Difficult Choices...and Wally!!

So this week I have been dealing with this inner-conflict with a decision I made to call Animal Control on a family that lives nearby. I do not know this family at all, so the majority of my decision making was based upon what I observed from driving by their home.

The first sign of neglect began about a year-or-so-ago. This family resides on a major busy road about a mile-and-a-half from my home; a road that I, as well as my other family members I live with, travel very often. My brother was driving down said road when a dog came running out in the road and he accidently hit the dog. My brother, being a caring human being, pulled into the median and witnessed the dog being hit a second time by another moving vehicle, who chose to continue driving. My brother proceeded to pick up the possible chow chow mix and, I'm not sure how he knew what home the dog came from--I think a neighbor may have pointed the way, took the dog to its home. Upon telling the owners that their dog had been struck by a 2 ton car their response was, "....he looks fine!!". The owners were in a hurry to go somewhere and took the dog from my brother and placed him in the yard, carelessly. My brother, confused and a bit stunned, just kinda walked off.

To be honest, I had never really noticed this dog before my brother had the accident with him. Since the accident I look for the dog every time I pass by the house (which is at least 3-4 times per week). This house, as I already stated, is on a main road and the owner's of the home have chosen to fence in the front of the house. Every time I pass by the house this dog is just lying in the middle of the yard or sitting by the door. There is no shelter in the yard for the dog (even though I don't personally believe this makes up for the dog not being indoors) and his thick orange coat appears to be all matted. All of these things are observations I have made over the last year. I don't agree with dog's being left outside--they're a member of your family and you would not leave a child outside over night in a thunderstorm! (I know some people would...but that's a whole different discussion for a different time!)

So recently I was driving by the home and, as always, I looked for orange dog and I saw him walking around the yard...except this time he was on three legs instead of four. That fourth leg he was holding up, appearing as though it was a cruciate tear, but I can't know for sure. At this point, the animal being outside at all hours, the matted coat, and the leg injury made me make the decision to call Animal Control. Is this enough evidence? Should I have attempted to speak to neighbors regarding the dog??

I called Animal Control stating possible animal neglect knowing that if it was nothing, then it was nothing...but if the animal was truly being neglected something could be done! But what is that something?? Would Animal Control take him and he'd merely end up euthanized?? I truly don't see him being adopted, he appeared to be middle age and he looked pretty rough around the edges.

So I'm dealing with this inner-conflict. Did I do the right thing by calling and possibly making this family deal with false allegations? or Did I do the correct thing by looking out for an innocent animal who may really be neglected?? I've called Animal Control since to see if there are results of the case and the owner's of orange dog stated that he's hardly every outside. Who knows!!

I very well could be wrong and orange dog could belong to a very loving family, but I don't think it's wrong to call and be safe if you're concerned.

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Pet of the Day!!!!!

My pet of the day is Wally!!!

I don't have too much info. on Wally because there isn't really anything on the website. But I found Wally at the Louisiana ASPCA and I think he's adorable!!

The HAPPY Act

I try to stay up to date on what's going on in the world, but it can be difficult sometimes with so much on my plate. This past week while checking my Facebook I noticed an update from NPR on a tax break for our four legged friends and it clearly caught my eye.

The article is entitled, "A Four-Figure Tax Break For A Four-Legged Friend?" and it discusses the idea of giving pet owners tax deductions on their animal care expenses. They're calling it the HAPPY Act. Representative McCotter from Michigan is pushing for this to go thru while many others are on the fence or simply against the idea. For example, in the article there is a reaction to the HAPPY Act from a Georgia woman who says, "are you kidding?" "Pets are an option." And she's right, pets are an option...but so are children and no one's complaining about the tax deductions you get for having kids. Obviously when choosing to get an animal, as an owner, you need to be prepared for the worst because pets get sick (like children), pets sometimes need daycare (like children), and pets eat (....like children). But the unexpected happens, we've all seen it! You lose your job and coincidentally the exact same week "Lucy" gets hit by a car.

Maybe those who are against the HAPPY Act should go spend an entire month volunteering at an animal shelter and truly see the vast number of pets who are dropped in the middle of the night at the shelter's doors. There are many pet owner's who find themselves in tough times and are no longer able to care for their furry kids, but maybe if they were able to receive these tax deductions for being a pet owner they'd be able to negate some of the costs and not have to abandon their pets.

