A dogs tale...

[Red Dwarf]

Many years ago I was driving along a rural section of the A650 one winters evening when I needed to stop for a ‘comfort’ break, turned off the main road into a deserted lane and found a suitable spot. As I was about to get back in the Land Rover I was aware I wasn’t alone. Tied to a tree with a length of thin rope was an old one eyed golden retriever, not making a fuss. I went over to him to say hello and gave him a scratch, as you do, only then wondering what he was doing there on this cold night.
After a short conversation with myself and the dog, I untied him and took him home. He was no trouble and appeared to enjoy the ride, he certainly enjoyed his dinner! The cat wasn’t overly chuffed, though neither made a fuss. I phoned the RSPCA and related my tale to them, the guy told me the dog was certainly dumped, a couple of weeks before Christmas was normal for this apparently, especially for an old dog. I felt sure that such a well behaved and friendly dog must have a worried owner somewhere, so the man came and took him to the kennels. I told him that if no one claimed the dog, I’d take him.
A week later I was on my way to the RSPCA to collect Nelson (named by them). My work at the time involved me driving around the dales visiting farms, my new friend would be my copilot.
I’ve had a few dogs, non as bright as Nelson though. If he wasn’t curled up on a huge old cushion in the back of the Land Rover, he’d ride upfront with me. This dog would read the road ahead, bracing himself left or right as corners came into view, even putting a paw up to the dash under braking! All in all he was a thoroughly good dog and a great mate. We did many miles together and he got on with everyone. I never heard him growl, he didn’t have an ounce of aggression in him.
The following autumn he slipped away while asleep at home, curled up on his bed. There hadn’t been any indication of illness, I guess he was just old. I’ve often wondered how such a lovely old dog could have been abandoned, well behaved, friendly, never used a lead.
I have another tale to tell about him, it happened on Christmas Eve, maybe I’ll tell it this coming Christmas....

 

[SimonM]

Bless you for rescuing him, he deserved to last longer with you.

Owners that just dump their animals disgust me and what I’d want to happen to them would be *censored* if I mentioned it.

 

[yorkslass]

Bless you for rescuing him, he deserved to last longer with you.

Owners that just dump their animals disgust me and what I’d want to happen to them would be *censored* if I mentioned it.

I'-m with you on punishment. If they really can't afford to keep an animal, they can always take it to a rescue centre, though it seems even that is too much trouble.

 

[Red Dwarf]

I'-m with you on punishment. If they really can't afford to keep an animal, they can always take it to a rescue centre, though it seems even that is too much trouble.

It really does make you wonder. He’d been well looked after and his nature suggested he hadn’t suffered emotionally, so why dump him? It didn’t make sense. The RSPCA guy told me it was shamefully common, i just don’t understand how you could do it... my cats and dogs have always been family members.

 

[wildebus]

It really does make you wonder. He’d been well looked after and his nature suggested he hadn’t suffered emotionally, so why dump him? It didn’t make sense. The RSPCA guy told me it was shamefully common, i just don’t understand how you could do it... my cats and dogs have always been family members.

I just couldn't imagine or comprehend anyone doing anything lilke that

 

[linkshouse]

Bless you for rescuing him, he deserved to last longer with you.

Owners that just dump their animals disgust me and what I’d want to happen to them would be *censored* if I mentioned it.

I know we can't but... Whenever I hear of animal cruelty I always think that we should do to the culprits exactly what they've done to the animal (eye for an eye and all that). Maybe being left tied up in a lay-by for a couple of nights might educate the the original owners.

Sorry, rant over.

Well done Red Dwarf for rescuing this dog and giving him a comfortable end to his journey.

 

[Penny13]

What a lovely story I will be sending it to my daughter in law. She adopted a cat a year ago he can’t go out as he has cat aids. No one wanted him and the staff cried as he left for his new home. His kidney is giving up now and although not in pain he doesn’t have long. She is bereft, we keep telling her he has had a warm comfy home and she should be happy he ( Biscuit ) has had a fantastic last lap.

