Dog found in dumpster - How could you do this?
Being who I am there are certain words, noises, things that can get my attention over anything! I can hear a dog barking from a car easily. Once on a hot day last summer I came out of Lowe's and heard a dog with a crying pant from a car. I searched and finally found the car off to the left of where I exited and about 10 rows back. I heard the dog over people driving in and out, people talking, and someone loading a lawnmower onto a truck. I immediately told the Lowe's personnel, and then called the Human Society and the Police Department. I told them that the dog was in distress and needed immediate attention, and it did. It as lying down, panting hard, and struggling horribly. Why do people insist on taking their dogs to travel with them and then leave them in hot cars in the middle of a summer day?
I got off subject there, well, just a bit. Anyway, I can drown out conversation in restaurants and stores, but words like dog, puppy, and now a days, dog food, can tug my attention away from my own conversation. I just can't help it.
This morning in the rush of the Day Care, while guests were coming in for the day, I walked passed the TV where CNN Headline News was playing. I heard a tease that there was a dog in a dumpster, or something of that sort and of course stopped and looked toward the TV. I stood there until the commercial ended, and then I saw another heart breaking story of how horrible human beings can be to defenseless animals. What humans can do to each other isn't any prettier.
A small chihuahua was found in a dog carrier in a large garbage dumpster under 3 feet of garbage. Someone heard the dog and looked and found it in the carrier. It had tried to chew its way out of the carrier. It was weak and very frightened. Its eyes killed me. You could see how bad things had been for this dog. After I dried the tears from my eyes, adjusted my makeup, and gave up the idea of hiring Duane "The Dog" Chapman, The Bounty Hunter, to hunt down the scum of the earth that did this thing, I decided to write my blog about this poor dog.
Did someone want to hurt someone else that loved this dog and threw it in the dumpster? Had the dog finally peed on the carpet the last time the owner could take it? Had it chewed an expensive pair of shoes or rug? Did they just think a shelter was a horrible ending, but being crushed to death by a garbage truck was not? Who failed to communicate that there are alternatives to shelters, like rescue groups? Was there not a veterinarian to call that may have given advice to how to handle this situation? A trainer to help? Was it an angry landlord that found the dog hidden in the apartments? I hope they find the person who did this, chances are they are a threat to more than animals in our society. Here is the video clip:
Now just in case someone ever tells you that they have a dog they want to "get rid of", or they can't find a home for a dog, or they just can't imagine taking it to a shelter, here is some valuable information:
1) Shelters do involve death. It is a reality. If the dog is not adopted, and more often than not, they aren't, well at least it is a chance, and at least the dog is put down humanely (if gas is not used). The big thing though is that you can relinquish the dog and keep checking on it. Be honest with the shelter and tell them you want to make every attempt to make sure this dog is given a fair chance or an even better than fair chance. Before taking the dog to the shelter, have it groomed so it is clean and looks clean. Buy it a nice friendly looking collar. Sponsor the dog to be spayed and neutered, or for an obedience class and the staff will post that information with the dog. Sponsor the dog so the staff can afford for the dog to stay longer. If the dog isn't adopted, adopt it out yourself and have an alternative if you have to take it from the shelter.
2) Contact a rescue group. There is a rescue group for every single breed of dog, rare breeds, mixed breeds, and even the new designer breeds. There are rescue groups devoted to elderly dogs needing new homes. Here are two of my favorites: This rescue group is devoted to special needs and elderly Dobermans http://www.doberman911.org/, please take a look. This one is one of the most organized and best ran rescue group in my area, http://www.ssrr.org, the Southern States Rottweilers Rescue. They have great ideas for fund raisers, great volunteers, they are just awesome. Don't skip this link, give it a look, you need to see why they are a fav of mine.
By the way, you can help these dogs by making donations. Do it because you want to, do it on your dog's birthday, do it in memory of your dog, do it on your own birthday. I know one gentleman that bought a used soft drink machine, asked to place it at his workplace, and he fills it himself. He takes a cut of the money to refill the machine and the rest he donates to a rescue group. I can't imagine how many dogs have been neutered/spayed, gotten medical attention, and were saved by ads he paid for. He has done this for over 10 years and lives here in East Tennessee. OK, back to the task at hand...
There are rescue groups out there. If you can't find one, contact me, contact your vet, contact the shelter, contact a groomer, go on line to www.akc.org and find the breed and then click rescue and you'll find the National Rescue group for that breed.