I think what bothers me most about this whole thing is the enormous line people place between animals and children. There are some of us who don't necessarily see much of a difference between the two and believe pets are another member of the family.

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Furry Friend of the Day is........... PIRATE!!!

I found Pirate on the Humane Society of Greater Dayton (Ohio) website. He's a 7 month old terrier mix (obviously) who seems to be new to the Humane Society.
I absolutely adore how scruffy he is!!! I love his crazy wired-hair look!

It's the small things...

Today has been one of the most difficult days of my life. It seems as though every little thing is bringing me to tears, sad or not. I went into work for a few hours, unintentionally, a few of my classes were canceled and I needed to pick up my paycheck, and I figured I might as well clock-in and make a bit of cash. I think it helped to simply be around friends and laugh and talk to people who truly understand what it is I'm going through.

What has been the most difficult has been coming home from the clinic and not having her with me. I expect to be greeted with her wagging tail and big grin. I've compared the silence in my home and Midnight's absence to someone who has a limb amputated. I've always heard that amputees experience a phantom leg or hand where there is no limb, and in the early morning when I'm searching for her with my foot at the top of the stairs to make sure I won't step on her and then slowly realize....she's not there. Those little things are what are slowly breaking my heart. Another example is while at work we were signing up to get our dogs the canine influenza vaccine and I thought to myself.."do I need this? $17?" and then realized that I don't have a dog to vaccinate.

This weekend boyfriend and I are going to go up to Brasstown Bald to get away and plus, it's supposed to be really pretty (NO RAIN!!!) and the leaves are now beginning to change so it should be nice. I'm also hoping to hang out with some girlfriend's on Saturday night and hopefully take my mind off of things.

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Today's critter of the day is:

MOLLY!!!

Molly is a year and a half and I found her online at the Cape Cod Animal Care and Adoption Center in Boston, MA. I personally have a HUGE thing for black and white kitties but the two things I adore about Molly are her big gold eyes and the little black smudge right below her nose.

Midnight 9/15/1995-10/14/2009

I am apparently no good at this whole blogging thing! It's been about two months since I last posted. Eek! With school starting up again, interning this semester, and trying to get some hours in at the clinic I've been wicked busy!! I'm going to try harder--I promise!!

So this post is, in all honesty, going to be all about me and the love of my life.

On Tuesday October 13th we decided to start my 14 year old labx, Midnight, on Tramadol. She had previously been on Rimadyl but after a bought of bloody diarrhea I decided to take her off the drug, knowing the effect it has on a canine's tummy and intestinal tract. We decided to put her on Tramadol at 50mg BID and Meloxicam at 7.5 mg SID. We started the Tramadol Tuesday morning and later in the day noticed she had not eaten her breakfast and seemed quite lethargic. By Tuesday evening we made the choice not to give her the second does of Tramadol due to her severe sedation and lack of ability to walk and obvious discomfort.

By Wednesday morning (today) we realized we needed to take her in. The Tramadol was given on Tuesday at approx. 6 AM and it was now 8AM the following day and the symptoms were persisting. We took her into see my vet and immediately the vet looked at her eyes and gums, something I had done the night before and not noticed anything out of the ordinary, her gums and the white's of her eyes appeared yellow--jaundiced. We decided to hospitalize her for the day and give her fluids as well as run some blood work.

At about 2 PM we received a call from our vet who told us that her blood work results were all over the place and the results of an ultrasound showed her liver which looked terrible. He also stated that she was extremely anemic and the fluids we were giving her weren't doing anything.

We decided as a family to go visit her at the clinic. The second she saw us she began wagging her tail and smiling. We decided to bring her into a room so we would be able to spend time with her and say our goodbyes. Our decision was made by viewing how uncomfortable she was as well as hearing the testimony of the vet, who I trust, saying he would make the same decision if it was his dog.

Today has definitely been an awful day; to say goodbye to the dog that has been with me since I was in the 5th grade is absolutely heart breaking. And the hardest part has been to come home and not have her waiting there for me, wagging her tail.

It's good to know that she wasn't in a lot of pain over a long period of time and that she is happy now.

Tonight I plan on reading through Rainbow Bridge and thinking of my sweet girl.

I know many may not read this, but thanks to all who have supported my family and I.

Today's pet of the day is my sweet girl, Midnight:

She was born approx. September 15, 1995 and she died October 14, 2009. She will be missed!