Don't get me wrong - many of the people bringing in animals have picked up strays and looked very hard for the owner and are usually overwhelmed with animals already. They usually cry when they leave the animal, as if it were their very own, and they give a donation to help the other animals and usually come back later with supplies like bleach, soap, paper towels, and bedding and check on the progress of their little friend. I even had one offer to declaw the cat at their expense if the people who might adopt him had wanted it done, fortunately that wasn't necessary. I think many would keep them if they could. I have been told that we can't save them all, and I know it is true, but it also always sticks in my throat.
Please consider carefully before buying an animal or getting a free one from the paper. Animals should be a long-term commitment and not cast out like the garbage to roam the street as a stray.
If you belong to a shelter or rescue group and would like to be listed below, please send me an email. And if you belong to a group and are looking for help with your webpage design, please visit the link below - Invidia has lots of very professional graphic designs to offer you. Part of her mission statement is to offer free customized graphics and web design help (as time permits) to websites dedicated to promoting the following: children's rights, animal rights, and vegetarianism.
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I have heard many versions of The Starfish Story but this one always makes me cry so that the dogs come running. I guess being involved with an animal shelter for so many years and seeing all their faces has done it to me.
THE STARFISH
A child came upon another on the beach one day. The second child was walking along, looking down, then every few feet would bend down, pick something up out of the sand, and toss it into the ocean. The first child asked what kind of game this was. The second child replied, “I am saving starfish”.
The first child was incredulous. “Are you kidding?? There are too many! What are you going to do? Spend all day and night out here tossing starfish back into the ocean? You will never save them all. And anyway, in the grand scheme of life, they are just starfish. It doesn’t matter if they live or die”.
The second child scooped another starfish up from the sand, considered it briefly, then hurled it into the ocean. “It mattered to that one”.
Author - Unknown
ETERNAL SLEEP
It wasn't all that long ago
I loved to run hard and hear the crowd roar
My person was waiting, eyes teared and face so long
A pretty woman came outside and took me from my crate
Inside the dingy building I was checked and tagged and weighed,
Morning filtered through the glass, I stretched my weary bones
She bent down close and held my face against her silken cheek,
Author - Terri L. Onorato
CHRISTMAS RETURNS
Santa comes quietly long before dawn
He slips past the trees in windows aglow
There are too many stops like this one tonight
Author: Unknown
by Francis Witham
Oh, what unhappy twist of fate
While he, with purr and velvet paw
He ruled in arrogance and pride
Only A Dog
Do you remember thinking it was time that the kids learned some responsibility and scanning the newspaper ads for a cheap dog for sale? Do you remember bringing home this little ball of shivering fur and putting her out in the yard on a chain that was too heavy on a night that was too cold? Of course you don't remember this. After all, she is only a dog.
Do you remember this baby crying because she was afraid and alone? Do you remember screaming at her to be quiet and finally going out there to kick her to drive home the lesson? Of course you don't remember this. After all, she is only a dog.
Do you remember the many times you noticed her water bowl was empty and her food bowl was covered with mold and thinking that it was the kid's job to take care of her? Do you remember seeing that her coat was dull and lifeless and, in many places, chewed away down to the skin because of the parasites no one took the time to rid her of? Of course you don't remember this. After all, she is only a dog.
Do you remember her first heat and the neighbor's male visiting her night after night? Do you remember thinking that letting her have the puppies would be a good experience for the kids? Do you remember that every one of those pups died because their mother was no more than a puppy herself? Of course you don't remember this. After all, she is only a dog.
I know you remember the animal control officer coming to the house, accusing you of animal cruelty and taking her away because you couldn't understand what all the fuss was about. After all, she is only a dog. I thought you might be interested in how this girl is doing today. You see, once she found a home that gave her love, attention and proper care, she blossomed into a beautiful, loyal companion. To these people, she is much more than only a dog.
She became a therapy dog and now goes to nursing homes and hospices where she brightens the lives of the infirm and dying. To some of these people, she has given hope. To others, she's given them a reason to keep living. To even others, she's given them the will to die peacefully, with a smile on their lips. To these people, she is much more than only a dog.
Just last week, she helped find a little boy that was lost in the woods. She spent a long, cold winter's night, lying over him to keep him warm and risked her own life to protect his. To this little boy and his family, she is much more than only a dog.