 

[number14]

I didn't come to dog ownership until after retirement. Now I can't imagine life without my rascally terrier. They wrap their little paws round your heart, don't they.

 

[Red Dwarf]

Thanks all for your kind words. The reality was, I was the lucky one. Apart from being left tied to the tree, I really don’t think he’d had a hard time, he was just too, well, nice!
With the exception of one cat, all my pets have been rescued. I believe when you give an animal a second chance, they thrive. Bad behaviour, I reckon, is generally due to the owners who didn’t care for the animal properly.
I read a study a few years ago that suggested people who were cruel to animals could also be cruel to other people. I thought at the time, I didn’t need to see the report to work that one out!
Rightly or wrongly, I’ll judge people by their attitude to animals and I suspect I’m not alone...

 

[linkshouse]

As you say, leaving him tied up in a lay by does seem at odds with his condition otherwise. Which makes it even harder to understand.

That said, had you not come along when you did it could have been a very different outcome for a poor docile friendly animal apparently used to trusting people.

It saddens me so much just to think about it.

Nelson was indeed lucky to have you find him.

 

[witzend]

I'-m with you on punishment. If they really can't afford to keep an animal, they can always take it to a rescue centre, though it seems even that is too much trouble.

I believe it's not just as simple as taking it and leaving it as explained to me once when I said the same as You after seeing a security camera of someone tying a dog up out side a rspca centre. There's several forms to fill etc making owners uncomfortable so making abandoning it the easier option

 

[Caz]

When I adopted Reg from Dogs Trust, I managed a quick sneaky look at his handover paperwork (which you aren't supposed to see) and saw that the previous owner had actually had to pay them to take him in.
So I guess it's cheaper to just abandon them somewhere and hope someone comes along and rescues them, but I don't know how anyone could do that, I hope it would have been a very last resort.

 

[snapster]

Abandoning or abusing dogs is quite common unfortunately. There was a news item a day or so ago about a Lurcher with a broken leg left tied up in Canterbury. Luckily he was found and cared for.
I can’t understand how anyone could do this. Just a few miles away is a vet who will treat animals for free if the owner cannot afford vets fees.
With the RSPCA and PDSA easily contacted, there’s no reason to leave an animal suffering.

 

[Deleted member 5607]

Rescue centres almost always make people wait to hand their dog over and, yes, there is a charge. If the dog has behaviour problems they have to wait longer because he or she will need extra support and they can only deal with so many of those kinds of dogs. I have heard that aggressive dogs are often not contacted with an offer of a place. I had the misfortune to have to hand in my mother's little dog when she died. We were full timing in our motorhome at the time and already had two dogs. It was just not possible for us to take him. It was like dealing with a bereavement all over again It had to be done though and I am sure that he ended up in a lovely home.

 

[Millie Master]

Thank you @Red Dwarf from the deepest depths of my heart for sharing your post, it brought a proud lump to my throat that there is someone as caring and compassionate as you amongst our ranks............ you are a star.

We have been into animal rescue and animal care for the last 30+ years and it never ceases to dumfound me the levels of abject cruelty we humans can subject our faithful four legged friends to!
We are mmembers and supporters of a brilliant specialist charity Spaniel Aid UK and the stories and expereinces shared amongst us on their facebook pages regularly bring tears to our eyes such as a male 4 year old Springer who the vet believed had been sexually abused for a very long time. He was on the point of death, but the fosterer and the vet battled through to bring him back to health and then discovered he was so petrified of anything and everything, however buckets of love won the day and he is now safely rehomed with some very special people.

What scares the SH*T out of us is what is going to happen throughout the country when the Covid crisis ever eases as there are tens of thousands of very unsuitable new owners of puppies who the charities and the authorities believe will be dumping their pets when it is no longer convenient for them to look after them!

