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A Sad Story Perhaps, this should be shared with other rescue groups because there are "many" dogs out there who are emotionally damaged due to people not knowing how to care for or train their dogs. They send them off to be someone elses problem. This is a cruel lesson for all. This week, I was taught a very valuable, harsh lesson. Last year, in early April '09, I rescued a little white three year old poodle from PACC. I named him Dallas. Dallas was perfectly housetrained, but did not like other dogs. He actually attacked a little dog at his foster home which resulted in the death of the little dog. Dallas was returned to my home because the rule with APR is that the person rescuing the dog is ultimately responsible for its care. This rule is intended to help us make better decisions on which dogs should be rescued and which dogs let go. Dallas was a very sweet boy. He loved people, just did not want to share his home with another dog. He seemed fine most of the time in my home, but could not be trusted with the other little dogs when not supervised. Lou told me to do whatever I wished to find him a home or have him PTS (put to sleep). I went on Craig's list and interviewed a couple of people to find Dallas a home. He was adopted in July '09 (for no charge) by a single lady who was retired. On the contract a disclaimer was written and agreed upon regarding Dallas' dislike for other dogs and that he should not be trusted with children. He was in good health and weighed 12 lbs. I did a follow up a few weeks later and was told that Dallas was a great dog and she loved him. Yesterday, April 2, 2010, I got a phone call from a man who found a little white dog with APR name tag. He said that the dog looked as if he was dying. I asked him to take the dog to our Animal Hospital that was not far from where he was now. After doing a microchip scan, the dog turned out to be Dallas. Dallas is so thin that all his bones show. He now weighs 6.6 lbs. Interestingly enough, he was groomed (probably within the past 2 months) clean and relatively free of mats and debris. When offered food and water, he ate enthusiastically. He is also drinking water and has normal stool /output, but he is in sorry shape. Doc did a full blood panel to determine the damage this weight loss has done to his system. I will know more when the results come back. I will continue to monitor his progress, he is at home with me now. Although, he is still very weak, he goes outside to eliminate. However, I feel that Dallas may have had more emotional setbacks and may be even more unfriendly to other dogs and maybe people. This is heartbreaking. I will try to contact the adopter, but at this time, I am so angry, I don't think I can be rational. Who grooms a dog and does not feed it ?!? This neglect is more than a couple of weeks. What I have learned from this is that a "special needs Dog" should NEVER be given away to solve the problem. It is more humane to have him PTS. Rochelle PuczkowskyjARIZONA POODLE RESCUE "Acquiring a dog may be the only opportunity a human ever has to choose a relative." Mordecai Siegel (b1934) |