Long Dognapping story

tapshoes · April 9, 2008

L8BloomR - it wouldn't be the toes I would cut off. Does the term 'bobbit-ing' resonate??

I too have sheltered many cats and dogs...each one someone else's castoff. My last dog was a black lab - absolutely terrified of hands...anyone's hands. It took me several months before he would trust me enough to let me pet him. He never got over his fear of men and would vigorously defend the house with much throwing himself at windows, and ferrocious barking if a man appeared. (Love life took a bit of a downturn at that time:lol:).

Then there was the dog given to me to 'train' -the adult owner had given the dog to his son (age 5) and the boy hadn't trained him yet. That dog (by this time age 1 year) had never seen a leash, a collar, any toys, and was allowed to run free in the community. Isn't it strange that the dog didn't have any manners?!?!? That dog did not go back to that home - after lots of training with the dog, the family decided that a puppy was cute but a dog was work! The son wanted a mountain bike instead, and the parent didn't want to assume any responsibility.

And those are only 2 of the many dogs I have had the privilege of owning.

And the cats I have rescued...from starvation, from life outside (in 30 below temps), from caged existences....I never cease to be appalled/amazed by the depravity of the human animal. Cats with diseases, cats mistreated, cats with internal injuries....alll of them somebody's responsibility at one time.

Animal rescue was one of the most difficult sickening volunteer positions I have ever done, and after over 20 years of it, I can't do it anymore. I have my 3 cats (all rescues), and once these join the rest of the cats and dogs of my past in their naturally achieved final reward), then no more pets for me.

But if ever I win gajillions of dollars, my money is going to free spaying and neutering...

ELENATION · April 9, 2008

I'm really depressed from this weekend...and I feel like comfort eating, so instead I'll post a really long-ass post in the rants and raves section and sip on my Protein shake.
In the middle of last week a chocolate lab came running up to me and my family as we were walking our dogs around the neighborhood. Very shabby, very skinny, no tags, and not fixed. But, very sweet natured - so I was silently hoping he'd follow us home. He followed us a little ways, then got preoccupied and left us.

Then, Friday night the same dog ran out in front of my car. I was able to stop, and barely missed running him over.

I got out, put a leash on him (yes, I'm the freaky dog lady that keeps an extra leash in my car for moments just like this). As I was walking to my car, a lady pulls up in her car and says to me, "that's my dog."

I was angry at the condition of the dog and asked where his tags were, and when the last time she fed it was. She said it fell off, and she had just fed him this morning. Right.

So, I said I was going to take him to the vet to get him checked out. She said okay, as long as she didn't have to pay the bill. I agreed to pay for him to get checked out. We exchanged numbers.

I'll cut a lot out here: The dog was severly malnourished and had heartworms, worms..no ID, not fixed...BAD SHAPE.

The lady's son called me while I was still at the vet and cussed me out for taking him...the vet said that as far as she was concerned it was a stray since they couldn't prove it was theirs. (This was a mistake, according to the police later, but I think she knew I would pay for the heartworm treatment and the dog would be better off with me. She went against what she was supposed to do to protect the dog.)

Soo...the police were called that night by them, and by me...the police got the report from the vet and allowed me to keep the dog. I agreed to meet the people at the vet the next morning, and leave it up to her where the dog goes. (By the time all this unfolded the vet had gone and was closed.)

All the while, the "owners" keep changing. First it was the lady, then the lady's younger son, then his brother, then the father. Good grief! Everyone I talked to in the family said it was their dog until I mentioned heartworms - an $800 treatment, then it was, "It's not my dog. I'm not paying that." ARRRGGGHHHH

So, the brother's show up at my house with other stray dogs and keep dumping them off on Friday night, calling me the crazy dog lady. A term I've come to embrace.