What is the difference? Why did that filthy, flea-ridden animal chained in your backyard suddenly become so important to so many? Because she never gave up her trust in people and she never once thought, "After all, he is only a human." Author: Unknown
A Dog Sits Waiting
A dog sits waiting in the cold autumn sun,
He's been here for days now with nothing to do
He can't understand why you left him that day.
He's sure you'll come back, and that's why he stays.
His legs have grown weak, his throat's parched and dry.
He lays down his head and closes his eyes.
By Kathy Flood
It has been my misfortune to see dogs like this that although not thrown out, were abandoned by their people for a reason they did not know at the shelter. The pleading looks into the distance, the ears perking up every time someone walked in, still looking for the people who abandoned them. Just to have a chance to be with them again .... well, I would go and sit with them and cry softly into their fur, trying to let them know that someone really did care. We also had one left tied to our fence out back. They left newspaper for it to sit on and that is how the staff found him the next morning, sitting on that little piece of newspaper because he was told to stay there. The look of sadness in his eyes was so heartbreaking. The desperate look he had when someone came in the door. He was still faithful to the person who abandoned him.
LETTER TO A TURN-IN OWNER by Cheryl Reed
Hello!
I just wanted to let you know that your dog died
today. He left for
what was undoubtedly the biggest journey of his life
with a stranger
by his side instead of his loved one.
You brought him to us and made up an excuse about not
being able to
keep him. I hope it made you feel better, because it
hurt him
terribly and his death has hurt me even more. He was
old and sick.
He had been neglected in ways that were shameful. His
coat was dirty
and matted. Would it have taken up so much of your
valuable time to
have brushed him even once a week? His teeth were
rotted and broken.
Infection was rampant and he was in great pain. You
would never
neglect your own oral hygiene that way; why did you
make him suffer
like that? He had multiple tumors. Didn't you see or
even feel the
grape sized lump on his leg? Or his neck, or his
back, or his stomach?
Did you ever touch your dog? Did you notice the
cataracts that were
clouding his eyes; making seeing you more difficult?
He must have been
blind, or he would have seen you for what you were,
and wouldn't have
missed you so much as you left him. He gave you all
that he had and was
for his entire life, and you cast him aside when he
needed you most.
You couldn't fulfill even his most basic needs during
his life, but yet
he loved you without measure.
We took in your problem. I'm sure that you thought it
was easy and
convenient to give your family member to rescue. You
wouldn't have
to pay for treatment, or be ashamed when it didn't
work because it
was too little, too late. In your mind, it was all
taken care of and
he'd find a wonderful home and be whole again in body
and spirit.
You never gave a thought to him or to us. Yes, I had
him a very short
time. I watched him suffer and struggle. I saw and
felt his
confusion and pain. I loved him in a way that you
were never capable
of. When I took him on his final journey, it was very
hard for me. I
held him and told him that he was loved. Your dog
kissed me in his
final moments and at that second, your dog became
mine. Truly mine.
I know that he will wait for me at the Bridge.
I just wanted you to know that MY dog died today!
Author: Cheryl Reed
It has been my misfortune and my deepest honor to know animals like this - both dogs and cats. The sadness I have felt for them when they were left is so incredible it is hard to put into words. Cheryl has come closest to how I think all shelter and rescue people feel about dumping animals for your own convenience.
WHY?
Once I was loved, and once I was cared for
I gave all my love, my undying affection,
Could it be I'm no longer so cute and so playful?
The love of a dog is from now to forever.
What will you answer when He asks what you did
Author: Jean Dokken (Dwigmee@aol.com)
Jean sent this to me. She used to work at a Human Society years ago and saw the faces of the animals dumped by their uncaring owners. Please think before adopting an animal. They are a life commitment and if you aren't willing to do it, then you should get a stuffed one.
DO I GO HOME TODAY?
My family brought me home one day cradled in their arms.
They cuddled me and smiled at me, and said I was full of charm.
They played with me and laughed with me they showered me with toys. I sure do love my family, especially the girls and boys.
The children loved to feed me, they gave me special treats,
they even let me sleep with them and snuggled in the sheets.
I used to go for walks, often several times a day, they even fought to hold my leash, I'm very proud to say. These are things I'll never forget-a cherished memory. I now live in a shelter-without my family.
They used to laugh and praise me when I played with that old shoe, but I didn't know the difference between the old ones and the new. The kids and I would grab a rag, for hours we would tug,
So I thought I did the right thing when I chewed the bathroom rug. They said that I was out of control and would have to go outside, this I did not understand although I tried and tried.
The walks stopped one by one, they said they hadn't time.
