New and Now
We Couldn’t Have Said This Any Better
A man in Grand Rapids, Michigan incredibly took out a $7000 full page ad in the paper to present the following essay to the people of his community.
HOW COULD YOU?
By Jim Willis
When I was a puppy, I entertained you with my antics and made you laugh. You called me your child, and despite a number of chewed shoes and a couple of murdered throw pillows, I became your best friend. Whenever I was “bad,” you’d shake your finger at me and ask “How could you?” — but then you’d relent and roll me over for a belly rub. My housebreaking took a little longer than expected, because you were terribly busy, but we worked on that together. I remember those nights of nuzzling you in bed and listening to your confidences and secret dreams, and I believed that life could not be any more perfect. We went for long walks and runs in the park, car rides, stops for ice cream (I only got the cone because “ice cream is bad for dogs” you said), and I t ook long naps in the sun waiting for you to come home at the end of the day.
Gradually, you began spending more time at work and on your career, and more time searching for a human mate. I waited for you patiently, comforted you through heartbreaks and disappointments, never chided you about bad decisions, and romped with glee at your homecomings, and when you fell in love. She, now your wife, is not a “dog person” – - still I welcomed her into our home, tried to show her affection, and obeyed her. I was happy because you were happy.
Then the human babies came along and I shared your excitement. I was fascinated by their pinkness, how they smelled, and I wanted to mother them, too. Only she and you worried that I might hurt them, and I spent most of my time banished to another room, or to a dog crate. Oh, how I wanted to love them, but I became a “prisoner of love.” As they began to grow, I became their friend. They clung to my fur and pulled themselves up on wobbly legs, poked fingers in my eyes, investigated my ears, and gave me kisses on my nose. I loved everything about them and their touch — because your touch was now so infrequent — and I would’ve defended them with my life if need be. I would sneak into their beds and listen to their worries and secret dreams, and together we waited for the sound of your car in the driveway.
There had been a time, when others asked you if you had a dog, that you produced a photo of me from your wallet and told them stories about me. These past few years, you just answered “yes” and changed the subject. I had gone from being “your dog” to “just a dog,” and you resented every expenditure on my behalf.
Now, you have a new career opportunity in another city, and you and they will be moving to an apartment that does not allow pets. You’ve made the right decision for your “family,” but there was a time when I was your only family.
I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the animal shelter. It smelled of dogs and cats, of fear, of hopelessness. You filled out the paperwork and said “I know you will find a good home for her.” They shrugged and gave you a pained look. They understand the realities facing a middle-aged dog, even one with “papers.” You had to pry your son’s fingers loose from my collar as he screamed “No, Daddy! Please don’t let them take my dog!” And I worried for him, and what lessons you had just taught him about friendship and loyalty, about love and responsibility, and about respect for all life. You gave me a good-bye pat on the head, avoided my eyes, and politely refused to take my collar and leash with you. You had a deadline to meet and now I have one, too. After you left, the two nice ladies said you probably knew about your upcoming move months ago and made no attempt to find me another good home. They shook their heads and asked, “How could you?”
They are as attentive to us here in the shelter as their busy schedules allow. They feed us, of course, but I lost my appetite days ago. At first, whenever anyone passed my pen, I rushed to the front, hoping it was you that you had changed your mind — that this was all a bad dream… Or I hoped it would at least be someone who cared, anyone who might save me.
When I realized I could not compete with the frolicking for attention of happy puppies, oblivious to their own fate, I retreated to a far corner and waited. I heard her footsteps as she came for me at the end of the day, and I padded along the aisle after her to a separate room. A blissfully quiet room. She placed me on the table and rubbed my ears, and told me not to worry. My heart pounded in anticipation of what was to come, but there was also a sense of relief. The prisoner of love had run out of days.
As is my nature, I was more concerned about her. The burden which she bears weighs heavily on her, and I know that, the same way I knew your every mood. She gently placed a tourniquet around my foreleg as a tear ran down her cheek. I licked her hand in the same way I used to comfort you so many years ago. She expertly slid the hypodermic needle into my vein. As I felt the sting and the cool liquid coursing through my body, I lay down sleepily, looked into her kind eyes and murmured, “How could you?”
Perhaps because she understood my dog speak, she said, “I’m so sorry.” She hugged me, and hurriedly explained it was her job to make sure I went to a better place, where I wouldn’t be ignored or abused or abandoned, or have to fend for myself — a place of love and light so very different from this earthly place. And with my last bit of energy, I tried to convey to her with a thump of my tail that my “How could you?” was not directed at her. It was directed at you, My Beloved Master, I was thinking of you. I will think of you and wait for you forever. May everyone in your life continue to show you so much loyalty.
