I've been thinking and thinking about Harley, and if I can come out of this experience with anything to say besides, "this sucks!" and "I'd like to kill that guy!" and "that poor baby" and the like, it's this: Don't stay out of it.
I know it's kind of hard to see what difference it makes. My parents didn't stay out if it, and neither did their neighbors, and Harley still died of something that sounds pretty darned unpleasant, alone in a garage. But it could have gone another way. Animal control could have kept him. Someone could have made an impression on his owner. It could have.
And even though that didn't happen, for the last several months of his life Harley had affection, occasional freedom to run, and table scraps for probably the first time in his life. Maybe someone could have done more, although I'm honestly not sure what it would have been (short of kidnapping him). But at least he had a reason to prick up his ears and wag his tail in the last months of his life, and that wouldn't have happened if everyone had minded his own business.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
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5 comments:
This is so sad, and I totally agree with your assessment that you shouldn't mind your own business in cases like this.
I once kidnapped a dog actually. To be fair, it came on my property and I scooped it up. It was so sick it would have died if I hadn't. I took it to the vet, nursed it back to health, then one day it got out of the house without a leash and ran back over to where it had come from... and as I was chasing it, the previous owners snatched it up and took it inside.
I called the police. They wouldn't return the dog to me. So I went to the magistrate. I won a judgment against the people, but not for what I wanted. I wanted the dog back. The people didn't respond or anything, so the magistrate decided they should pay me for all the vet bills.
I didn't pursue it because a couple of days later, they moved. I had planned to go offer to forgive the judgment (like it mattered) and to actually buy the mixed-breed dog from them, but before I could, I saw them unscrewing the lightbulb from the front porch and taking it with them when they left.
I get angry and I get sad about animal abuse. There's plenty of times when there truly is nothing that can be done, or all options have already been exhausted and you still can't help the animal. I always do try though, because my conscience just won't let me walk away.
Poor Harley. I pray these people don't get the notion that they need another dog to tie out in the yard.
Thanks for sharing such a good message:-)
I really appreciate it!
Huggies
from Rio
www.RioTheYorkiePoo.com
absolutely true . I dont think if you care for dog , you own it. May be the previous dog owner is taking care of it for past so many years .
googleboy: They were NOT taking care of it and as I said, if I had not taken it to the vet it would have died.
This is really sad :(
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