, she returned to get the second biscuit, not barking when she returned. She eventually came back and got the third treat, took it into her "doghouse" and just laid inside there and looked at them, saving the biscuit for later.

They had returned to the roadside to discuss what could be done. It was then that an elderly African-American man arrived home. They introduced ourselves and explained that we were not there to cause him any problems, but only to check up on the dog in the box. After talking for a while, "Ben" told them that the dog belonged to his son-in-law, who had brought the dog out there to live because "it's a very mean dog". In fact, we were told, that if the dog was running loose while we were there, she most likely would have bitten us. She was, by this man's account, "one of them very mean dogs" (meaning, Bulldog) and that's why he had her in the "kennel" he had built.

They offered to bring the man some dog food and asked if they could get him a chain linked kennel for the dog. While they were all talking, one of the rescuer's mom happened to drive past. The mother just so happen to have some dry dog food with her and offered some to them to give to Ben. They asked if they could feed the dog for him, and he allowed them to do so. When they showed Ben what was inside the bag she had, Ben's words were "I ain't never gave that dog no pellets before". They asked what he fed her and Ben said mostly bread, an occasional honey bun and a few scraps. This dog had never had real dog food in her life. It was then that they asked how long he had had the dog, and Ben told them "about 6 years, since she was a pup". We were flabbergasted! This girl, who Ben also told us he had never even named, had been living this way for nearly 6 years!!! Six years living on basically bread and water, no vaccines, no vet care of any sort.

When they went to pull the food bowl, an inch thick rectangular cake pan, from inside the kennel, they had to pry it loose from the sludge that encased it. The pan was filled with dog feces and dirt from inside the shelter. They cleaned it best they could and filled it with dog food. When this dog saw it, she immediately started eating! But, she didn't finish all the food, apparently never having a full and proper portion of food to eat. They asked if they could also freshen her water, and that's when Ben told us that the rope tied to the 5 gal bucket (see the picture) was there so "when she turned it over, I can get it back up". Apparently, Ben would not ever go into the shelter due to being afraid of the dog, after all, she was "very mean". Ben did open the door for them to get the bucket out, and they cautiously reached inside to get the bucket, not knowing if they were about to get bitten or attacked by this "very mean" dog. They got the bucket out without incident and went to clean the inch thick layer of dirt from the bottom of it and the layer of algae from off the inside walls of it. When they returned with fresh, clean water, the other rescuer was gently rubbing the dog's ears through the slats! This "very mean" dog was leaning on the inside walls, allowing a eprson to love on her!!! They was even allowed, by the dog, to rub and pet her. This dog was so open to human contact, something she apparently had experienced very little of over the years. They never saw any aggression from this beautiful dog. More pictures are attached to this link, courtesy of Southen Comfort Rescue

http://s1099.photobucket.com/albums/g391/AnimalAdvocate_Nina/Alice/

****UPDATE PER RESCUE***

During a follow up visit it was determined that the owner of the "dog in the box" is actually Ben's daughter, who provided purchase papers for whom we now know as Alice. The owner saw no problem with how Alice was being cared for and has even claimed that the kennels had been routinely cleaned. Obviously, the photos show different. With an officer present, who was also appalled at the conditions, Southern Comfort Rescue expressed that these were horrible circumstances for a living breathing creature to endure. They also offered veterinary care assitance and housing assitance for Alice. These were declined by the "outraged" owner. Upon further follow up, it has been determined that Alice is now in a chain link kennel with a dog house, although no bedding, nor fresh food or water were present. She has also seen a vet who dewormed and administered a rabies vaccine, but no phsyical exam was proven to be performed nor any routine tests for illnesses that run rampant in the area. The food dish was there, overturned.

Southern Comfort is fighting for Alice's relinquishment because of the suffering she has endured over the six years before they intervened. Also the chances of the care declining again are high if there isn't regular follow up. The court appearance was not favorable. No one seemed to feel that this dog was being treated cruelly, including the animal control officer saying he just throws his dogs food on the dirt too. If something isn't done, Alice will merely stay in this state for the remainder of her life. We need to campaign to get her released to the rescue at a minimum. Alice and Southern Comfort need our help and support now more than ever! Sign this petition, write letters, send faxes, whatever you have to do! Please continue your support. It is so much appreciated.

Mr. Doug Eaves, County Manager County
P.O. Box 112
Lyons, Georgia 30436-0112
(912) 526-3311

Magistrate Court of Toombs County
Chief Magistrate John "Chip" Matheson
Street Address:
147 Jerry Avenue
Lyons, GA, 30436
Work Phone: 912 -526- 8984
Fax: 912-526-8985

SHeriff Alvie Lee Kight, Jr.
912-526-6778

Right now there is NO COURT DATE set, due to the there not being enough cruelty evidence at this time. But keep up the pressure! It's working!

Article about Alice:

http://www.examiner.com/dogs-in-national/help-needed-for-dog-the-box-georgia?CID=examiner_alerts_article

Alice's battle is being fought by Southern Comfort Rescue in Georgia. They are a certified non profit in the state and are doing everything they can to get her turned over to them. Alice deserves better! Please show your support.

Southern Comfort Animal Rescue, Inc
A State of Ga licensed, 501(c)3 non-profit org.
www.socorescue.com

Release of Alice the "Dog in the Box" to Southern Comfort Rescue

To Whom It May Concern

On behalf of Alice, the dog who has been living her existence in a box for six years, we ask that you release her to Southern Comfort Rescue, a certified non-profit in the state of Georgia. She deserves a life outside of bread, water, and breeding. Living in squalor is no way for any living being to survive their day to day existence, void of all human contact and love. We love Alice and have not even met her, we just know she deserves better! Alice deserves better from the "humanity" who has failed her so far. Please don't fail her like everyone else has and make the decision to release her to a rescue who can give her the chance she deserves at life! Thank you for your time and consideration in this sensitive manner.

[Your name]

Please help us sign the petition by Clicking on the below link.

from: http://www.change.org/petitions/save-alice-aka-the-dog