Tales & Tails of New York

(Picture Above:  Star -- Abandoned after 8 years in a family. No excuse necessary.)

CDonian Writes:  I know too much about others' "bad lessons."
My first dog was a shelter mutt who'd been dumped -- after 7 years with one family -- due to a kid's alleged "allergies." My mother _insisted_ that we adopt her, specifically because the dog was unfairly treated, and looked very, very depressed. She was a great dog, and lived to _extreme_ old age

Reply:  I hope everyone takes the time to read your entire comments, because they perfectly mirror EVERY rescuer's experiences and thoughts a thousand fold -- including and certainly mine.

Yesterday, we picked up from the shelter, "Star" (pictured above).  Star was dumped at the shelter about a week ago with the excuse:

"Owned 8 years."

What exactly does that mean?

"We've done our thing with Star and now we're done."  "It's too much trouble to walk the dog now."

It's amazing how many people abandon cats and dogs and don't even bother to come up with an excuse.

Apparently, it is perfectly acceptable to aquire and keep a cat or dog for one, five or eight years and then decide, "Well, that's it.  This is no longer fun for conveniet for us.  Fluffy or Max has to go."

Poor Star.

After being in a family since a puppy, she of course became very depressed and confused in the shelter.

Abandoned, stressed and depressed animals are far more vulnerable to getting sick in a shelte situation. I believe the mind and body are inexorably linked. No matter how clean the shelter or caring the care, the majority of shelter cats and dogs are easy targets for whatever "bugs" are floating around.  Their immune systems are taxed, weakened and quickly depleated.  Their anxious minds are in disarray, wondering, in most cases, what happened to their people and when are they coming back? What happened to their home?  What happened to their life?  

Crowded shelter conditions don't help. -- And what animal shelter isn't  constantly packed to the rims?

So, Star, like so many others, developed Kennel Cough and then landed on the Euth list, despite her gentle, loving and sweet temperament.  There was "No more room in the sick ward."

I noted Star's sad face on the list the other day and quickly called to pull her off.

Fortunately, for us, Zowie (rescued only last week) is already being adopted today.

Carrie, (Zoe's foster person) immediately agreed to take Star even though as of now, she still has Zowie.

"Don't worry, Patty!" Carrie said yesterday.  "I have an extra bedroom. Star can stay there for  now." (We obviously didn't want to mix the sick dog, Star with the healthy one, Zowie.)

So, yesterday, I met Carrie at the shelter where she came on her lunch hour from work to pick up Star.

After Carrie and Star left, I remained at the shelter for a while.  Two of the volunteers begged my help in trying to save a very sweet "Throwaway Mama" Pit bull named, "Nana." And I also looked at some small dogs, as I can potentially foster one right now.  The small dog ward was also completely packed.  I meant to only take one, but put rescue memos on both, a Maltese and a Shih-Tzu.  I believe I can get a foster for the extra dog.

We also have a rescue memo on a beautiful and totally lovely, purebred German Shepherd dog who, like Star ended up on the Euth list the other day for Kennel Cough.  "Bosie" had been in a home 6 years.  But, apparently the owner recently became ill and could no longer care for the dog.

Bosie is already advertised on the Internet seeking foster or adoption.

But, the couple of calls on her have been awful.

One person wants the dog "for my 16-year-old son." (I guess this one didn't read the blog entry from the other day.")  I didn't bother to call her back.  Another man called yesterday, inquiring on Bosie for his friend.

The man's "friend" is an 85-year-old woman who recently gave up a 9-month-old, breeder-bought German Shepherd because the dog "was too much for her."

"I don't know what kind of 'breeder' sells a German Shepherd puppy to an 85-year-old woman, but certainly anyone with half a brain would KNOW this placement wouldn't work! What were these people thinking?" I asked the man. 

"Well, we're thinking now that my friend would do better with an older Shepherd, like Bosie.  She always had Shepherds when she was younger."

"First of all, Bosie is only 6-years-old.  She's not geriatric." I replied. "Secondly, your friend is not a young woman anymore.  German Shepherds need lots of stimulation and exercise.  That is true whether they are 9-month-old puppies or 6-year-old adults.  Your friend needs to look for a smaller, less active and yes, older dog.  But, since she is 85, some backup needs to be in place, should the woman get sick or unable to care for the dog.  You have to consider the animal's needs as well as your friend's."

The man finally saw reason and agreed with my points.  The question is, will his friend?

We could go on and on with the wrong reasons people acquire animals, wrong choices and placements, and failures to anticipate the future.

You touched on many in your two very knowledgeable and insightful comments. I have tried to touch on some throughout the couple of years of this blog.

But, the truth is that even a book the length of "War and Peace" wouldn't get to ALL the reasons animals end up in shelters or abandoned near highways or on rooftops or in empty apartments/houses.

What does all that say about us as the "superior species?"

What does it say about so-called, "progress?"

For dogs like Star or the ones you write about, they are the lucky ones.

But, it is hard not to think of the millions of cats and dogs "falling through the cracks" every year.  The ones we never see or hear about.

The one dying in junk lots, suffering from neglect in uncaring homes, spending their "lives" tied up in backyards or bloodied, battered and discarded in the fight rings.

It goes on and on.......

And still, I keep saying over and over again:

"WE NEED TO PRORITIZE HUMANE EDUCATION IN THE SCHOOLS! --By the time they (humans) grow up, it is, for the most part, too late."

 Last night, Carrie called to inform me of the obvious.

Yes, Star is a lovely, sweet dog. -- Even good with Carrie's two cats. 

But, Star is barely eating or drinking anything.   She sometimes trembles when Carrie walks in the room.

"It's warm in my apartment," Carrie said questionly. "Do you think she could possibly be cold?"

"The trembling probably has more to do with her being in a new place and being scared," I answered.  "After all, Star spent 8 years in a different home with different people and a different dynamic.  All of this -- the Brooklyn shelter, then being transported to the Manhattan shelter and finally to you, is probably terrifying to her.  She's wondering what happened to her life?"

"I see your point," Carrie answered, sounding somewhat relieved. 

"Maybe its time, Carrie to call the Chinese restaurant and order some eggrolls!" I added with a laugh.

When these abandoned animals "shut down" from depression, anxiety and stress, we in rescue have to try everything.

Even Chinese eggrolls. -- PCA