There are moments in life when I detest mankind.?And then there are other moments I am proud to be a part of this miserable place.
This weekend these two seemingly mutually exclusive moments collided into one very upsetting and rewarding experience. A friend of mine was out enjoying some peace and quiet at White Rock Lake when a dog walked in front of her car.?Being a dog lover she paused and noticed there was no collar. Then she paused a moment more.
Trailing not to far behind this cute creature were four very tiny baby versions of the dog.?She had stumbled upon a mother and four very young pups. “Aww cute!” you may say to yourself, but she didn’t.?She wondered since there was no collar and she was near a pier should she wait for someone to claim them?
Cars came and went but no once came for the litter of puppies. So, she packed them in her car and took them home.?I should mention this was about 1:30 a.m.?She called a local vet hotline and was told the only place to take dogs at this time of night was a kill shelter.?This is a whole other issue that I cannot even begin to discuss in this small column.?Not considering that as an option they are currently residing in her backyard.?Again, what a sweet gesture you should say.
The next day she took the puppies to a vet to make sure they were okay.?They were better then okay actually, they had already had their first round of shots and were doing fine.
Ladies and gentlemen, someone cared enough for these dogs to make a veterinarian appointment, get them vaccinated, and them dump them at a lake.?I want to assume they ran away, and that a very sad family is desperately looking for them, but I have been assured that the mother dog had signs of a collar having been around her neck and the pups, at barely seven weeks old, would not have the capacity or ability to run away from home.
As I was with them they could barely walk and were hardly more than cute rolly-pollys waddling around my floor.?I am embarrassed by the cold heartedness and lack of caring and commitment a person could show to such harmless, loving creatures.?What could anyone have had going through their mind to abandon such a troop of innocent lives??This is simply not acceptable.
If you make a commitment to take care of another living creature their lives and well-being are now in your hands. If one cannot muster up the courage to do this, then do the right thing and let someone adopt them or give them to a shelter where they can have some chance at a normal life. I know that anyone reading this column would never do such a thing to “man’s best friend,” but come on people! we have a responsibility to make sure that this cannot and does not happen again.
When did people become so apathetic? When did we become so desensitized that we could just let something go, like five dogs, and hope for the best??It is absolutely unacceptable and completely disgusting.?All I can think of is I hope whoever did this doesn’t have children, because my hopes are not high for the well-being of kids coming from a household where life is taken so for granted.
I believe that human beings have the capability to love, and I don’t think that I am being na’ve and romantic when I say that.?But what has happened to the people who don’t feel that way??If we cannot trust human beings to take care of dogs I would be scared to leave my home in the morning. These same people are driving around, taking care of this city, and bearing children.?It is disgusting.?
