Today We Rescued Your Dog
by Pat Closher
Today we rescued your dog. We don’t know where you got him from - maybe you saw him in a pet store window or maybe one of your neighbors bred a few litters a year just to make some vacation money or because they loved their dogs so much that of course they wanted to have puppies. We don’t know much about how you cared for him either, although our vet thought that for such a young dog, his teeth were in pretty bad shape.
by Pat Closher
Today we rescued your dog. We don’t know where you got him from - maybe you saw him in a pet store window or maybe one of your neighbors bred a few litters a year just to make some vacation money or because they loved their dogs so much that of course they wanted to have puppies. We don’t know much about how you cared for him either, although our vet thought that for such a young dog, his teeth were in pretty bad shape.
Did you know they were going to keep him outside? At least it was a pretty mild winter. There were no heavy snows, not much heavy winter rain and only a few days of bitter cold. But for all of those weeks he had no companionship, no care, and no love.
For some reason, your grandparents took him to the shelter. Maybe a neighbor complained about him or maybe their own health gave out or maybe they just got tired of him. You know the local shelter is a kill shelter, don’t you? You know that their own statistics indicate that about half of the dogs that enter are killed, don’t you? Maybe your grandparents thought he would be adopted quickly. He is a purebred, after all. No one was interested in him, though, maybe since he’s an adult dog and not a cute little puppy. No one contacted the purebred rescue group either. They probably would have placed him quickly, since he really is a great boy. The shelter is a clean place and they take good care of the dogs. They get good food and they’re bathed and brushed. It’s still a shelter though, and is noisy and chaotic and frightening. He spent two months there in that confusion, away from everyone and everything he had known.
One day, we saw him on the shelter web site. We called and asked about him. The shelter workers were so happy to hear from us and were delighted to agree to bring him to a local pet store where they do adoptions. Do you want to know why they were so accommodating? He was scheduled to be killed that afternoon. He didn’t know that, but the shelter workers certainly did. It hurt them and he felt that, so he knew something was wrong. All of a sudden, though, the shelter workers were happy and excited and so was he. They bathed him and brushed his coat. We think they probably told him this was it - his big chance, or maybe he just knew it somehow. When we met him, we all fell in love.
He had to go to the vet to be neutered, of course, but then he came home. He has his very own 13 year-old boy. You know, it’s almost like watching one of those old Lassie movies, seeing how well they’ve bonded. He’s got good food and his own toys. He’s taken on walks three times a day, is regularly groomed and is taken to the vet for needed care. We’ll be with him always, even if we have to make that last, difficult decision, because, you see, he is our dog and we are his family.
He has a good heart you know, but then he is a dog, so that’s to be expected. He’s probably forgiven you and, with a dog’s grace, doesn’t even remember you dumped him. He’d probably even be willing to greet you at the Rainbow Bridge. But you know what? He’ll greet us and go with us at the Bridge, and then he’ll be with us forever, because he’s our dog and we’re his family.
The way we heard the story, you moved out of state and didn’t want to take him with you. You left him at your grandparents. Maybe you thought a lively, handsome dog was just the thing for them, and under better circumstances it might have been. Maybe they have been cleaning up your messes for your entire life and an unwanted dog was just another mess to clean up.One day, we saw him on the shelter web site. We called and asked about him. The shelter workers were so happy to hear from us and were delighted to agree to bring him to a local pet store where they do adoptions. Do you want to know why they were so accommodating? He was scheduled to be killed that afternoon. He didn’t know that, but the shelter workers certainly did. It hurt them and he felt that, so he knew something was wrong. All of a sudden, though, the shelter workers were happy and excited and so was he. They bathed him and brushed his coat. We think they probably told him this was it - his big chance, or maybe he just knew it somehow. When we met him, we all fell in love.
He had to go to the vet to be neutered, of course, but then he came home. He has his very own 13 year-old boy. You know, it’s almost like watching one of those old Lassie movies, seeing how well they’ve bonded. He’s got good food and his own toys. He’s taken on walks three times a day, is regularly groomed and is taken to the vet for needed care. We’ll be with him always, even if we have to make that last, difficult decision, because, you see, he is our dog and we are his family.
He has a good heart you know, but then he is a dog, so that’s to be expected. He’s probably forgiven you and, with a dog’s grace, doesn’t even remember you dumped him. He’d probably even be willing to greet you at the Rainbow Bridge. But you know what? He’ll greet us and go with us at the Bridge, and then he’ll be with us forever, because he’s our dog and we’re his family.
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I adopted Kleatus around 5 years ago. He was my first rescue dog. He was so skinny when I first got him. I helped bring him from 45 lbs. to 75 lbs. Little did I know what I was getting myself into. He was so chatty. If he was hungry or thirsty, he would talk to me. If he wanted me to pet him, he would talk to me. If he wanted to go for a walk, he would talk to me. It was so funny to have a conversation with a dog. He also loved me very much. I never once felt unsafe with him around. He would protect me from strangers, other dogs, squirrels, anything that moved. He would also protect me from the vaccuum, aerosol cans, the hose, etc. In January he developed a plum-sized tumor on his pelvis. It was determined that it was inoperable and too aggresive to treat conventionally. In two months that tumor grew to a grapefruit-sized tumor that eventually ulcerated. He was going to slowly bleed to death if left alone. I had to make the very painful, but necessary, decision to free him of his suffering. I let my entire family say their good-byes. I let him know how much I would miss him and that Koji (my first boxer) would be waiting for him on the other side. He left me on Monday, March 14, 2005. I find myself still looking for him and in quiet moments in my life I can't help but reflect on how much I miss him and how much love he filled my life with. I only had half the time I should have with him, but he gave me twice the love of any dog.
Deana Kreitz
LSBR Archive - 2005
I'm not gone. Not really. I'm just scouting ahead, as dogs sometimes do. Remember my gotcha day? You said we would be together forever, no matter what. I believed you with my whole heart. Did you believe it? While I'm off scouting, talk about me as if I'm just in the backyard, chasing a squirrel. Like the time I caught one and brought him to you, unharmed, holding him by the tail. I was so proud! Or the time I found the container of cocoa powder in the counter, and left a trail of chocolate paw prints throughout the house...you couldn't stop laughing. Or the first time I had a Chick-fi-la nugget....so good that I wanted to pee myself. Oh wait, I did! Keep these memories with you while we are apart, as if I'm nearby, just outside. Don't forget what you whispered to me that night on my "gotcha day" and every night since: I am yours and you are mine. There is no mountain high enough or valley low enough to keep us apart. We will be together forever and ever, and forever is not over yet.
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