Written By Sandra Hender
As the weeks went by, the new baby was visited by all kinds of family and friends who showered him with many gifts, attention, and love. His parents took him out for walks to show him off, and bestowed upon him, all their attention and devotion.
But, as the months went by, the novelty of having a child wore off. He wasn�t cute and fun anymore, cried all the time, got into mischief and broke things. He demanded too much attention, wanting to go out for walks, be held, fed, and bathed. He would wake his parents up after they went to bed, and they were at the end of their rope. This was not what they thought having a child would be like. So, they packed him up in their car, and dumped him at the first orphanage they found.
Sound horrible? Of course it does. We all know this would never really happen. Children are a lifetime commitment. Parents don�t toss their kids in an orphanage just because they�re tired of them. (Although it has probably been contemplated)!
This story is true however, for thousands of puppies and kittens. It�s the same classic story. A family decides they want a puppy; he is cute and fuzzy, and the family loves him. It�s fun for awhile anyway. Then, the cute puppy grows up, gets into mischief, and maybe chews expensive items, messes in the house, whatever. The family decides he is no longer cute and fun, and they toss him out. This is done with absolutely no thought of what they are doing to the puppy emotionally. He is thrown away with no thought whatsoever to the emotional pain and damage that ensues. Animal shelters everywhere are over crowded with homeless little waifs. My last visit was a sobering reminder of just how cold and desolate it can be. But, it was a visit that ultimately brought together tow broken hearts.
I had recently lost a beloved dog that had been my best and only friend for seventeen years. My husband suggested maybe we could find another similar dog to ease my impossible grief. While we roamed aimlessly through the SPCA, I felt a lump in my throat the size of a watermelon as I thought of my precious little Suzy who had died two days earlier. Lost in thought, I looked in each cage. Most dogs were large, shepherd mixes. I really didn�t want to be here but went to please my good hearted husband. He meant well, but I was grief-stricken. It was far too soon to think about another dog and since we had two more at home, I didn�t want another just yet.
We wandered around for about an hour, then decided to leave. As we made our way towards the exit, I heard a high-pitched mournful whimpering. It sounded heartbroken and I wanted to cry. Turning around, my gaze fell on a small dog that looked pitiful, vulnerable, and desperate. I called to him and his frightened eyes looked up at me warily. Visibly trembling, he instinctively stepped back to the furthest corner of his cell as I approached. Kneeling down to his level avoiding direct eye contact, I spoke softly to ease his mounting fear. Cautiously extending my hand below his jaw for him to smell, I caught sight of the hesitant wagging of his little stubby tail. He wanted to trust me, but experience had taught him to shy away from human hands. His name, "Myles", was on the information card attached to the door, and I discovered he was only eleven months old, housebroken, and very good around other animals. That was a plus since we had two more dogs at home. Myles was a pedigreed Brittany. We took the information card up to the front desk clerk and were appalled at what we found. His previous owner took Myles to several veterinarians to be euthanized. No reputable vet would euthanize a healthy dog, so Myles was dumped at the SPCA where it was assumed he would eventually die. Why was he so desperate to have him killed? Myles crime had been chewing up a pair of shoes. It took no time at all to decide Myles was coming home with us.
It is important to understand this poor little dog had no idea what was going on. He was taken from his mother at a few weeks of age, lived with his first family, dumped, then taken by complete strangers. Try to imagine what goes through a dog�s mind when this happens.
Once home, I called Myles former veterinarian and what I learned made my skin crawl. He had come from a very abusive home. Myles, left alone for twelve hours a day, was given the run of the house. Free time, and no one to guide, teach, or care for him, Myles did what any dog would do�he entertained himself. He chewed everything. In addition, puppies can�t hold their bladder for twelve hours! When his guardian finally returned, he was angry with Myles, who was overjoyed at seeing the one he loved so much. When his guardian punished him, he was confused. This went on for nearly a year. Advice and suggestions by the veterinarian to use a crate were ignored. He felt the use of a crate was cruel, but didn�t seem to think his violent physical methods were cruel. The veterinarian�s staff reported that this man had frequently beaten Myles. He admitted this to them in trying to figure out what he could do to make Myles stop his destructive behavior. Since they had never witnessed it first hand, they were unable to do anything about it. I was informed that the only way they could have intervened was if Myles had been brought in and evidence was observed on him that he had been beaten. I was appalled at this. I knew from day one Myles had been beaten just by observing his behavior. In addition to beatings, Myles had been the victim of objects being thrown at him.
