Abe

Last Monday an emaciated dog was brought in to the Harbor Humane Society. Every rib and bone visible. A skeleton with skin. Covered in fleas, unable to stand. Anyone who saw him on Monday was completely shocked. Heidi took me to see him on Monday night, and I had never seen an animal so close to death.

We talked about the fact that this dog needed a name. A name that would reflect what he'd experienced. This dog persevered even though no one had fed or cared for him. We decided on Abe, as Abe Lincoln was a man of perseverance. Abe seemed to like his name, and no one knows how long it had been since he was even called by a name.

Abe touched the lives of everyone at Harbor Humane Society. Because, this dog, Abe, was not treated at all humanely before a kind couple found and brought him in. People in the neighborhood where he was found did nothing. They observed him for weeks, but did nothing. This lack of compassion makes me sick.

Last week Abe was treated humanely at Harbor Humane Society. He was fed, petted, and loved by our compassionate staff. He was safe, and people showed they cared about him. Throughout the week, he gained some weight, and gained some trust in those caring for him. On Friday he was taken for x-rays. His body was full of cancer. He had large tumors pushing on his organs, and literally pushing against his spine.

On Saturday, a few of us met to say good-bye before he was humanely euthanized. Someone brought him some ice cream, and we watched him lick it, as I'm sure he'd never had someone feed him ice cream before. And then each one of us sat with him for a period of time and said our good-bye's. We whispered in his ear that it would be OK. That he would no longer have to endure the pain and discomfort. And he looked at us with his brown trusting eyes as if to say, "thank you". And after the last person hugged and gave him that last kiss on the nose, he laid his head down as if saying, "it's OK, I am at peace and ready to go."