Happily I can say that day has not come for me, but yesterday was that day for a close friend of mine and a rescue dog named Donnie.
Back home, in Reno there is a rescue a friend of mine runs called Boxers and Buddies. It is a Boxer Rescue and the "Buddies" part comes from the other breeds that need rescuing, and that is where Donnie comes in.
Boxers and Buddies
I started volunteering at Boxers and Buddies as I have always had a passion for dogs. My time there is where my awareness was heightened as to the issues of animal abuse and cruelty, as well as seeing first hand the people and the horrific care that they give to their animals. I remember asking myself..."Can people really be that cruel?"
The answer is yes...like it or not.
I remember the day like it was yesterday Sarah and I were in her truck headed to an adoption event when she proceeded to tell me about this pit bull they (Boxers and Buddies) rescued after Hurricane Katrina. You could tell the love she had for that dog in her voice as she told his story. She continued describing the great home Donnie got and how much his new owner and "forever" family loved him. Then the conversation turned to what it usually does in rescue.... "He is being returned."
Sarah was choked up when she told me about the phone call that she had with Donnie's supposed fur-ever family. You see his daddy found him a 2 legged love of his life and now had a baby on the way, as well as a mother in law who did not want any "pit-bull" around her grand child.
Donnie found himself back at the rescue and became what Sarah calls a "Disposable Dog".
A little background on Donnie as told by Sarah, Director of Boxers and Buddies...
"I personally drove down to Las Vegas to pick you up from the shelter there.
You have been saved from Hurricane Katrina. You were a bait dog. You were
tied to a metal post on a 6 inch chain. You weren't a fighter, so they just let
dogs attack you over and over again to help work up their bloodlust. When the
hurricane hit you were left to die. You were transported hundreds of miles to
safety by Best Friends Animal Sanctuary..."
One would think that was bad enough for one dog, sadly it does not end there.
"...you were put in a shelter where they cleaned the kennels by hosing it down,
with you still in it. They forced you to sit in your wet kennel until it air dried.
That's where I saw you. Cowering in the back of your kennel terrified of the
tormentors and abusers - the only humans you've known."
How does one dog endure the heartache and trauma of a life such as this? Donnie did and the rest is history.
"I took to you to teach you to trust and love again. To try to make a difference in
your life. I worked with you every day - until you loved people and were no longer
terrified of other dogs (when the play got too rowdy, you would run to your crate
and shut the door behind you)."
Humans are the problem here, not the dogs. How can a dog who was tortured, used as bait for fighting dogs, abused in a shelter somewhere, and survive a hurricane become a monster?
They don't!
I met Donnie on more than one occasion. But most memorable was at an adoption event where he sat on my lap the the majority of time. He played with me, with the others, and allowed me to balance toys on his head and the only dangerous thing about him was his tail as it wagged in sheer delight.
He had such soulful eyes. He was so trusting for a dog who had endured what he had. Yet he overcame it and learned to love again thanks to Sarah and the volunteers at Boxers and Buddies. Most notably, Becky and Millie.
It angers me when I hear that rescue dogs are "damaged goods" or that "there must be something wrong with them if they are in the shelter". Yes there is something damaged, and there is something wrong.....but it is not the dog. It is the human who put them there. It is the human who was too lazy to train their dog, or god forbid that human who thinks that miraculously when you get handed that puppy it is supposed to be trained, potty trained, or knowledgeable on what it is allowed to chew and play with. The worst thing though...is the human who treats a dog as if it were disposable.
I for one thank GOD or rescues such as Boxers and Buddies and for their volunteers such as Sarah, Millie and Becky. Without them the Donnie's of the world would have no chance. These dogs would only experience "Humanity's Shame" instead of the love and compassion that some humans are capable of giving.
Donnie may have never ended up with his fur-ever home after being "disposed" of but he did get what many dogs who have a home sadly do not....he got love, that warm bed, and the safety from Humanity's Shame.
Sarah finished her tribute to Donnie as follows:
"You died today, my sweet dog. You died surrounded by the three volunteers that
loved you and cared about you. It was the best we could do. It wasn't enough.
You deserved a real family. You deserved a real home. You deserved far more than
"part-time" love. As I stroked Donnie's face as her took his last breath today,
two thoughts battled in my head
1) I let Donnie down. My Adonis never got his forever home. two thoughts battled in my head
2) There will never be any breed of dog meaner or more vicious and
uncaring than humans.
Goodbye, my Donnie Doggo. I am so so sorry."
First of all, no-one at Boxer's and Buddies let Donnie down. If anything they gave him what others did not. They gave him the unconditional love he gave back to them. They taught him how to trust and they gave him the respect he deserved.
It was those dog fighter's in Louisiana that used him as bait and left him to die, it was that shelter in Las Vegas and that person who was supposed to be Donnie's daddy that let him down. It is those people l that motivated me to name this blog Humanity's Shame.
To Sarah, Becky and Millie you are the hero's to these dogs. They see you like I see you. Selfless people who will do what needs to be done to show these animals what it is they truly deserve. Compassion and love.
Rest in Peace Donnie |