I wish that I could change things, I wish I knew my crime.
My life became so lonely, in the backyard on a chain.
I barked and barked all day long, to keep from going insane.
So they brought me to a shelter but were embarrassed to say why.
They said I caused an allergy, and then kissed me good-bye.
If I'd only had some classes, as a little pup, I wouldn't have been too hard to handle when I was all grown up.
"You only have one day left" I heard the worker say.
Does this mean I have a second chance? Do I go home today?
Author: Sandi Thompson
I AM FAMOUS NOW
I was born today. One of 10. My daddy was very famous. I have lots of half brothers and sisters. My mother is very famous. Since she got famous she only had puppies. No more loving hands, no more fun trips... just puppies. She is always sad when they leave her.
I left home today. I didn't want to go, so I hid behind my mama and my three littermates that were left. I didn't like you. But one day they said I would be famous. I wonder; is famous the same as fun and good times? So you picked me up and carried me away, even though you were concerned about me hiding from you. I don't think you liked me.
My new home is far away. I am scared and afraid. My heart says BE BRAVE. My ancestors were. Did they go to good homes like mine? I'm hungry because I can't eat too much because it would be bad for my bones. I can't bite or snap when the children are mean to me. I just run and play and pretend I am in a big green field with butterflies and robins and frogs.
I can't understand why they kick me. I am quiet, but the man hits and says loud things. The lady doesn't feed me good things like I had with my mother. She just throws dry food on the ground, then goes away before I can get too close for touching or petting.
Sometimes my food smells bad but I eat it anyway.
Today I had 10 puppies. They are so wonderful and warm. Am I famous now?
I wish I could play with them, but they are so tiny. I am so young and playful that it is hard to lay here in this hole under the house nursing my puppies.. They are crying now. I am so hungry. I scratch and worry my fur. I wish someone would throw me some food. I am also very thirsty.
I now have eight. Two got cold during the night and I couldn’t make them warm again. They are gone. We are all very weak. Maybe if I take them out on the porch, we can get some food.
Today they took us away. It was too much trouble to feed us and someone came to take us away. Someone grabbed my puppies, they were crying and whimpering. We were put in a truck with boxes in it. Are my babies famous now? I hope so, because I miss them. They are gone.
The place smelled of urine, fear and sickness. Why was I here? I was beautiful, like my ancestors. Now I am hungry, dirty, in pain and unwanted. Maybe the worst is unwanted. No one came though I tried to be good.
Today someone came. They put a rope on my neck and led me to a room that was very clean and had a shiny table. They put me on the table. Someone held me and hugged me. It felt so good!! Then I felt tired and went to sleep. I AM FAMOUS NOW. Today someone cared.
Please do not support pet stores/puppy mills. Animal shelters are really better solutions for all. If you really want a dog of a fancy breed, go to a breeder YOU KNOW. Thank you, and let's abolish puppy mills forever.
I received the following through email as an addition to the I Am Famous Now story. This is one of the lucky ones that made it and I know you will enjoy it, but will still probably cry:
I thought I was famous, but I guess I am not.
I used to be lonely, out on the street.
I now have a home and a family too,
Mom wishes I could tell her about the bad things from back then,
My family really loves me, I feel safe and secure
Mom read a poem about being famous today,
Being famous sounded lonely, like my life before,
So, I don't have to be famous, I'll just be plain old me;
May all of the caring rescuers help the others out there;
Author: Holli Levine
ONE DALMATIAN
You have all heard about the "One Hundred and One." I would like to tell you of "One." I was adopted soon after the movie came out. I was only three months old. They said I was "cute". I was given by two adults to a very small boy. They wanted to give him everything, including me. I loved them so much, and they loved me too.
I grew very fast and sometimes played rough. I was quick to lick his face and wag my tail to show him I still loved him. I just wanted to play! He always forgave me and gave me a hug. But, I was forced to spend more time alone outside the big house. I was six months old and still just a pup.
I always had food and water to drink. I also had a small house all my own. No one laughed or played with me anymore. In time, I was not allowed in the "big house" at all. So I spent more time digging....It passed away time. More and more I heard angry voices tossed my way. I tried to quit digging; I really did try.
One day I was loaded into the big car. I was getting attention, and my hopes flew high. We must have driven an hour or more. I didn't know where we're going. I didn't care. We stopped at a building that had lots of smells. The barking was like music to my ears. There were a lot of my kind here, some I had never met. Many told stories much sadder than mine.
