No tags, not neutered, matted all over!
The combination of these 3 things spells one thing: Irresponsible
The dog, a full bred Yorkshire Terrier, had obviously been someones pet. He walked well on a leash and seemed familiar with a crate. He needed a bath terribly, but his back, face and privates were all matted up. So, I got out my grooming stuff ( I used to be a groomer back in the day) and gave him a little spa treatment. He brushed out easily and did great for his bath. After a little trim up around his face, I could tell he was a very young dog.
Reluctantly, I began searching for his owner. Boy was I going to give them a piece of my mind when I found them. I called animal control, several vet offices in the area and even PetCo to see if anyone had reported a missing Yorkie. I drove around the neighborhood looking for signs and had the neighbors looking out as well. I even posted his description on 2 lost pet websites.
The next day I took him to a vet's office to have him scanned for a microchip. Nope! Big surprise there. At this point I was starting to feel like if these people didn't care enough about him to at least put a collar and tags on him, they didn't deserve him back. Maybe that's harsh...maybe it's not my place to decide that, but that's how I feel.
Spaying and neutering your pet is the least you can do for his/her safety and to help with the overpopulation and suffering of other unwanted dogs and cats. I have seen first hand, too many dogs and cats sitting in shelters, suffering on the streets and being put to sleep because no one wants them. Why would you willingly add to this problem? When an un-neutered male dogs gets out and roams around, they will most likely find a female in heat and contribute to society's problem. I won't even go into the health reasons and behavior reasons why you should do this for your pet. I need to get off my soap box now.
Back to the story. Gerry and I decided that if this little guy (we named him Spencer) was going to stay with us for any length of time, we needed to do the right thing and have him vaccinated...especially since we have a dog and kids he was going to be around. So, Saturday morning, Gerry took him to our vet and he got all his shots, heart worm and fecal test done. Thank goodness...he was a healthy pup. We even scheduled an appointment for him to get neutered Tuesday, November 2. We could always decide later if we wanted to keep him or not, but we knew we had to do what was right for him...even if it cost us money.
Honestly, we were starting to get used to the idea of keeping him. I gave him another bath and a really cute haircut. He was so good with my kids and he even slept with me and Gerry. But last night, Gerry was taking him and our dog, Devon, for a walk when two little girls dashed out of their house screaming and crying because they were so excited that Gerry found their dog. Turns out, they were right down the street from us. They just put up signs yesterday. (5 days later???) The mom and dad were both deaf so Gerry had a hard time communicating with them. The mom was signing and the little girl was translating for her. Not really a situation where he could lecture them about being responsible pet owners, huh?
When Gerry came back home with only Devon, I have to admit, I was a little devastated. I have a deep love for strays and for sick and abused dogs and cats. I have a heart for fostering and finding homes for dogs and cats that need them. I had no intention of stealing or keeping this little dog, knowing full well someone was looking for him. But why did it take them so long to post signs in the neighborhood? Why wasn't he better taken care of if he was so loved? I will never get these answers, I know. And it breaks my heart to think that in a few months, his fur will be all matted up again and the next time he gets away from his house, he might not be so lucky.
His real name? Cutie Pie.
1 comment:
Cutie pie, indeed!
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