From the first day with us, we employed the use of a crate. Myles didn�t understand and whimpered pitifully when we put him in there. He was only put in the crate at night and when we were not going to be home. After only one night of listening to his pitiful whimpering, we compromised. Myles would only be put in the crate when we were not going to be home. At night, he would sleep in bed with us, along with our two other dogs.
One of the first things I discovered was Myles fear of cans. This was one of the objects commonly thrown at him. I discovered it quite by accident. I kept dog biscuits in a large can, but when I approached Myles with the can to offer him a "cookie", he shrieked away in sheer terror, hiding behind our bed. I still wasn�t aware of what had frightened him and followed him to my bedroom. His eyes were glued to the can in my hands, and he trembled and whimpered. His ears were flat to his head and he was utterly terrified. No amount of coaxing would bring him out from behind my bed, until I put the can out of sight. I was outraged by what had been done to this little dogs psyche. Cans had been used to hurt and frighten him. When we would attempt to pet him, he would "flinch" and cower. Myles feared hands. Hands had been used to hurt, so we learned to approach him slowly and gently. We never thrust our hand out over his head; instead we would slowly extend our hand under his chin and gently scratch him. I wanted Myles to learn that hands were good. So we only used our hands to pet, caress, hug, scratch, and give cookies. He also got lots and lots of kisses�from me. My husband steadfastly refuses to kiss dogs.
Weeks went by, and the adjustment was difficult. Myles did much damage. He chewed shoes, slippers, stockings, socks, pens, wallets, and a $2000 organ as well as door frames, baseboards, books from the library and our own, collectible dolls, bears, and countless other items. Some items were extremely expensive, some very dear and irreplaceable. But, it was NOT his fault. He was not a bad dog. This may sound ludicrous, but the fact is, dogs are not born bad. He simply had not been taught anything. He didn�t understand what was expected of him. Like any child, he needed to be taught. Beating a dog�s head in does not accomplish anything. It serves only to make him fearful, and in some cases can make him very aggressive and violent. He may become vicious. Then, on top of all this, we come in. We take him away from the shelter, put him with two other dogs that wanted nothing to do with him at first. All dogs establish a pecking order there can only be one leader. In our home, it happens to be the smallest dog, Foofee. We observed them all carefully; making sure there were no serious fights. It didn�t take long for them to accept him once they realized their "status" was not threatened. When introducing a new dog to established dogs, you need to just let them work it out on their own.
There were times when Myles would lie curled up in a tight little ball for hours�a really heartbreaking sight. During these times, I picked him up and held him on my lap speaking softly. He seemed to love that. He would press his little face up tight against my neck and fall asleep. He really was starved for affection. Then, there were times when he was completely out of control. He started tearing through the house, knocking everything over in his path�barking and jumping and grabbing whatever was loose and within reach. Trying to stop this was a challenge, but possible. Myles responded to gentleness. During these "fits", I sat still and quietly called his name. He always came to me, but in a frenzy, bouncing about and grabbing my hand with his teeth and jaws. I would grasp his collar and quickly begin an ear massage using the soft underside of my finger to rub the inner part of his ears. He would settle down immediately and close his eyes and "groan" with pleasure. Each time, I rewarded him with a treat.
Myles eyed strangers with distrust and shied away from them when outdoors. With our family and friends, he kept his distance. During these times, we would confine all our dogs to crates as the crate gives a dog a feeling of security and safety.