The concrete is cold, and the winds pushed through. I had no house of my own, but none of the others had one. As night came I waited for him to come back. Morning came, and he still wasn't there. Still I waited; I knew he would come. None ever came back. I waited for my turn. My turn came after three cold days. I, too, was led from my run. I was placed on a table by two cold hands. The last I remember was a prick to my skin. Peace has come at last...My heart feels no pain. I am not cold, and I am not alone. I am only ten months old. I think I am dead. Tell me...Wasn’t I cute anymore??
Author Unknown
Now with the new 102 Dalmatians coming out this Christmas shelters will again be plagued by an enormous amount of dalmatians about February of next year. These dogs are high energy dogs. Please do not run and get one as soon as your children see the movie. Buy them a stuffed toy instead. Please!
NOVELTY - By Melissa Drake
When I was young, you saw me, in a cage. I was so unique, so different to you.
When you brought me home, you called all your friends, and showed me off. I
You set up my new home, and got my food ready. It was expensive food, and
No one told you you had to train me, like any other pet. They said I'd be
You didn't like buying the expensive food, so you figured I could get by
Now you don't put in new food much, and the cage hasn't been cleaned in
You put my cage in the car, and try to take me to a big building. It's full
You decide it's better if I go and live in the wild, even though I've never
I wait. I don't know what else to do. It's cold, and scary. Eventually, some
Too bad you thought I was too novel to be important.
I received this note from Melissa asking me if I would post this story: I saw your page, and I loved the stories on it. I work with some shelters
that handle exotic pets (like ferrets, sugar gliders, hedgehogs, iguanas,
etc) and it's sad how some wonderful animals are just bought for a novelty
factor. Maybe you could post this?
It was my pleasure to add this sad story to my pages, Melissa. Thanks for submitting it to me. I hope by reading this story it will help educate people on how they need to really research any pet they plan to get, whether it is a dog, cat or exotic. You should not get an animal unless you are prepared to give them the proper environment they need. And above all - love and understanding and a good home for their entire life.
I COULD NEVER WORK HERE by Deb McKean
When you say to an animal shelter or humane society employee "I could never do your job, it would break my heart, I love animals too much" or words to that effect, it sounds like you are saying:
1. That we don't also love the animals, even though we've taken minimum wage (or no wage) jobs in order to work with homeless animals. For many of us it is our life's work.
2. That we, somehow, don't get our hearts broken.
3. That in order to do this job one has to be either cold hearted or an animal hater.
Your declaration leaves us with some questions.
If you can't do this job, who will? Someone must.
When we've euthanized the 500th kitten for the month, because there are no
homes available, will you take the 501st? Our hearts are completely torn out
and we just can't kill one more. You already have enough pets? We understand, we do too. Our cages are over capacity, our foster homes are all full. Do you have a solution? If so, please tell us, we hate this part of the job. Right now, at this moment, there is a dog or cat in a shelter employee's arms and there is no where on earth for this creature to go.
There is no cage space, no foster home, no forever home. Nowhere. It is a
heartbreaking feeling.
There is a really nice yellow lab mix named Jake. He's 3 years old, healthy, housebroken, loves kids, loves everyone! But, he can't find a home because he's quite generic looking, not real flashy and he's not an eight week old puppy ("I want a dog to grow up with the kids"). We've had him here for 3 months, but can no longer justify taking up valuable cage space for a dog that's showing no signs of becoming adopted. What would you do? There are 10 dogs that came in today. We have two open runs. Who has to die?
Walking through the kennel, having to choose which ones have no more time is
the worst part. It breaks our hearts. If you know of a way to keep Jake alive and still be fair to the other animals, please tell us. We've grown so attached -- it's our hearts again you know -- they're breaking into a million pieces this time.
Will you talk to the woman who brings in a blind, 10 yr. old peek-a-poo with bad skin and says "Don't kill her! Find her a good home!"? Oh puhleeeeeeze. We can't find homes for the healthy 1-year-olds, who's going to adopt a 10 year old, unhealthy dog? You? No, not me either. I already have four dogs that were considered unadoptable. Because we can't get this owner to face reality and allow us to euthanize right away, the dog has to spend her last 24 hours on earth in a holding cage, wondering what happened.
But, we held her as often as we could and tried to comfort her... because you can't. It would break your heart. "Wait!" you say, "Someone might want her!" It's quite unlikely that there is someone that wants an elderly dog that needs a few hundred dollars worth of veterinary care, but maybe you're right. Our crystal ball is broken, but if you think she can find a home and you want to save her please go back to the kennel and pick which young, healthy dog has to give up it's space here.
OK. You can't work at a animal shelter. Not everyone can. Can you help in other ways? Can you buy us a bag of food when you buy for your own pet? Can you come in and talk to the cats? Walk the dogs? We are so busy running the place that we often don't have time. When you come back next week we won't tell you the final disposition of your favorite one if you don't want to know. We are, after all, a compassionate group and we understand about broken hearts. Could you go to your friend or neighbor and offer to get their pet spayed/neutered? Could you trap one of those stray cats in your neighborhood and get it vaccinated and neutered? That will be one more free-roaming cat that's out of the reproduction loop.
Maybe you could just send a small check to say "thank you". Anything at all would help.
I know you mean well. I know you mean to say "I couldn't work here because my own emotions get in the way of doing what has to be done for the animals, thank you for doing it."
©1993-2000 Deb McKean
RAINBOW BRIDGE RETURN - By Joy LaCaille
The little dog arrived at the Rainbow Bridge, and a pack of dogs
rushed up to greet him. He braced himself, expecting a fight,
but this was the first pack that wagged their tails and kissed
him instead of attacking him.
It was beautiful here, and everyone was nice to him. None of
them had been born in a puppy mill, like he had, and used for
dog-bait fighting and left to die in a shelter because he was
a mix-breed battle-scarred cur and wasn't cute.
They explained why they were waiting...
for their humans who loved them.
"What is love?" he asked, and God let him go back to earth,
and find out.
Warm, and dark, he squeezed in with the others and waited for
the day to be born. Scared, he held back as long as he could,
but finally got dragged out, by his hind feet. Hands without
fur held him gently and rubbed him dry and opened his mouth
and guided him to a warm nipple with milk. He didn't get a
good hold on it, because one of his big fat brothers pushed
him aside. The human hand moved the other puppy to another
nipple and held his body, so he could drink.
"Ahhh, that's better, " he thought, and drank until his jaws
got tired and he curled up to sleep next to his warm hairy
mother. "I remember this," he mused... "Too bad I'll have
to grow up to be hit, left out in the cold and rain, and used
for dog-bait fighting, and die as an unclaimed rescue dog.
I remember what it's like, being a dog." he thought sadly.
That night, he crawled up to his mother and tried to nurse, but
he kept getting pushed off to the side. When they were full,
the big brothers and sisters got their bottoms cleaned and he
finally latched on to a nipple, but the human hands weren't there
to hold him up, and there wasn't any milk in any of the nipples,
anyway. He was weak and so tiny. It was even hard to stay
upright, and he fell over on his back and couldn't right himself.
So he began to cry, and suddenly the human hands were there,
holding him up and puting a rubber thing in his mouth.
It didn't taste or feel like mother, but it was warm and made
the ache in his tummy go away.
He was having trouble breathing ... His lungs weren't fully
developed, because he had waited too long to join the others
in the womb, as he took one last romp at the Rainbow Bridge.
He could feel the heartbeat of the human, who had laid him on
her chest and covered him with a soft cloth, keeping him warm,
and soothing his boney body with gentle circling touches.
He kept thinking of his new friends who had been so nice to
him at the bridge and asked God if he could go back.
God said "Yes, but not just yet. You wanted to experience Love."
So for several hours (seemed like days but it was dark and he
couldn't tell what time it was), the human supplemented his
feeding and let him experience the warmth of his mother's body
and tongue, and the pile of warm soft littermates. He got weaker,
and the human held him more often, leaving the littermates to
sleep in a pile while he got carressed, kissed, and got to listen
to the heartbeat which was strong and loving.
Finally God came back and asked, "are you ready to come back
to the Rainbow Bridge?"
"Yes, he responded," with a little sorrow, because the human
didn't want to let him go, and was crying.
He pushed the air out of his lungs and floated back to the
Rainbow Bridge and looked back at the human, who was still
crying and holding the limp body that he had borrowed for
his trip.
"Thank you, God," he said. "Love is beautiful, and I will wait
near the Bridge and let the human know, when she arrives, that
I loved her, too."
I would like to thank Joy for giving me permission to use this beautiful story on my web site. I must say I was completely broken up after reading it because I have fed puppies and kittens like that at our shelter. Some made it and some didn't and this helps me a little with the ones that didn't make it. They all deserve this special love - and by becoming a volunteer at your local shelter you can help some like these and just the unwanted ones that aren't ever going to get the chance at love. They deserve to have some before they go to Rainbow Bridge. Please also view POEMS for a followup to the Rainbow Bridge poem. And if you would like to compliment Joy on her story you can write to her at lakai@iag.net.