Saturday morning I have the "pleasure" of meeting the dad - the real owner? who knows. The officer that was called to the scene was a jerk. He showed up, not knowing what was going on and started threatening me with being arrested, and called me a racist. (I'm not sure where that came from, though he swears someone in my family said the word "Mexican".) I pointed to my daughter who is bi-racial and said, "Hello! We're not racist people." (And - point aside: You say Mexican to me, and I think food. I don't think Mexican is a racial slur, is it???)

Anyway...they get the dog back and a bunch of tickets for animal cruelty and a report to the SPCA for the chocolate lab, and the pitt bull puppy they were carrying that wasn't registered or tagged...or treated for heartworms...or fixed.

Anyway...I'm just sad over this dog. He was 4 years old, should have been 100 pounds, and was about 70. His bones were sticking out, but he was still sooo sweet.

I don't know how quickly the SPCA works, but these people were just jerks. I'm worried the dog will die before they can get him. I'm also worried that the dog won't be there when the SPCA gets there, and they won't get his treatment in time. According to the vet the heartworm was advanced. The dad kept saying to me he'd let me take the dog to breed with mine - he was convinced that me taking him was about me trying to breed my dogs. He didn't get it that my dogs are fixed!

At one point he was standing near me, yelling at me about what a mistake I made and I yelled back, "I saved your dogs life!" He just scoffed and said, "He's fine!"

That kind of ignorance just kills me! I don't get it.

This has all been condensed...it was really hours long, more cussing and threatening....more stress. And, lies-lies-lies from them. They said I didn't have the mother's permission, but then how did they get my number? They said the dog was there that morning, but I know he's been loose for several days. They said, they said. One brother said, "I was over in Iraq for a year, killing people. I'm not afraid of you."

What?? What is that? I told him to go f%$k himself. Was telling me he killed people supposed to make me scared? I hate that crap. Kill me, then, if that's your intent. DO SOMETHING or SHUT UP. They also told me the mother was passive and would have been okay with me taking the dog. :sigh: Ha....they're used to passive women...funny. I'm not passive and WILL NOT be intimidated by bullies.

Okay, thanks for letting me vent! I've been sad thinking the dog isn't getting cared for, and like I said - I've wanted to EAT my way out of the funk, but can't - won't do that.

As I'm reading your post, I'm getting pissed by the second, and I'll say that they are low life people! shame on them and there should be harsher laws for these things..... I'm so sorry about the poor little guy... and you are so great by doing what you did! we need more people like you!

L8BloomR · April 9, 2008

tapshoes: yes, I know what "bobbitt-ing" is...and I was thinking that same thing as I was writing the word "toes"....but just didn't have the courage to say it!! Thank you for doing it for me!! I really do wish we could inflict the same torture on abusers as they inflict on their innocent victims, either people or animal. This slap-on-the-wrist we give, especially to torturers of animals, does nothing and makes a mockery of our supposed commitment to protecting the innocent.

That said, it is wonderful to hear about so many people who are into animal rescue...the great work that is being done and the lives being restored. Your story touched my heart, as did others on this thread. Thank you for being one of the "good ones"!!

Gone4Now · April 10, 2008

I have been signing up for volunteering at SPCA and the Human Society, but have gotten responses back that there are no needs at this time. :thumbup: I don't get that!

But, yeah - there are so many abused animals. I don't understand how someone can do that. Give a dog to a 5 year old??? Incredible.

*******

And, bobbiting...yes! I remember that. I used to live in Manassas, VA and I was researching the daycare that I wanted my daughter to go to. I googled it and the first article was "Rise of the Penis". I had to take a double-take! Turns out the daycare was on a corner lot and owned the field that Lorena through it into!

L8BloomR · April 10, 2008

And, bobbiting...yes! I remember that. I used to live in Manassas, VA and I was researching the daycare that I wanted my daughter to go to. I googled it and the first article was "Rise of the Penis". I had to take a double-take! Turns out the daycare was on a corner lot and owned the field that Lorena through it into!

:huh2: :lol: :lol: