This is going to sound like an episode of Jerry
Springer but it's not. I'm not even sure how to
begin.
I was on the way to a night class last week when it
was pouring rain. I drove around a puppy in the
middle of the lane of traffic. It looked dead. Out of the
corner of my eye I saw it move it's little paw.
Horrified I turned around. Another car went screaming
around it & it moved again. In the pounding rain I
pulled over & walked up to it. It then picked itself
up by the front paws & drug it's body to the side of
the road and collapsed.
It was raining so hard I couldn't believe that the
fireman who drove by saw me wave my reflective car
sun screen. He turned around to help. He carefully
picked up the little guy & placed him onto my instant
"stretcher" and into the back of my car. Knowing it
wouldn't live all the way to the emergency vet I
called our vet & gave them the heads up. I called
Claire to start praying for us as I drove.
The vet staff took the puppy from my car for me & I
just wept feeling so bad for the little guy. Left
for dead with all manner of traffic (me included) going
around him. They said he had a broken leg but it
could be fixed. They asked me if I wanted to put him down
or try to save him. I did what I would have wanted
somebody to do for my dog if he were laying there -
so $1,700 later (& one po'd hubby) the puppy came
through.
I picked up "Rainy" to take him home for rehab. I
had a hunch where he might have come from so I stopped
at this home. "Rufus!" the woman cried. So I found the
owner. I offered to nurse him for a couple of weeks
& return him home. She said she didn't have the money
to pay me & I told her it was OK, I was just glad we
found the owner. While I was there two boxers on the
front porch were mating. They said there were 10
pups the last litter. Hmmm...
"Brenda" (not her real name) said she was in between
homes & was just staying here with her mom until her
trailer became available. She said Rufus was her
son's dog, that he had been staying "with friends the past
week and a half". She said her place wouldn't have
any traffic. I brought Rufus Rainy home & my old BIG dog
went nuts. He cried & whimpered & slammed himself
against the garage door. Then he commenced to
marking all of the furniture. I called Brenda & she arrived
in 15 minutes to take him home, assuring me that she
could & would care for him. My husband laid down the
law with me that we cannot have another dog. He is
traveling on his job & Ivan is a LOT of trouble
while traveling. He is #90 and NOT friendly to strangers
coming into the yard so we always have to board him.
Brenda made & missed 3 appointments at the vet to
get Rainy's stitches out. Her appointment was paid for
(included in the price of the surgery) but she never
showed. Each time I called her I felt more and more
uncomfortable. She sounded impaired. Sometimes her
speech was slurred. Sometimes the things she said
were in-congruent with reality (once she said the vet told
her to give the puppy chicken soup!)
Today I called her & picked her and Rainy up and
took them to the vet. The puppy had lost 5 pounds!! - it
was starving. In addition, the sister who also lived
there had let it out today by accident. In the car
Brenda told me the sad story of what was going on
with her. Here's the Jerry Springer part. Brenda's sister
was staying in a house in the back & got busted for
meth. The police wanted to drug test everybody on
the property. Brenda tested positive to which she said
she has prescription diet pills that turned her drug
screen bad. The department of family and children's
services took ALL the children - including Brenda's
13, 15 & 17 year old. Her 15 year old just had
twins.
Brenda says she conceived at age 14 & she didn't
know she was pregnant until she was 7 mos. along. Brenda
is facing charges related to statutory rape of her 14
year old. Brenda has not worked "for months" and is
started a job at a fast food chain & moving into a
trailer. She will face a judge tomorrow to find out
if she gets incarcerated or gets the kids back.
And the puppy? The vet is holding it for 7 days - my
tab - to "get weight on him," essentially saving
it's life again. He needs a loving home. If he goes back
to this family, I fear we have saved him for a worse
death.
He is a boxer/ bulldog mix, very sweet & gentle,
about 5 months old & will be about #50 at full growth. His
features are very petite, so I'm not even sure he'll
be that big. It's mother is very attractive and
sweet.
Rainy had a compound fracture of his back leg. His
surgery required an internal pin & he is on
antibiotics. He sustained a stable fracture of one
of his vertebrae but is expected to heal without
problems there. He may have a slight limp but is a puppy and is expected to
have a normal life otherwise. During
his recovery he will need to be crated (I can provide)
and absolutely no jumping or rough housing with other
dogs. He is so sweet, he just turns over & shows his
belly when he is petted.
If you've read this far, God bless you. Please pray
for Brenda. If you or someone you know can give a
home to Rainy, please email me. Hubby has told me because of the dangerous
grounds this family lives on that I
can not have any further contact with Brenda or her
family.
I voted my conscience. If you are able to take on a
puppy for rehab, I'll do everything I can to make it
happen.
Carol
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