BULLWINKLE: "The Wiener"
He started his life being called "Rotten",
Dumped off at the pound by a heartless soul,
We had come to the shelter to look for a cat,
But as we walked by the cage Rotten was in,
So I relented and we took him home,
He's warm and fuzzy and handsome to boot,
He's been with me now for fifteen years,
DEDICATED TO MY BULLWINKLE January 27, 2000
I would like to thank Cyndi for allowing me to include this lovely poem on my rescue pages. It re-enforces in my mind that there are some really good people out there that love and care for animals and that many have really great homes.
ONE DAY AT THE RAINBOW BRIDGE RETURN
The young pup and the older dog lay on shaded sweet grass watching the reunions.
The young pup playfully nipped at the older one.
"But that's not my owner," whined the pup, but he did as he was told.
As the glowing figure passed each animal, that animal bowed its head in
love and respect.
The young pup was still in awe. "Was that an angel?" he whispered. That was a
person who worked rescue."
Author: Unknown Melissa Drake also sent me this story, although she did not write it. It reminds me to say "Thank You" to all the people who do rescue work, work in shelters and who volunteer in shelters. The animals so greatly appreciate all your efforts. You will all have a special place in Heaven.
RESCUED IN TRAFFIC - By Ann Hudson
He had been here for days after his people had thrown him out of the
Car and drove away.
He waited dutifully for them to come back for him. They never came. Eventually he started trying to jump in people's cars as they went inside to pay for their gas. He was always rejected and pushed away. Often he was kicked. He didn't understand why. All he knew was that he was waiting for a car to take him home.
It was the hottest part of July and his skin was on fire from fleas, allergies and the oppressive heat. Sometimes, when people opened the door, he would try to slip into the building where it was cool. They would always catch him and throw him
back out in the heat. The only food he had had for a long time was what little he could scavenge from the garbage or beg from the people who passed by. His little body was getting thinner and thinner and he was very tired.
Finally, one day, he had reached the limit of his endurance. There was a busy intersection at the corner and he started running towards it. He would either make it across or he would escape his miserable, lonely existence.
All of a sudden he was lifted up by two hands that put him in a car. It was a woman with a gentle voice and gentle hands. He was frightened being in the strange car. He didn't know if he could trust people anymore, but the woman spoke softly to him and he calmed down.
When the car stopped, she carried him to a quiet, shady spot behind a house. She used cool water to bath his burning skin and he stood perfectly still while she scrubbed away all the dirt and fleas. The woman gave him food and clean water, but she wouldn't let him inside. He yearned to go inside the house to get out of
the heat, but he was grateful for her kindness and the safety of the fenced in yard.
The next day, another woman came for him. She was also gentle and kind and he went with her willingly. She took him to a building that was full of people and the smell of strange animals. He was frightened when he heard all the barking and meowing but he was reassured by the calming voice of the woman.
She carried him into a room where he was lifted up on a table. A kind man looked at him and talked to the woman for few minutes as another woman held on to him tightly. He was vaguely aware that the man was doing all kinds of strange things to him, but he was so tired he laid his head on the arm of the woman holding him and
closed his eyes. She loosened her grip on him and stroked his little head. When they were finished the woman picked him up and carried him back to her car.
While riding in the car, he wondered where he was being taken. Would she take him someplace terrible? Would she be as bad as the people who had abandoned him?
When they arrived at their destination they went inside a building. It was a home! There was soft carpet under his tired, hot paws and the air was cool and dry. He was elated! He jumped on the sofa and rolled around with complete abandon. Then he ran to every room exploring this new place over and over! When he came to
the kitchen the woman was putting a bowl of food and a bowl of cool water down for him. He gobbled the food hungrily and then drank some water. When he finished, the woman was looking down at him smiling. He gazed at her gratefully and she kissed him on the head.
A year had passed since the woman had brought him home and his coat became thick and fluffy and his thin little body filled out. Everyone said that he was beautiful and he certainly felt beautiful.
He followed the woman into the bedroon and hopped up on the bed waiting for the woman to join him. Before she turned out the light she hugged him and kissed him on the head, all the while telling him how much she loved him. When the light went out he scurried to the top of the bed and snuggled next to the woman. He sighed
sleepily as the woman reached out to stroke his soft little head.
