Our pets hold a special place in our hearts.
Even after the heart-wrenching day that they leave us behind for pet-heaven, we still hanker after our old companions; eulogising them with tear-filled eyes as we recall their former days of glory.
If we love animals, then we adore dogs.
The ultimate companion, dogs are by your side to offer their condolences and comfort when things are rough, and giddily ready to play with a ball when you're back on top.
Put simply; dog is man's best friend, and ill do we deserve their relentlessly positive outlook on this cruel, cruel world.
Far from being confined to the role of pet and confidant, though, dogs also perform extremely important jobs in our society, be it saving us humans from the wreckage of fallen buildings, or sniffing out potentially explosive devices in precarious situations. It's hard to envision how we could possibly live without them, really.
These service dogs, though, are subject to a rigorous training regime to make sure that they are performing to the very best of their abilities when they actually come to the solemn task of carrying out their training.
As such, not every dog makes the grade; a heartbreaking truth that us humans just have to contend with. Usually, though, it's very much for their own good and future happiness: just take Lulu, the would-be CIA K9 who just fell short of making the grade. The Central Intelligence Agency has been paying tribute to her in a series of heart-rending tweets. Get the tissues ready.
Lulu had appeared to be losing interest in her work
[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/CIA/status/920758588892680195]]
There are many reasons that a pup might have an off day or two
[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/CIA/status/920759757861990401]]
Though for some, it could mean this isn't the job for them
[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/CIA/status/920760084870901760]]
Unfortunately, this appeared to be the case with Lulu
[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/CIA/status/920760439230877696]]
So trainers made a tough decision
[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/CIA/status/920760818945445891]]
Meaning Lulu needed a new home
[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/CIA/status/920761214455619584]]
Thankfully, Lulu's handler leapt at the chance
[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/CIA/status/920761510061858816]]
It's time for her to start a brand new chapter
[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/CIA/status/920761887662452744]]
Though it might seem like a sad tale, the chances are that Lulu is now living a far happier life, without the day to day pressures of training for work that simply wasn't meant for her.
Now she's free to gamble around the garden, play endless games of catch and steal food from her owner's plate until her heart's content; not such a bad life, after all.
