On the way to pick up my husband’s dry cleaning one day, I took a back road through a neighborhood. On this street I saw a dog eating what looks to be someones McDonald’s wrapper, in the middle of the road. I got out of my car, in order to shoo the dog out of the road so she wouldn't get hit. It was at this time that I could see up close that this poor girl was in horrible condition. Her nipples hung low from years of being someone’s breeding dog. Her skin had mange so bad there were huge sores covering her skinny/malnourished body; the only part on her that still had hair was her face and her upper shoulders where she couldn't scratch herself. She wore a dirty collar with what looked like a broken chain on it. She cowered low and just laid in the road when I approached. There was no way I was going to try to find her owner to return her, because I considered the amount of neglect this dog was shown to be outright abuse. I called Animal Control and the Humane Society. They were both closed to the public so I brought her home till I could figure out what to do with her.
My neighbor is a vet so I had him come over to take a look at her. He scanned her and walked her a little, listened to her heart and felt her stomach and chest area. He informed me that she had huge tumors in her nipples which were 90% sure to be cancerous considering the rest of her condition, she had the worst mange and flea problem he had ever seen, and she had end-stage heart-worms, which means she would die in weeks from something similar to congestive heart failure (you could hear her wheeze after taking only a few steps). He also showed me her teeth and revealed the fact that they had been worn almost down to the gum. He then told me, “there are only two reasons a dog would have teeth like this. Reason one, trying to chew off of the chain that she probably had been chained to for her entire life. And two from, eating rocks out of starvation.” He put his hand on my shoulder and said, “I’m sorry. This dog is going to die very soon. Her best fate at this point would be getting put to sleep in a cozy room with nice people patting her.”
I asked my neighbor if I could take her to his office and pay him to do the humane thing and put her down. He said that would be illegal, as she is not my dog. He is only legally allowed to tell me to send her to Animal Control in the morning, but for the time being do NOT allow her near my other dogs for fear that she may have something they can catch.
So I did the only thing I could do. I bathed her. It was one of the most spiritual feelings I have ever felt. The look on her face as I put her in warm water with a mild soap and carefully ridded the fleas from her body was one of pure gratefulness. My dogs hate the bath, but this dog, you could tell, was enjoying EVERY second. She closed her eyes and pointed her head up to the ceiling. You could tell that she had never been touched like this by a human before.
After her bath I took her down to our basement and gave her warm bedding, fresh water, and food. “Only little bits of food at the time,” said the vet, “because you feed your dogs good food. It is too rich for her. She hasn't eaten probably in days. She will vomit.” He was right. She threw up each time she ate. But I kept giving her little bits and cleaning it up. It was a joy to watch her eat. And the bedding. My gosh. She kept laying in it then getting up and looking at me, as if to say, “for me? for real? a bed?”
I couldn't leave her down in the dark basement alone and she kept scratching. So I went and got some ointment for sores and went and sat in the bed with her. She curled up and put her head in my lap while I rubbed the cream all over her. At that moment I began to cry, knowing that tomorrow I was taking this girl to Animal Control, and ultimately to her death. But I felt such a strong spiritual connection to this little creature, all while she was drinking in every second of love that I could give her. It was gratitude on a level that I have never seen before. But I am the one who is beholden to her, for giving me those beautiful hours.
She is dead now. Animal control put her down immediately after the 3 day obligatory waiting period (time for owners to claim lost pets). Their diagnosis was the same as my vet’s. Weeks to live, then a painful death. I didn’t do much for that animal, but I did all I could do. I suffered with her, but not in the same way as her. I wish I could have taken on more of her suffering. I really do.