As he closed his sleepy eyes he only had one thought -- he was home.
Author - Ann Hudson -
I would personally like to thank Ann for allowing me to publish her beautiful story about her little Nicky. Her story reminded me of so many shelter faces. The sadness in their eyes, the frantic searching for someone to help them, the fear in their eyes for the verbal and physical abuse they receive as strays. I recently picked up two dogs near our shelter that someone felt were disposal. I also pictured the sadness in their eyes while I read this story. Abandoning an animal is against the law and the horrors that these animals may suffer is unthinkable. Please think carefully before bringing an animal into your home. They are NOT disposable pieces of furniture.
I received a very special award for my rescue and shelter pages for my help with shelters. Please visit the Furr Angels and see how you can help.
Also, please take a moment to sign my guestbook. Thanks.
Graphics by:
I ran the dusty track for show,
devoted and driven my face pierced the wind
as race after race I fought to contend.
Slow at the turn and lacking in grace
I did what I could but I never placed.
yet those cheers turned to boos when I didn't score.
Folks lost their money when they bet on me
they tagged me a loser, said "Retire number three!".
I had no idea what I was likely to find
as I walked from the track for the very last time.
I sensed inside the sadness that this time I'd not go home.
I tried to change my person's mind and wagged my mighty tail
but I knew deep down without a doubt, like racing I had failed.
We drove along the country roads till we came upon a town
where erected off the main drag was a place known as the pound.
my person signed the papers and with one look at my face
said "I'm sorry that I have to go and leave you here to sleep.
I felt my heart break into bits and walked with head bent low
I knew that it was over and I had no place to go.
a voice said, "We will put him down, tomorrow if not today."
I heard the pretty woman state, "Don't look him in the eye,
he has that Greyhound gaze that says, "I do not want to die."
They put me in a kennel with the others on death row,
I lay down on the concrete and moaned so soft and low.
the pretty woman came to me and said, "It's time to go."
The hall was long and stark and cold, I did not cry or weep
I used my eyes and face and soul to halt eternal sleep.
She tried her best to use defense and look away from me,
she seemed to know how wrong it was to do this deadly deed.
the needle entered my front leg and quickly I felt weak.
I heard the pretty woman sob as she lay me on the floor,
I saw a last glimpse of her face and then I saw no more.
I may not have been the fastest dog to ever run the track,
I just wish someone had loved me so I could have loved them back.
While shops are still busy and lights are still on
While dinners are cooking and kitchens are warm
And children count presents they'll open by morn.
Through the gate to the backyard as icy winds blow
To find the pup he brought last year, chained up in the snow
And, kneeling, he whispers, "Are you ready to go?"
Before the beginning of his regular flight
He leaves not a note or footprint in sight
Just an unbuckled collar
On a cold Christmas night.....
Stray Cat 
Has brought you homeless to my gate?
The gate where once another stood
To beg for shelter, warmth and food
For from that day I ceased to be
The master of my destiny.
Became within my house the law.
He scratched the furniture and shed
And claimed the middle of my bed.
And broke my heart the day he died.
So if you really think, oh Cat,
I'd willingly relive all that
Because you come forlorn and thin<
Well....don't just stand there...
Come on in!
Too faithful to leave, to frightened to run.
But sit by the road...waiting for you.
He thought you and he were stopping to play.
How long will he suffer...how many more days?
He's sick now with hunger and falls, with a sigh.
I wish you could see how a waiting dog dies.
I had the privilege of knowing of a person who took such an animal, sight unseen, through an internet posting and gave a wonderful home to a beautiful, very old golden retriever for the last two years of her life. Buffy just recently went to Rainbow Bridge and I feel she had more love in those past two years than all her years with her former "owner".
God Speed, Buffy - your mama misses you very much.
And once I had a good home.
Now I sit lonely, frightened and hungry,
Wondering what I did wrong.
Always I was loyal and true.
Now here I sit by the side of the road.
"Oh, master. What did I do?"
But, master, my love's still the same.
I'd stand by your side, no matter the trouble.
Please tell me why your love has changed.
The Lord above made him this way.
When you stand before Him I hope you can tell Him
How you cared for the creatures He made.
With the love He so richly bestowed?
And what do you think He will do when you tell Him
That you left it on the side of the road?
I no longer worry about what I haven't got.
But fate was watching over and made my life sweet.
Sometimes I think this is too good to be true.
