Another neglected dog

I was contacted last night by Harbor Humane Society that two boys brought in a dog that was even more emaciated than Abe. I cannot even attach the pictures, it is so disturbing. I am extremely thankful for the boys who brought the dog in. They are heroes.

So, within two weeks, two neglected dogs found in the Holland/West Olive area. What is wrong with people!? What kind of person would allow an animal to starve to death? I'm speechless. What is even more disturbing is that these two dogs probably statistically represent a good size population of animals starving behind dumpsters, in ditches, and yes, even in some sick person's backyard.

This should provoke an outrage in our community. And even fear. If a person is sick enough to allow an animal to starve. What about their children?

Enough said for now.

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."

It's only been two months!

Wow, that's sad. I create a blog, and don't update it for two months. However, I also have noticed that NO ONE is reading it! So, maybe a blog about my three dogs isn't very exciting?

First Entry

So, this is my first entry on my first blog. That's sad because I've worked in IT for 20 years, and am just NOW creating a blog. Three Dog Blog will be entertaining and depressing depending upon the day. As you might guess, I have three dogs. A very large black lab, named Jetta. An old beagle, named Babe, and a young beagle, Maisy. I intend to exclude the rest of my family; however, you never know.

It's ironic that as I'm kicking off this blog, all three dogs are sleeping one on each couch, and one on my bed. As you might guess, I don't follow "normal" dog training methods. Our home is like an ongoing experiment with dogs and kids. Oh, and wait, the cat. The cat, Josie, thinks the dogs are idiots, and probably the rest of the family too.

For now, this is it. I hope you will be kind if you respond.

Todd