This afternoon my phone rings and the guy who runs the local feed store in town was on the other end.
“uhh Mary Anne, we have a bit of a situation here.I wondered if you could help?”
“I can try.” I responded, fully expecting him to tell me of a litter of kittens or a pregnant cat that someone left at their door. I was wrong.
It seems a woman came into their store earlier that day. She drove in, and in her back seat there was a dog. She wandered around the store for a long time buying nothing and raising Jon’s suspicions so he watched her. She finally left the store and started walking down the highway leaving her car and her dog behind. Jon hot-footed it after her and asked her about her car and dog.
“Tow the car, leave the dog in the car until he is dead, I don’t care.” she said and marched off. He followed her telling her he couldn’t just leave the dog in the car with the windows up- but she just said “If he isn’t dead in two days, I will have someone come and shoot him in the head!”
I was listening to all of this with tears in my heart. Jon asked me if I could come and get the dog and find him a safe place to go until the law could sort it out. I was out the door in minutes.
I am naming him Wilson, and he is a young australian shepherd mix. He can’t hardly walk (suspect he either got hit by a car or beaten in the rear). He is sweet-natured, doesn’t mind Brandy or the cats at all. I have a vet appointment on Weds for Glory but think I will switch it over and have Wilson looked at. his back legs are really shaky and he walks like he is 15 years old, but his teeth are clean and young so suspect two or three max on his age.
After I took him home and got him water,food and flea ointment, the police called me. The woman was arrested because she called the tow truck company and told them to tow her car and then they were supposed to shoot her dog! The attendant called the police and she is now in jail.
Unless he suddenly develops a high prey drive or other issues, he is more than likely already in his new home. I do have the word out about him in case something happens as he starts feeling better. But he is a honey. I named him after the soccer ball that Tom Hanks found when he was “castaway.”
Here he is and he acts like he is really hammered.
Awww! What a cute little guy! I hope nothing serious is wrong with him. Seems like that woman harbors so much hatred for that poor little guy.
0.0…. im just shocked…. im not a dog person but that doggy is beautiful + good natured.. you should have no problem finding him a loving home.. or keeping him if that is your choice… hope the vet visit checks out ok
What has happened in her life that she’s come to this? One has to wonder if she and the dog are victims of the same situation and her trying to kill him is some kind of distancing herself from it? Nothing excuses her behavior, of course, but the question is still there…
If I lived in that area, I would be there in a minute to take him, I lost my 13 yr old Aussie to cancer last year. They are the smartest and easiest dog to train I have ever been around. He is gorgeous and will make someone a very good companion. just breaks my heart and so glad to hear that, that woman is in jail. good for you to go get him.. Hope he is not so badly injured that just a little TLC can’t cure.
I talked to the officer last night and he told me I am under no obligation to keep this dog. Under “normal” circumstances (like a raid on a house or a found dog) I would be obligated by law to turn him into animal control. They euthanize after three days! But because this woman has severe mental issues and has been arrested, he is ours free and clear. I will do everything I can to get Wilson in to see my vet today. I know it is going to be an extensive visit (x-rays etc…) the poor boy can barely walk. But he’s worth it. Last night, he slept at my feet the entire night waking me up once so he could hobble out and go potty. The cats are already used to him, Brandy doesn’t pay him much mind (except at meal time). I hope to get him in today as I can tell he is in great pain. I don’t know what happened to him, or even his name. The officer told me that they had been watching this woman for a few months as she was wandering around town with him for the last 45 days. Maybe he is just plumb worn out and not severely injured.
All I know is he has crossed my path and crawled into my heart. I cried last night, he was sleeping at my feet and Mike called him over. He couldn’t walk so he crawled over to where Mike was (which wasn’t that far from me) and licked his hand. He laid his head on Mike’s foot and slept there for about an hour without moving once. I pray the vet just tells me he is exhausted but last night when I was brushing him I found an abscess on his belly and his front paw is swollen. This dog is simply amazing.
He slept in front of the door yesterday until we went to bed.
Oh precious boy! Praying. I just don’t understand why people do what they do with their pets! We have to be their voice! Good luck MA! I’m crying right along with you.
Does anyone know if Australian shepherds are as energetic as border collies? He’s a beautiful dog and, if he’s a calm dog, I’d take him in a New York minute! Barring life-threatening disease, ship him to me soon — contact me via email and we can work out the details…
We never thought we would say this, but we really hope that woman has some serious mental health issues. The thought of her treating this woofer that way while in her right mind would be deeply disturbing.
Purrrrrrrsss that Wilson has nothing major wrong with him, and recovers quickly under home care and decent food and a lot of love.
how sad….we are glad he is yours “free and clear” and hope the vet can clear up his issues and it is something simple.
He is two years old and they don’t know why he can’t move. He is on pain medication but the films they took (and they took a lot) were inconclusive. I stopped at the police station to see if we did have a legal right to him and we do. We are going to adopt him- he’s to sweet and mellow to do otherwise. He’s not going anywhere. His paws are all red and inflamed but his pads aren’t worn down. He didn’t like to be messed with in his rear legs and he does have a microchip which leads to the woman who left him to die. Yes, she has mental issues, she is manic depressive and I have no idea what he has lived through in her care.
I hope his health returns. It’s a tribute to his nature that he isn’t morose or angry after what his recent history must have been. Good luck to him, and to you and Mike.
If Wilson has a microchip, at least someone was trying to do right by him at some point. Purrrrayers that he recovers quickly.
I feel so bad for Wilson. He walks like he is crossing crushed glass. It amazes me that they can’t find anything visibly wrong with him in all those x-rays- but they can’t. Hoping my plan to start giving him MSM along with gentle TTouch massages will help him find his feet again
X-rays don’t show everything. From personal experience, I have chronic hip pain, but an x-ray of my hip only shows that I have no arthritis or fracture. To get a full picture of my hip and what is wrong with it would require a CT or MRI. Since both are expensive tests I have delayed having them done. Meanwhile I am on low-dose pain-killers under the supervision of my doctor.
I am hoping that the massage therapy and glucosamine/chondroitin will help — if they do not, you may have to do further testing.
I am filled with rage at anyone who mistreats defenseless animals.