 

[Deleted member 5607]

I have long said that all puppies should be traceable to their breeder and, if in need of rehoming, returned to them. It would stop unscrupulous breeders in their tracks and take the pressure off the rescue centres. The more puppies you breed the more likely it is that some are going to come back to you. I wrote to my MP on this very subject quite a few years ago and they did bring in the compulsory microchipping that needs to be in place for the above practice to work. Unfortuneatly it is not being policed as dogs are not scanned enough and checks made that the breeder is noted on its records.

 

[Millie Master]

Sorry to go on about the cruelty issue, but this was My Sam



when he was found, he was on the point of death.

He was discovered outside a low lifes home in a 14" square mesh cage that had a 2" deep plastic tray in the bottom of it, he had no hair on his body and only a very small amount at the tip of his tail and ears, he was riddled with fleas and lice. The tray was full of his own urine and excrement.

It took the rescue 6 months to bring him back from deaths door, they then tried to re-home him with 2 different but they said his house habits were terrible and he snapped.
The rescue then decided they wouldn't try to re-home him again, that was until we went along to a fund raising event at the kennels.
He wasn't in the areas where dogs for re-homing were in the area surrounding the BBQ and bar, but he was in a cage some distance away with several other dogs a short distance away, out of these dogs I happened to notice a particular dog who was pinning himself up against the sides of the pen with his eyes glued on us, wherever we moved.
So we enquired about him and were told very sternly that he wasn't up for re-homing, but they soon relented and he lived a full and brilliant free life with us, with him always being pressed hard to my side, he was after all My Sam!
Without fear of contradiction he was the cleanest and most obedient four legged friend I have ever been so exceptionally fortunate to share my life with.

 

[Millie Master]

I have long said that all puppies should be traceable to their breeder and, if in need of rehoming, returned to them. It would stop unscrupulous breeders in their tracks and take the pressure off the rescue centres. The more puppies you breed the more likely it is that some are going to come back to you. I wrote to my MP on this very subject quite a few years ago and they did bring in the compulsory microchipping that needs to be in place for the above practice to work. Unfortuneatly it is not being policed as dogs are not scanned enough and checks made that the breeder is noted on its records.

I agree, but the biggest problem at the moment is DOG THEFT, it is rife and getting worse by the very day!

 

[Deleted member 5607]

I agree about dog theft I have a Working Cocker Spaniel and I live my life in fear of her being taken. I have signed all the petitions that are urging parliament to improve the law. I have fixed locks to my front gate and put another bell there for people to press if they want us. I never leaver outside alone which is a real pain because she loves to be out in the garden I carry a spray that will mark the thief if they approach me when out and about. It is awful.

 

[Red Dwarf]

Thank you @Red Dwarf from the deepest depths of my heart for sharing your post, it brought a proud lump to my throat that there is someone as caring and compassionate as you amongst our ranks............ you are a star.

We have been into animal rescue and animal care for the last 30+ years and it never ceases to dumfound me the levels of abject cruelty we humans can subject our faithful four legged friends to!
We are mmembers and supporters of a brilliant specialist charity Spaniel Aid UK and the stories and expereinces shared amongst us on their facebook pages regularly bring tears to our eyes such as a male 4 year old Springer who the vet believed had been sexually abused for a very long time. He was on the point of death, but the fosterer and the vet battled through to bring him back to health and then discovered he was so petrified of anything and everything, however buckets of love won the day and he is now safely rehomed with some very special people.

What scares the SH*T out of us is what is going to happen throughout the country when the Covid crisis ever eases as there are tens of thousands of very unsuitable new owners of puppies who the charities and the authorities believe will be dumping their pets when it is no longer convenient for them to look after them!

Thank you. I suspect many on this forum would not walk past a needy animal.
I know a farmer that came across an old donkey needing a new home. He took the donkey in and they became great pals. He’d do his daily walk around the farm and the donkey always came along with him, walking by his side along with his two dogs. I saw them walking over a field one summer evening, I stopped and leaned on the wall just to watch, the two dogs came running over to say hello and the farmer and the donkey followed on. Just leaning on that wall chatting with the old man with the three animals all enjoying the moment was somehow one of those great moments in life, very simple and very satisfying. All the money in the world can’t buy such moments.