Drunk Driver

Your best friend went to the bar, had way too many drinks and drove home.  However, on his way home he crashed the car into a ditch.  He caused some minor damage to his car.  You brushed it off as a mistake on his part.  You will just keep a closer eye on him and hope he doesn't do it again.

A few days later, he did it again.  Got in a car and drove drunk.  You brushed it off again saying it was a bad day and he was stressed out.  You watch him a little closer but don't really think much about it.

About a week later he gets in the car again, drunk.  This time he crashed the car taking out a telephone pole.  Causing some real damage to his car.  You have a long talk with him, explain to him this behavior is not ok.  He can't keep doing this.  You told him you were going to do whatever you can to help him so this doesn't happen again.  Things were going ok for about 2 weeks, then again he gets in a car, drunk.  This time he crashes into another car, seriously injuring the person in the other car.

Now you know there is a real problem, you get your friend help.


Not trying to compare or make light of drunk driving but my point is.... how many times does someone have to drive drunk before you realize there is an issues, there is a serious problem? Once, twice or just until they kill or hurt someone?

To me JUST ONE TIME I would be taking the drunk driving seriously.

So why is it that a dog can bite, bite, bite, send someone to the hospital, bite bite, send someone to the hospital, bite again and we keep making an excuses, we keeping blaming someone else.  Well maybe if so and so took the dog maybe if he wasn't around kids, other dogs, men, women, etc.  Excuse after excuse.   So tell me when is the biting aggressive dog issue taken seriously after it kills another dog or disfigures someone, maybe a child?

WE AREN'T PERFECT

As hard as it is to admit, we aren't perfect. We are human, we make mistakes. The difference between being an ok average rescue and being a great rescue which is what I strive for everyday is admitting from those mistakes, taking away from the mistake and learning and growing from it and doing the best I can to make the mistake right.

Now I am sure you are all wondering what I am talking about... here is the story:

On Feb 6th, Princess was scheduled to meet her new potential family. The foster home tried taking a new way to the farm then she usually takes and got lost. Her GPS had her doing U-turns because of a road closure. She was an hour late to the meet and greet appointment.

The people were nice about it but could tell as the time went on were annoyed. And hey I can't blame them I would have been too.

As usually we told the adopting family to make sure they take Princess to the vet within the first 10 days. Make sure the vet checks her out and let us know if there is any issues.

And now the fun begins........... They did take Princess to the vet, finding a lump on her chest. Something we didn't notice. Poor Princess had blood work done and was scheduled for surgery this past Friday to have the mass removed. The vet said that the mass was much larger then he expected and had branch offs that he had to remove causing a large incision area. Poor Princess had to have drains put in. She went back to the vet today and had the drains removed. Vet said she looks to be healing up nicely but did a fecal test finding whipworms. DEAR LORD! How much more could go wrong with this poor dog. So she is now being treated for this.

Lucky for the adopter they signed up for the Free 30 day Pet Insurance that we offer to all of our adopters. She has submitted the vet bills to the insurance company and is waiting to hear back from them. I believe the total is around $1,200.

I am completely embarrassed by everything that happened to poor Princess and this adopter. It started off rough and seems to be getting worse. If I were these people I would be cussing up a storm.

All though all protocols were followed with Princess and it is was all honest mistakes, nothing malicious at all. I still feel like an idiot. I have to keep reminding myself that we aren't perfect and stuff happens, especially when you are dealing with so many dogs with an unknown history.

So how are we going to make this right. Well from the first email I received from the adopter, I told her that I am glad she signed up for the Pet Insurance but if the Pet Insurance doesn't cover something to let me know so I can make sure she gets reimbursed. If we would have found the lump, we would have had the surgery so there is no reason for her to have to pay for the surgery since clearly it is something we should have noticed.

And now with today's message about her having whipworms. Although in rescue world that is not a big deal to us, we expect dogs to have worms when they come in and whip is a common one. That is why all puppies/dogs that come into the rescue are automatically de-wormed with 3 days of panacure. We did that with Princess but obviously she needed another dose. Whipworms are a hard one to control / treat. Usually does take two doses.

So with all the issues/trouble/hardship her poor adoptive family has had with her in just the 10 days they have had her, I will be sending back their adoption fee. There is absolutely no reason or excuse for something like this to happen. But again I have to remind myself we are a human and doing the best we can with the information and resources we have. And although the adoption fee being returned can't take away from the last 10 days of vet visits, surgery, medication, etc. I hope the adopter knows this is NOT normal and I hope my writing about this to all of you helps for people to understand a little more that being in rescue, running a rescue isn't easy nor predictable and my rescue isn't perfect but we do the best we can and will make right where we have failed.

The word KILL

The word KILL is a strong word.  It sounds horrible, it sounds unjustified, cruel.  I also think it is over used by some in the rescue community or those that call themselves animal advocates.
When someone says to me "The dog is going to be KILLED"  in my mind I jump to the dog doesn't deserve this, how can someone KILL an innocent dog.  But when someone says to me "they dog is going to be euthanized"  I believe that there is a reason for the dog being euthanized and don't question it all that much.

The reason I am bringing this up is because there are people who believe that every dog should have a home regardless of the dog's behavior, aggression, illness, etc.  When a dog is going to be euthanized for aggressive behavior they tend to jump to the word KILL as if the dog being put to sleep is the very worse thing ever. In my opinion there are worse fates then being humanely euthanized.

Dogs are by nature pack animals.... meaning they like to be around other dogs, they don't want to kill them and shred them to pieces.  However, there are dogs that are that way.  To me this is not normal, to me this is a clear sign the dog is mentally suffering.  They are living in a world the rest of us aren't living in one of fear, one of pain, one of confusion.  Yet THEY DESERVE A HOME.  THEY DESERVE TO LIVE.  Deserve?  I am not sure about that.... they deserve to be treated humanely, they deserve to not be in pain and not to be suffering.  That is what every living thing deserves.

If a dog was hit by a car and you took the dog to the vet and the vet said to you.  "This dog is in a lot of pain, I am not going to be able to make the pain stop and he has zero quality of life, assuming he lives through all this trauma and pain"
Do you believe that dog DESERVES to live, DESERVES to go home with you and continue to be in a pain? Having no quality of life?  Or do you believe that dog deserves to be at peace and not in pain?

The same holds true with a dog that is aggressive towards other dogs or that is aggressive towards people.  Don't get me wrong, do what you can for the dog.... hire a trainer, talk  to a vet, work with the animal and really make sure that any decision you make is the right one FOR THE DOG!
However, if the dog is aggressive towards other dogs or towards people and has hurt other dogs or people and all the training and time and vets aren't and won't help this dog then the dog is clearily in pain, mental pain.  That is not normal behavior for a dog, to be aggressive.
So you mean to tell me that dog DESERVES to be in pain just so you can say "it's alive"
I don't agree.

What about my child, my baby niece, my BBF's toddler?  What about my dog?  Do they DESERVE to not be bit, hurt, scared for life, killed or mauled by the dog who is aggressive? Do they DESERVE to be safe?   When placing a dog that has aggression in a home out of your control you are putting others at risk.  All it takes is one mistake by the new owner or foster parent.  One time of not muzzling the dog in public, one time of  forgetting to make sure the collar is on tight, one time of opening the door just a little too wide when the girls scouts come selling cookies, one time of the gate being left open by the meter reader, ONE TIME, ONE MISTAKE.

The reality is, in my opinion, not all dogs DESERVE a home.  In my opinion all dogs DESERVE wait let me rephrase that ALL LIVING BREATHING THINGS DESERVE respect, kindness and to not be in pain, not be suffering