It took time, but Myles began to show signs of complete trust in us. It was gratifying to see him become the "happy-go-lucky-dog" he always should have been. He had been robbed of his puppyhood, and we were determined to give it back to him. Today, Myles no longer "flinches" when a hand is extended to pet him. Nor does he tremble and run when approached by strangers. He was wary of cans for a very long time, but I am happy to say that today, the little bugger will take the lid off a can himself to steal a milkbone. He brings his toys to his daddy or me when he wants to play, and he and Foofee have become the best of friends. We no longer use a crate at all. All the dogs sleep in bed with us and when we are not at home, we just confine them to our bedroom. They all seem to like it in there, and don�t do any damage at all when we are gone. It took me a total of six months of working with Myles on a one to one basis just to get him to stop being afraid. The rest took somewhat longer, but today he is a very happy-go-lucky little five-year-old.
As one who has adopted several dogs that have been "thrown away", I can�t stress enough how cruel it is to give a dog a home, then just kick him out after he develops a sense of security and permanence. The longer you have a dog, the harder it is on them, and the longer they suffer for it. Their hearts can be broken just as yours can. Many a dog has died from a broken heart when they have lost their family and homes. They also develop attachments as we do. But, unlike people, they don�t understand when they lose someone they love. They hurt and suffer silently while waiting for their loved one to return. During this time they never stop loving their family. Forever loyal and devoted, they will defend you to the death asking nothing in return but just to be loved back��even if it is just a little bit
Written By Sandra Hender
So desperate for love and a home,
It broke my heart, I felt your pain,
Unwanted, unloved, and so alone.
He threw you away like a discarded old shoe,
He left you where he thought you would die,
With ice in his veins, he walked away,
Turning deaf ears to your pleading cry.
I�m so sorry my sweet little boy,
That life began so rough for you,
But sometimes, bad things have to happen,
So that the good things can come through.
Though tearless, they cried,
Please want me; please love me,
I�ll stay forever at your side.
My little orphan, I love you so,
You are and always will be "my boy";
I promise you�ll never again be "thrown away",
I�ll give you unconditional love, and joy.
Myles, I�ll cherish you always,
No one will ever hurt you again,
Your home is here with mommy and daddy,
To be the happiest, most beloved doggie you can.
(What may have been said by Myles if he could talk)
Written By Sandra Hender
In the car for a ride?
Oh thank you master!
I�m proud to be at your side!
What place is this?
What do those letters spell?
There are other doggies here,
And kitties too, I smell.
Who is this lady?
Where is she taking me?
Master, please don�t leave!
Have I done wrong? I�m sorry!
I am alone and frightened,
They took my fine collar away,
And gave me a thin green one,
And a small cell in which to stay.
It�s cold and lonely here,
There�s no blanket on the floor,
My master surely will come back,
I�ll wait patiently by my door.
It�s nighttime now,
But I can�t sleep,
I must watch for my master,
My love for him is deep.
He�ll come for me,
He didn�t mean to go,
He�s my best friend,
He loves me-----------I know.
I miss my master,
I hope he�ll come soon,
I�m going crazy in this bad place,
And it smells in this dank, tiny room!
My heart is breaking,
I feel so sad,
I must have been very bad.
I feel so scared and lonely,
I just don�t understand,
If my master comes back for me,
I�ll meekly crawl and lick his hand.
Someone please help me!
There�s no one to play with here,
No one talks to me or walks me,
Or scratches behind my ear.
My cell is so tiny,
About five by three is all,
The floor is cold and barren,
There is no window in the wall.
There�s a tiny door in back,
That leads outside to the "run",
It�s just about six feet long,
But this side of the shelter doesn�t get the sun.
I wish I had a rug,
Or a blanket on which to lay,
I miss my bone and rubber ball,
I have nothing with which to play.
The days are long and lonely,
I do nothing but whimper and cry,
It hurts so bad to be unwanted,
I�d feel better, if I could die.
Why did he leave me?
How long do I have to stay?
I miss my home and family,
Why was I thrown away?
The lady came by again,
She said my time is up today,
Did my master come back for me?
Will I be going home to stay?
I am the raccoon caught in a hunter's trap.
I am the lobster being boiled to death.
I am the fox being hunted down for my fur.
I am the pig being raised to be killed.
I am the elephant being killed for my tusks.
I am the dog in a laboratory being tested on.