Then she would know when I might be scared and when.
Mom says I am "famous", but now I'm not so sure.
She cried when she read it, I didn't know what to say.
Back then a small scrap of food was a really big score.
With a home, love, food, security in short my family.
If I haven't said it before, THANK YOU, I'm glad you care.
The store assured you that few other people had me, and that I was the
next new thing. There wasn't any books on me, but they gave you some
information as you picked out my home.
wanted to take a nap, because I am so young, and I felt nervous and cold as
you passed me from hand to hand. Everyone said "wow, that's really
different." I didn't feel very different.
and expensive home, but that was okay, because I was your new status symbol.
You'd leave me in the cage all day. When you would come home, sometimes I'd
just want to sleep. One day I told you that by biting your finger.
After that, you didn't take me out as much. I didn't mean to bite you, I was
just young. When I got a bit older, I wanted to play. I wanted to be with
you, because you were my new family. But whenever you took me out, I'd do
something you didn't like. So you left me in the cage most of the time.
'easy'. I feel like I'm not that hard, if you just knew what to do with me.
I want to be your friend.
with another type of pet food for an animal that sort of looks like me. It
makes me feel sick, and I don't have as much energy. You usually forget to
clean my cage, because I've become a 'problem'. It really smells, and it
makes me feel more sick. When I scratch at the cage, or try to play with
your hand when you put in new food, you hit me or yell at me. You don't
bring your friends over to see me anymore.
ages. My skin feels itchy, and I don't know whether to try to play with you
or hide, or bite you when you come near my home. For an expensive home, it's
not very big. You might remember that the store told you I was only to be in
it when you weren't around, but maybe you forgot.
of cats and dogs, some of which I think I saw in my old store home. They say
they can't take me, because I'm 'exotic' and they have their hands full with
all the cats and dogs. They recommend you try somewhere else.
seen a wild before. I don't think my parents had either. My great great
grandparents came from a wild somewhere, but it wasn't like here.You say I'm
'unmanagable'. So you go into a woods and leave me there, with my cage door
open. I don't want to leave my cage. I wish you wouldn't go.
people come by. They see the cage, and take it with them. They say words
like 'awful' and 'terrible' and 'abused'. I drive away in a new car. They
take me to a large building with other animals, and a strange smell. The
cage is put on a shinny table, and a person in a white coat looks me over.
He says it's too late. I don't know what he means. I feel tired, and cold
still. He tells the people that he sees a lot of this now, and that most
people don't know how to handle pets like me. He picks me up out of the
cage, and sticks something sharp in my skin. It makes me even more sleepy...
Mistreated, abandoned and forgotten.
Nobody wanted him, nobody cared,
Confined to a cage, he was so scared!
Who didn't care where "Rotten" would go.
His time was limited, the very next day,
He would leave this world, he couldn't stay!
I wanted a female, robust and fat.
No male cats for me, you know they spray,
Don't even bother to look their way!
He reached out and touched us again and again.
He was so persistent in getting our attention,
We couldn't help but make an exception!
He now had a mom & dad to call his own.
We changed his name to Bullwinkle you see,
Because "Rotten" he's not, he's sweet as can be!
The way he sticks his tongue out is really a hoot.
He's Bullwinkle, Boywinkle, Weenow and "The Wiener",
Mommy's little boy, mommy's little dreamer!
Loving me unconditionally, even through my tears.
I love that boy so much you see,
Who said no male cats – was that really me?
From your mom, Cyndi Wilson
Some months back Cyndi told me that Bullwinkle had been diagnosed with a cancerous tumor. It is with deep sadness that I must report that Bullwinkle was helped to Rainbow Bridge in the loving embrace of his mom on December 18, 2000. I know that the Bridge is a little brighter with the addition of this beautiful little boy. My prayers extend to his earth bound family. I know he will be sadly missed. Knowing when to let go is a very hard thing to decide, but I know Cyndi let him go with the dignity that he deserved.
Sometimes a man, sometimes a woman, sometimes a whole family would
approach the Rainbow Bridge,
be greeted by their loving pets and cross the
bridge together.
"Look! Something wonderful
is happening!"
The older dog stood up and barked, "Quickly. Get over to the
path."
Thousands of pets surged forward as a figure in white walked on the path
toward the bridge.
The figure finally approached the bridge, and was met by a
menagerie of joyous animals.
Together, they all walked over the bridge and
disappeared.
"No, son." The older dog replied. "That was more than an angel.
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