You have a better chance of the rescue group taking in the dog to rescue if you let them know the dog is clean and groomed, is spayed and neutered or you will sponsor the dog, and if you can't that is OK too. The big make or break about taking in the dog is if you can foster the dog for a few days or have someone else that can while they look for a foster home. Foster homes always have a dog. You have to start calling and ask someone to take another, or beg, beg, beg. If you can't foster, talk to a kennel and see if they will give you a reduced rate while you board the dog while the group finds a foster home. Meanwhile, they will go ahead and try and match the dog to a possible home. They will put the dog on Petfinders, and hopefully the dog will find a home soon.
3) Let your vet know that the dog is looking for a home. Color, close up photos of the dog looking friendly, with a toy, a cute collar or bandanna on a poster with a description about the dog needing a home soon will possibly prompt a call. Make sure you let the vet know, they will know if someone has had a dog die recently and may be ready for a new one, looking for a second dog, etc. and can pass along the information. Take the poster with a plate of cookies, it couldn't hurt, and maybe the poster will get hung up in a prime spot!
4) Put a very clever ad in the paper. Like "Young dog looking for intelligent, fun loving, active family or individual to grow old with. Potential human must like early morning walks, exuberant greetings when you come home, leisurely evenings by the TV, and be tolerant of a few dog hairs. I am active, enjoy the outdoors, don't mind sharing my toys or tennis balls, and need a good ear rub and back scratch daily. My favorite movie is "Fox and the Hound" but I've never seen the end, I usually fall asleep. My favorite meal is whatever is on the counter - I love adventure, and I have a thing for defuzzing tennis balls. If you think we would make a great match, contact my foster family at the following number 555-5555, I will be taking appointments for introduction meetings starting next Tuesday through Friday. I look forward to meeting you!" Then make appointments and let the family audition for the dog. In other words, let them meet each other and just watch how the interactions go. Then tell the families if after discussing the dog and their situation, if they would like a second meeting then call back and let you know. I have done this numerous times and it always is successful. I once had over 60 calls for one dog. After a few interview questions on the phone I set up 10 first meetings. Out of those I got back 6 calls. Of the next 6 meetings, I called three. I took the dog to those three family's homes. I found the best one when the gentleman sat on the floor and had bought things for the dog to play with. Her name is Sassy and she is quite famous for pictures her photographer dad, Pat Cagney, has taken of her. Here is a picture of her, she is the black dog on the left (her "brother" Hoss is on the right).
5) When you place the dog - get money for the placement. Take the money to refund the spay and neuter you will pay for, or take the money and give it to the vet - have them write the check to the vet of your choice to make sure they actually take the dog. Have them write a check to a rescue group or shelter as a donation. Just make sure you get money for the dog. Dogs that are placed free are very often abandoned later, because there was no investment by the person. If you are going to pay $100 for a dog that needs a home, you will make sure you really want it, can afford it, and are ready for the commitment. (Well, usually, but a lot less often than those that are taken in free.) Also, no one is going to pay $100 or even $50 for a dog they are going to use as bait to train a fighting dog. They'll take that free one in a heartbeat. Don't place the dog free.
It takes a little work, but you can do it, and you will be thankful you did. Maybe your halo won't tilt so much anymore (smile). You might even make a friend or two. Many of the dogs I have placed are in homes where I now call their families good friends.
Meanwhile, in searching for the link to the little dog found in the dumpster, I could not believe how many stories came up about dogs being left in dumpsters. Here are two that I wanted to share:
http://www.co.washington.or.us/deptmts/hhs/news/schnauz.htm
http://www.petoskeynews.com/articles/2006/01/06/news/local_regional/news02.txt
Let's do what we can to make sure people learn there are alternatives. Share this blog. Print out the info. We'll never know why the person put that dog in the dumpster, and the person that did that may not have wanted an alternative. However, there will be dogs you will run across, or people you can share with, and this will give you information to help.
So, share the info, I know I preach it, but reach out and help, do something that takes effort, not something easy. I love knowing that little dog is being taken care of tonight and out of that horrible situation. Say what you want about people that dress their dogs, etc, but I hope this dog walks down the street next week with a $200 dollar collar, a pink coat, and has a faux fur bed to lie her head on to sleep. For me, I can't get those eyes out of my head, maybe I will do a search for "The Dog" after all, that would be a friendship I would really treasure, hmmm, wonder what kind of cookies he likes?
Till later...woofs!
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