Home

best web directories

best free templates

Contacts

“ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE”

by Jackie Hall

for The Society for Animals in Distress (SAD) 

The song says “it’s another day in paradise” only it very seldom is at SAD and today was a prime example.  When staff opened the shelter this morning they found that someone had dumped a beautiful part Chow dog over the fence.  The Manager was in tears as she described the condition the dog was in - starving and unable to walk she could only crawl towards Brandi who then had to carry her inside and try to make her comfortable.  She should have been vicious but she wasn’t, she should have tried to bite but she didn’t - she just lay her head in Brandi’s hands as though she knew that now she was safe.  How did she get into the yard ? There is no gate so we can only assume she was dropped over and the fence is high - that alone must have hurt her.  Will she live - at the time of writing we don’t know. She has been rushed to a vet to try to ascertain the extent of the neglect - if it’s too bad she will have to be put down with only a caring vet and a caring volunteer with her for her last moments.  Who are her owners - we don’t know - there were no tags.  Was she found by a stranger or did her owners dump her - we don’t know.  We only know that this beautiful, kind and gentle dog has suffered enormously.


This is the second time in a few weeks that this has happened - the last time it was an old dog found in equally terrible condition wandering down the highway.  The ending to her story was a sad one - she had been too badly abused and was too old to survive or be healed despite the best efforts of the vet.  She was put down. A horrible end to a life for a dog that was once someone’s pet, who was once a cuddly puppy that was loved and played with.  But then like all pets she got old - did she then become an unwanted burden; was she then dumped by the side of the highway to fend for herself - we couldn’t save her it was too late and of course there were no tags again so no way to track down the owners.  Perhaps she got lost but then no-one called Animal Control to report a lost pet, no-one called the shelter so we have to assume that no-one wanted her and she died that way without anyone with her that she knew.  Perhaps the same fate is in store for the dog that was dumped today. 

We have one wish at the shelter for these abused animals, dogs or cats, and that is that at least they get some love and caring after all the abuse and neglect they have suffered.  But of course that wish can never be fulfilled because they are usually so badly injured or abused that it would be cruel to keep them alive and so they die, as do thousands of other animals across the country having lived a life of pain, neglect and suffering. 

We don’t know why people dump animals in the bush to fend for themselves - but they do.  We don’t know why people put kittens and cats in cardboard boxes with the lids taped shut and leave them at the dump - but they do.  We don’t know why people throw unwanted animals in the dumpsters - but they do.  And the list goes on and on - there seems to be no end to people’s cruelty.  So no it’s not always about those cute cuddly puppies and kittens that people are eager to give homes to - no it’s about all those older animals that come through the shelter who no-one seems to want because they are old or because they have been neglected or abused in the past and need that extra t.l.c. and time to help them learn to love and trust again. 

“Another Day in Paradise” - not yet but perhaps you can help - if you see an animal being abused or neglected let Animal Control (461 7211) or SAD (461 3197) know - don’t just turn the other way thinking someone else will deal with it and if you want to adopt think about some of our older animals in the shelter who need to see out their days surrounded by warmth and love - they will return that love, unconditionally, many, many times.  Don’t be part of the problem help us and become part of the solution.