A Note from the Author: If “How Could You?” brought tears to your eyes as you read it, as it did to mine as I wrote it, it is because it is the composite story of the millions of formerly “owned” pets who die each year in American & Canadian animal shelters. Please use this to help educate, on your websites, in newsletters, on animal shelter and vet office bulletin boards. Tell the public that the decision to add a pet to the family is an important one for life, that animals deserve our love and sensible care, that finding another appropriate home for your animal is your responsibility and any local humane society or animal welfare league can offer you good advice, and that all life is precious. Please do your part to stop the killing, and encourage all spay & neuter campaigns in order to prevent unwanted animals.
Thank You to Everyone
We had a wonderful holiday season. We hope you did, too. We had parties in our honor that were huge successes, we had a donation drive that brought in some much-needed funds, we got out a newsletter with great success, and we had adoptions! What more could we ask?
Well, maybe one thing more. Remember the December Deal we promoted here? You can find it below. The following is the sad story of what happened.
A Notice to Our Donors
If you read below, you’ll recall the item we posted on December 7, announcing a really wonderful offer, by a Seattle design firm called Maison Luxe, to match our donations for the month of December. We have some serious vet bills to pay off and two dogs waiting for much-needed surgery, so we knew exactly where a good chunk of that money was going to go.
While your response to this offer was awesome, we’re sorry to have to report that Maison Luxe’s response has not been so awesome. The owner has now reneged on her offer, claiming that she never really offered to match the donations that she really did offer to match, and therefore she will not be matching them — any of them. Feel free to contact us for the gory details.
We apologize to anyone who donated because of this offer, and we are prepared to refund the donation of anyone who feels he or she may have been misled. If you would like to have a refund, please do get in touch with us immediately — before we spend it.
Addendum
We’ve been hearing from donors over the past week or so that the owner of Maison Luxe has been issuing emails saying that, in lieu of matching their donations, she has sent a “great donation” to The Furrytale Farm. We’ll be sure to let you know if we receive anything.
Update
For anyone who may have been wondering, we never received a dime from Maison Luxe, nor ever heard another word from anyone at this really reputable, upstanding organization.
December Deal
Maison Luxe, one of Seattle’s premier design firms, is offering a real December deal. Make a donation to The Furrytale Farm by December 31, email them a copy of your donation receipt at: hello@maisonluxe.net, and they’ll happily take the amount of your donation off your first or next purchase – or they’ll match your donation to the farm. Your choice.
And as if that weren’t enough, on December 31, they’ll draw one lucky name from the donation receipts, and the winner will get a $200 gift certificate to use on the Maison Luxe website: http://www.maisonluxe.net.
Talk about a win-win situation!
A New Home
Okay, here’s the bad news and the good news. After ten years, and a valiant fight, we’re losing the Farm. But we aren’t ready to quit just yet. On the contrary. Now we want to move to a new home — a place where we can expand our programs, rescue more animals in need, help more kids at risk, and something more — maybe even help save the planet.
Sound lofty? Well, what dream isn’t? We have a place in mind, where we can go green, offer organic farming, food bank, and animal husbandry programs that will teach people how to survive on the planet ours is becoming. And we’ll also be able to put a special youth program in place, so that kids wanting another chance to succeed can learn and grow. And maybe a senior program, too, for those not ready to retire to the rocking chair just yet.
We had a benefactor for this expansion, but we lost him when the economy tanked. So now we need to find the money to make this dream a reality. It’s a lot of money, and it’s going to take a lot of people — or a few with big bucks. If you have it, or know of anyone who does, or just want to be part of something special, let us know, okay?
Furrytale International
Whenever we begin railing against this country for the often horrific way it treats animals, we’re reminded that there are other countries in the world that treat their animals even worse. Which means we should clarify our statements by separating “enlightened” countries from “unenlightened” ones. Among the “enlightened” countries of the world, we may stand near the bottom in the way we treat our animals, but it’s totally different from the way animals are treated in “unenlightened” countries.
Mexico comes to mind. People vacationing there have regularly come home with horror stories about the way animals are treated. Some have gone so far as to come home with dogs for us to adopt. There’s a woman who travels regularly to Puerto Rico, bringing homeless dogs back with her. Then there are parts of Africa. And Southeast Asia, where there’s a network of organizations, doing their best to spay and neuter and feed the street dogs that number in the millions. Sometimes, they come across one that really touches their hearts, that they just know won’t make it on the streets, that they can’t find anyone to adopt. Then they contact rescues in other countries.
Recently, a couple such organizations have contacted us. Harvey was the first to come, a sweet little street dog from Thailand, with a lot of personality and a lot of loyalty. A couple of months later, Kai followed, also from Thailand. Kai has now gone to her forever home. Harvey is still looking for his. We hope to be able to help others make that big international step soon.
