When I spoke with the husband on the phone, he said that his wife hadn't believed him that the dog can get out of the van - I don't know if I would have if I hadn't seen it - but there's no question that she believes him now. Who knew that Newfoundlanders have thumbs under all that fur?
As an aside, imagine how awful it would feel to come out of store to find your van with the door wide open and your dog gone. I could totally see that happening to me. Not that my dog has figured out how to open the car doors (knock wood) but I have an irrational fear that, if left unattended, my dogs would be stolen in a heartbeat.
I don't know if that the fear comes from a neighbour's dog having been stolen out of their yard when I was living in Edmonton (they got him back 4 months later when he was found in BC) , or if it's because I am asked by strangers so often how much my dogs cost. Of course, my stock answer to that question is to tell them that I paid $4000 in vet bills the first year I had Tallulah; but apparently people seem to think these yahoos are worth something.
And they are, to me. To me, they're worth a million dollars. So, even though my head tells me that not everybody wants a yappy little white dog or a Mensa poodle, my heart can't imagine that there would be anybody who wouldn't snap them right up, given the chance.
Long story short, if I'd have come out of the store to find my car door wide open and my dog(s) gone, I'd have crapped my pants.
Lucky for me, they're still here.
Cotton, who is not the brightest crayon in the box, is sitting here on my lap, with my dinner plate balanced on his back as I reach over them both and type this. That's pretty typical for him. He always wants to be on my lap, regadless of where I am or what I'm doing; so I've learned to work around him. (Except at the dinner table. If I'm sitting at the table, he knows to leave me a lone.) Lucky for him, as much as he wants to be in my space, he's respectful of my stuff. I don't feed him table scraps, and so he has no expectation getting anything from my plate. Even so, I've got to admit that I questioned his dogginess when I dropped a noodle right in front of his nose and he didn't even notice it. I had to point it out, and tell him to eat it.
Then there's Tula.
I don't even know what to say about that picture; except that she's a weirdo.
...and that I hope she knows what a great life she's got.
The dog down the road can't say the same. His owners continually leave their gates open and let him wander around; but when they discover that he's left the open yard they lash out at him. Today I was out gardening and saw the dog wandering around. Shortly after that, I heard the lady yelling at him and looked over in time to see her kick him. He crouched down and growled at her, and she yelled louder for him to get up and go into the yard. They went back and forth like this for a while, until my other neighbour came over to ask me what was going on. While I was talking to her, they must have convinced him to go back in or carried him into the yard. More yelling ensued back there, but we couldn't see what was happening.
I have zero tolerance for people like that, and I said so loud enough for her to hear. In fact, I've half a mind to call the SPCA on Monday. There's no excuse for kicking a dog, period.
I can't imagine coming out to the car and finding Katie gone. The panic & anxiety I suffered a few years back would be nothing compared to not knowing where and how she is. I also relate to the $4000 poodle. She's had both cruciate ligaments replaced and then there's the weekend in the E.R. last month. She's now worth her weight (29 lbs) in precious gems and metals. There's a dog that comes to visit, yeah - she's allowed to wander; she's very well trained but you can see it was done thru fear not love. I believe there's a special place in **** for people who mistreat and abuse animals. Guess your blog hit a nerve & triggered a rant, huh?!
ReplyDeleteP.S. Love the pic!!!
ReplyDeleteOur pets are just priceless to us:))
ReplyDeleteWhen I see or hear an animal being abused, I always step in. Always. Even if I only hear my neighbor yell at her 1 year old poodle twice - I always tell her that he is not deaf and that it is their fault if he acts like he does (he is just doing baby stuff!)because they are not able to train him right. Sure she gets offended (and I get yelled at by others at times) but she stopped spanking him (not hitting) when I told her I would call the SPCA. Their poodle has more brains than their owners put together!
Do call about you neighbor's dog, he shouldn't have to suffer because of stupid owners!
That's quite a balancing act with the dinner plate. And I'd call the SPCA, no animal deserves that kind of treatment.
ReplyDeleteMy last dog, before Foxy, was a Cocker Spaniel mix who adopted me after she was abandoned by some heartless soul because she was pregnant (the dog, not the heartless soul--I don't know about her). My neighbors took her in, let her give birth to 9 (nine!) pups, gave them all away, paid half the bill to have her spayed and gave her to me. She was my life's companion for 9 years or so, and I still mourn that she's gone. For all the people in the world who are abusers, there are those who go above and beyond. Thank goodness I lived next door to one of them.
ReplyDeleteI hope you did call the SPCA.