Just things I would like to say…
Dear Sir:
I have your adoption application papers in front of me. I have received your messages and emails. I understand that you think our process is too slow and difficult.
What I would like to point out…
If you have a moment, I would like to tell you a few things about this little puppy that you will never find out by reading her profile page.
We host free spay and neuter clinics where immunizations for the many local canine diseases are also available. The mother of this little girl should have been there. Her owners were “too busy.” You see, in this area there are many dogs. It is very rare that the owners provide them with food or care. As a result, they go in search of food. Many are killed in fights over food. Many others suffer from diseases that their owners do not care to protect them from. Many, young and old, suffer and slowly, painfully, perish.
I guess the value of life has gotten lost over time. It seems an animal is a thing that one needs to own but does not need to feed. Own but not need to contain or protect. There are usually no shots and seldom are they allowed into the house.
This little girl did not choose this life. Her owners chose it for her. Born under an old rusted truck, surrounded by snow, litter and empty beer cans, she came into this world unwanted by her owners. The owners did not want her and her siblings barking and living in their yard so their birth was also the beginning of their death sentence. The mother was barely able to scrounge enough food just to keep herself alive.
Left unfed and unvaccinated, the puppies would have died where they were born. Amid the weeds and litter, in the cold, snowy shadow of the old truck. Because they did not want to have to deal with the smell of decay in the spring, this little girl and most of her siblings were placed into a cardboard box and thrown into a dumpster. The last time this little girl saw her youngest brother, his soft white bundle of fur was lifeless. His little body was left as it lay when he froze to death, the ice holding it tightly to the ground. When spring thaws his body, he too will be thrown away, just a piece of trash to be removed before the smell gets too bad.
We have seen this before. It is truly heart wrenching. These are the ones that haunt us. We will always wonder if you could have gotten there sooner and saved them all.
When we received the call that a box of puppies were thrown into a dumpster to freeze to death, we were not shocked. This is not the first time this has happened. This will not be the last.
Life for this little bunch was fragile for the first few days after they arrived here at RezQ Dogs, at our home. We watched and felt happiness as each meal was eaten and they seemed to have the will to survive. Sometimes, they seem to lose faith in people and they just give up.
Then, we noticed this little girl, the one you wish to adopt. She was no longer eating. She was listless and, having seen it so many times before, we knew she was ill. Terribly ill. She had caught one of the painful and often fatal diseases we provide the free shots for. Our happiness for this little bunch of puppies was suddenly grave concern. We did the things we always have to with diseases. We sterilized, quarantined, and worried. We took this little girl into the veterinarian. This disease is tough for any animal to overcome and costly to treat but we knew she had the best chance of survival at the veterinarian’s office.
This was a truly worrying time. We thought of her often. When we were told she would survive, we were overjoyed. When she was finally reunited with her remaining siblings, she started to blossom. Due to her recent illness, we spent more time with her than her siblings. We checked her often to make sure she was drinking and eating. Soon, we started looking forward to the time with this little girl. She is quite a character. We placed pictures of her siblings on our adoption page and watched as, one by one, they found forever homes and forever families. We had not placed her adoption information on our web site yet. As often happens, because of her health scare, our “parental” instincts told us to wait just a little while longer to ensure she would be healthy.
Except for us, she was alone now. We did our best to be her “family.” She learned to sit and fetch. She learned to come to us when called and to go outside when she had to go to the bathroom. She is so smart.
Soon, I noticed something rather odd. When my wife or I were in a bad mood, it would be time to walk this little girl. It is so funny to watch her! She is just so smart. Every day with her is such an adventure! She loves to climb up into the tree in our yard. Not too far, just about a foot and a half to where the tree branches out and provides a natural place for her to sit. There, with one ear up and one at half mast, she will just look around. It is such a beautiful sight. There are other times she will find a leaf and bring it to me. Just her way of giving a gift. She may not have much but she gives what she has. Sometimes she will just run in circles, just being what nature intended a puppy to be. Still, at other times, she will simply sit and stare up at the sky, her beautiful blue eyes watching as the birds fly over her head. This little time we spend with her always improves our mood.
Something else you should know. I know it sounds stupid but, well, I just feel a small bit of jealousy over this. It kind of bothers me that she may be doing this for someone else soon. I almost want her to remember just me doing this…but I know it is for the best if I tell her new family. When you pick her up, gently place her on her back in the crook of your arm. Then softly rub her ears and, again, make sure you do this softly, scratch her belly. You will be able to hear her little “cooing” sounds as, slowly, she falls asleep in your arms. As she lays there, before she drifts off, she will look up at you. The little twinkle in her eyes clearly tells you that she knows she is loved. And that she loves. Oh, she is so precious.
I am sorry, I kind of got lost in thought there.
Your application. Yes, I received your emails and messages.
There are a couple of pieces of paper in front of me. They are supposed to tell me about you. Here are some questions that are not on that paper:
This little girl came from a life no living being should be forced into. We made her a promise that she would never have to face a life like that again. We promised her that, wherever she goes, she will always be loved. Do you promise to share that promise? Can you look at a couple pieces of paper and find reassurance of that promise made?
We watched as this little girl went from unwanted and sentenced to die to sick and struggling to live. Our support to her and her health never wavered. Is it in your honor to make the same vow?
Do you realize, you are not adopting a dog or a puppy but a family member? If there is a divorce in your family, will someone still care enough for her to make sure she does not lose all she knows? When she needs medical attention can you promise that your new truck or new boat will not be more important? You will not develop an allergy when she is no longer a puppy? You will always plan where you will live with her in mind? We have set aside many and not purchased many things in our life to ensure she has hers. Will you do the same?
Lastly, sir, do you realize that you are taking a piece of our heart and a light from our life. If you are approved, she will live for us only in our memories. Do you promise to give her all of the love she has brought to us? Can you be the person she truly deserves?
Can we trust this precious puppy to you?
What I do say…………
Again, I apologize sir. I have your application here in front of me. It should be a simple thing to go through.
Ps. It should be noted that this story is a combination of the many things we have seen. From the frozen puppy to the puppies in a dumpster, it is all a painful part of what we deal with. And yes, the puppies we deal with do get the ear scratches and belly scratches as described!
