Dumped

We took the back roads home from a late night trip to the store last night. At night-time, with no streetlights on narrow gravel roads, it's a bit of a creepy drive through thick wooded areas separated by barren fields and cow pastures. Because of this, my daughter and I immediately noticed when an oncoming car turned onto the road we were about to turn on and abruptly stopped. When their interior light came on, we could see the silhouette of an opening car door. Not wanting to encounter someone in the middle of nowhere at night, we were both relieved when the door closed and the car slowly pulled away.

But as I made the turn onto the same road, we immediately saw why the car had stopped. Running in frantic circles, in the middle of the road, was what looked to be a small Rottweiler mix. We figured the other car had perhaps tried to help this dog but couldn't catch him, so I was surprised when he ran right up to me when I called. He leaped into my back seat. It was only when I began to pet him that I realized what we had just witnessed. Though it was 30 degrees out, his fur was nice and warm. The poor baby, who looked to be maybe eight or nine months old, had just been dumped by his family.

A mix of sadness for this sweet boy and fury for the horrible people who'd just thrown him out like trash flooded my senses. My attention shifted to the road ahead, where I saw the dumpers had stopped to watch us. When I got back in the driver's seat, they sped off, throwing gravel up in their quick exit. We never caught up with them.

Fortunately, we have space for him on our shelter. I'd just set up a kennel for a former foster dog that is, unfortunately, coming back, so I got our new boy settled in with fresh blankets, new toys, cold water and a bowl of food. After he settled in a bit, the two of us hung out in the lobby, where he met the resident cats, showed me his tennis ball skills, gobbled up some canned food with de-wormer hidden in it and let me apply flea medication.

I have rescued many dumped dogs in my years doing this. I have never, ever understood how someone can just abandon their pet in the middle of a road. The idea sickens me, but to be witness to it in action adds a whole new level of disgust.

And this is how it goes in rescue. Just when you are filled to the brim and barely have room and resources for more, an animal that needs you desperately comes along. You have to figure a way to make it work because the finger of responsibility points at you.

Don't worry, little buddy, you're almost home.