People have asked why we don’t just rescue animals from our own area, why we took in so many dogs from Hurricane Katrina, why we take in animals from other states, and now, other countries. Our response? Animals in need are everywhere. They don’t have a nationality. They don’t have a zip code. If we can help, we will, wherever they may be.
The Dachshunds
JUNE: As some of you may already know, we took in six dachshunds a couple of weeks ago that we believe had been dumped by a puppy mill in Mason or Pierce County. They were in deplorable condition, from broken jaws and tails and bone infections to bladder stones and mammary tumors. We didn’t have the resources to provide the kind of help they needed, and we wanted to know exactly where these dogs had come from, so the people responsible could be prosecuted. We reached out to the media. KIRO, KOMO, and the Kitsap Sun came to the rescue. People started calling with information. People started asking to adopt. Donations started coming in.
Then Dr. M. J. Redman of Puyallap, a dental consultant capable of doing the intricate reconstructive work that five of the dogs needed, and Dr. Mark Swaney, owner of the Day Road Animal Hospital on Bainbridge Island, announced they would do some of the dental work pro bono.
Last week, three of the five dogs had their fractured jaws repaired, their abscesses cleaned out, their rotted teeth removed, their infections treated. The remaining two will now be scheduled. After that will come the spaying and neutering and tumor removal. If you feel inclined to help out with any of these costs, you can. Just click on our How to Help Page and pick an option. We sure would appreciate it.
Meanwhile, all the dogs are hanging in there, and so are we.
JULY: Roxanne, our white doxy, has now been spayed and has had her bladder stones removed. She’s feeling like a new woman and can’t wait to get to her new home.
Gracie, one of our black and tan ladies that we took back from Pasado’s Safe Haven, has now been spayed and has had her tumors removed. She’ll have some teeth removed and then she’ll be looking forward to a wonderful rest of life.
Phoebe, the other black and tan lady who escaped euthanasia, has now been spayed, has had her tumors removed, and is awaiting some mouth work. She didn’t know, until now, just how good life could really be.
Our long-haired Mary’s mouth is healing nicely, and soon she’ll be ready to be spayed and have her tumors removed. She already has someone interested in adopting her.
Our long-haired mini, Frankie, is scheduled to be neutered next week. His mouth is going to need a little more work, too, but then, he’ll be raring to go.
George, our black and tan mini, will also be neutered next week, and will also get a little more mouth work. You’ll be happy to know someone is interested in adopting him.
We think this means a total success story. What do you think?
AUGUST: One left to go! Phoebe is scheduled to have her teeth done next week — like Frankie and George and Gracie before her, she’ll probably lose them all, but then the medical stuff will be done, and these sweet little ones will get to begin their happily-ever-after lives!
While we’re pleased to say that Frankie and George will go to their forever home together, as will Gracie and Phoebe, Mary, on the other hand, won’t have her buddy Roxanne to keep her company in her new home. Sadly, we lost Roxanne, our delightful little white doxy. We don’t know why. The vets aren’t sure what happened. She developed a urinary tract infection. While being treated for it, she started having seizures, and then something we can only describe as a stroke. By the time we got her to emergency care, she was gone. We’re comforted by knowing that she at least enjoyed six weeks of happiness before she went, and that she’s at peace now.
We’d like to thank all the people who have been part of this story — those of you who stepped up to donate, those of you who stepped up to adopt, and those of you who stepped up to help care for these wonderful little dogs, that gave back so much more than they were given.
Pasado’s Safe Haven raised a lot of money to help these dogs, as only its public relations machine can, but we’ve never seen a penny of it. While the vet is being very patient, the bills have topped $10,000. And while we’d do it again in a heartbeat to save a life, this is a great deal of money for us. If you’d like to help us pay these bills, please go to our How to Help page, and pick an option. Not only will the doxies appreciate it, so will the next animal that comes to us in need.
Adoptions! Gracie and Phoebe have gone to their wonderful new forever home! They are now living with Mom Kim and Brother Sterling and having the time of their lives.
That leaves three in search of their rest-of-life homes. Mary, our long-haired female, is tumor-free, spayed, and looking for love. Frankie and George, our long-haired and black-and-tan minis are toothless, neutered and looking for laps.
SEPTEMBER: Good news! Mary has gone to her new home. She’s living in BC now, with mom Annette, dad Mario, sister Reiku, and brother Bowser. Frankie and George are still looking for their perfect fit. Stay tuned!
NOVEMBER: Frankie and George are home! After countless surgeries to repair their jaws and their gums, they were declared ready to go, and Anne just couldn’t wait to scoop them both up and take them home to Seatac, where they have joined a whole houseful of brothers and sisters. We just love happy endings!