I am the goose having my feathers pulled out.
I am a mouse being bought for snake food.
I am the turkey being forced to eat antibiotic-laced feed.
I am the calf being taken away from my mother, and being kept in a tiny crate until I'm anemic and have suffered so much before I am slaughtered and sold for veal.
Don't you see...
I am the pain that all animals feel.
I am the hope that the senseless abuse of animals will be stopped someday.
Don't you see.
We all found out that in January '01 you received a very special package, An English Pointer, named Hope.
I know you are kind of busy, Lord, with all that goes on in this world, but a whole lot of us people down here, sure do pray that you have taken this special one under your arm.
Hold her tight. Restore her back to health and wholeness. Let her never know hunger again. Let her never wonder what true love is. And please, let her never suffer another second - I know you can do this for us and her. We humbly pray for this.
And why I have your attention, can you please show us how to stop this from
happening. You see, we are all trying so hard down here to protect all your
creatures and days like these make us feel like we failed.
Give us more strength to fight on - for those like Hope.
Love - A Dog Rescuer
We entreat for them all Thy mercy and pity, and for those who deal with them we ask a heart of compassion and gentle hands and kindly words.
Make us, ourselves, to be true friends to animals and so to share the blessings of the merciful."
by George Anderson
GSP Rescue of Wisconsin
love and forgive both here and hereafter, cruelty toward animals is a much
greater offense to the Infinite Light than even cruelty toward another human
being. Why? Because animals, at the hands of humans, are unable to defend
themselves properly and must suffer the pain inflicted upon them in silence.
Take care of your pets----for their sake and for your life reviews sake.
They are the closest thing to God that we will ever find on the earth.
Submitted by Jamie J. Knight
I left home today. I didn't want to go, so I hid behind my mother and my three littermates that were left. I didn't like you. But one day they said "I WOULD BE FAMOUS." I wonder, is famous the same as fun and good times? You picked me up and carried me away, even though you were concerned about me hiding from you. I don't think you liked me.
My new home is far away. I am scared and afraid. My heart says "Be Brave." My ancestors were. Did they go to good homes like mine? I'm hungry because I can't eat too much because it will be bad for my bones. I can't bite or snap when the children are mean to me. I just run and play or pretend I am in a big green field with butterflies and robins and frogs. I can't understand why they kick me. I am quiet, but the man hits and says loud things. The lady doesn't feed me good things like I had with my mother. She just throws dry food on the ground, then goes away before I can get too close for touching or petting. Sometimes my food smells bad but I eat it anyway.
Today I had 10 puppies. They are so wonderful and warm. Am I famous yet? I wish I could play with them, but they are so tiny. I am so young and playful that it is hard to lie here in the hole under the house nursing my puppies. They are crying now. I am so hungry. I scratch and worry my fur. I wish someone would throw me some food. I am also very thirsty. I now have 8 puppies. Two got cold during the night and I couldn't make them warm again. They are gone. We are all very weak. Maybe if I take them out on the porch we can get some food?
Today they took us away. It was too much trouble to feed us and someone came to take us away. Someone grabbed my puppies, they were crying and whimpering.
We were put in a truck with boxes in it. Are my babies Famous Now ? I hope so, because I miss them. They are gone.
The place smelled of urine, fear and sickness. Why was I here? I was beautiful, like my ancestors. Now I am hungry, dirty, in pain and unwanted. Maybe the worst is unwanted. No one came, though I tried to be good. Today someone came. They put a rope on my neck and led me to a room that was very clean and had a shiny table. They put me on the table. Someone held me and hugged me. It felt so GOOD!!! Then I felt tired and laid over the last one who cared.
I AM FAMOUS NOW.............Today Someone Cared.
Your soul will soar and you won't have to cry;
Someday, Someone will heal your broken body
And take you to where no one will cause you fright
Someday, Someone will hold you close, kiss you and sigh
Because He knows what it means to suffer and die
Until Vengeance flows like a fountain of blood
In this world justice is always blind.
How much longer must you and I wait?
Simba and Onxy were mine, but they are only two of many who haven't seen
justice yet.
