Hi everyone, I'd just like to get something off my chest and I know you fellow animal-lovers will understand.
I work in a vet clinic and a couple of weeks ago a lady brought in a stray dog that she had found wandering on the streets near us. The dog was unkempt with matted and long daggy hair, ridden with fleas, dehydrated and starving, and looked to be a young unsterilised female dog - she looks young and she has perfect teeth and eyes -. No collar or ID tag, no microchip.
So I gave her a bath and we cleaned her up a little bit. Groomed her, got rid of the fleas, dewormed her etc. She looks so much better now. Over the last week I brought her home with me to spend X'mas as I didn't want her to be locked in a cage at the clinic when we were only going to be open 2 hours a day on the public holidays.
I've grown really attached to her, and she is just the sweetest little dog. She follows me around everywhere, even into the bathroom. And she's happy to just curl up next to me and snooze. She's perfectly housetrained and doesnt "go" in the house AT ALL. I walk her twice a day. My cat and her get along fine (well, the cat avoids her as much as possible but otherwise no fighting.) She loves car rides and so far I've taken her to the beach twice.
Yesterday we got a call from the rangers with a similar missing dog report and we called the "owners" to follow up. The situation is the dog belongs to the kids and the ex-wife. The ex-wife has gone overseas for a holiday and put the kids and dog with the ex-husband. This ex-husband doesn't even know much about the dog and initially told us the missing dog was "8 years old and fat", which she most definitely is NOT. He also said the dog eats everything, but I know she's a fussy eater. He described her as brown and white, but this dog is more cream and light gold. He has no proof of ownership in the form of photos etc, since the dog is not his and the ex-wife's out of the country. It didn't sound like the right dog to me and another nurse. The problem is, she's so friendly, she goes up to everyone and wants to lick them or follow them. And she responds to every name we call her... so it's not really the name, she just responds to people all the time!
All they did was turn up at the clinic, look at the digital photos we took of this now beautiful dog, and the 12 yo kid and another lady (not sure who? nanny? carer? new girlfriend? stepmom?) said the dog belongs to them. They did not see the actual dog because she's at home with me. I'm not convinced they are the true owners but my practice manager said just give the dog to them.
So I have to bring the little darling in tomorrow and give her to them. I'm just feeling a little sad because I had hoped I could get to keep her, and it breaks my heart to think she could go back to being a mangy fleabag. I know that if they are her true owners, she would be happier with them, and of course the kids must miss the dog heaps, and it's not right for me to keep someone else's dog, but I'm going to miss her.
Thanks for reading this long story! I just needed to share. I'm still hoping for a miracle! Maybe they'll turn up and realise it's NOT their dog? *hopeful*
I work in a vet clinic and a couple of weeks ago a lady brought in a stray dog that she had found wandering on the streets near us. The dog was unkempt with matted and long daggy hair, ridden with fleas, dehydrated and starving, and looked to be a young unsterilised female dog - she looks young and she has perfect teeth and eyes -. No collar or ID tag, no microchip.
So I gave her a bath and we cleaned her up a little bit. Groomed her, got rid of the fleas, dewormed her etc. She looks so much better now. Over the last week I brought her home with me to spend X'mas as I didn't want her to be locked in a cage at the clinic when we were only going to be open 2 hours a day on the public holidays.
I've grown really attached to her, and she is just the sweetest little dog. She follows me around everywhere, even into the bathroom. And she's happy to just curl up next to me and snooze. She's perfectly housetrained and doesnt "go" in the house AT ALL. I walk her twice a day. My cat and her get along fine (well, the cat avoids her as much as possible but otherwise no fighting.) She loves car rides and so far I've taken her to the beach twice.
Yesterday we got a call from the rangers with a similar missing dog report and we called the "owners" to follow up. The situation is the dog belongs to the kids and the ex-wife. The ex-wife has gone overseas for a holiday and put the kids and dog with the ex-husband. This ex-husband doesn't even know much about the dog and initially told us the missing dog was "8 years old and fat", which she most definitely is NOT. He also said the dog eats everything, but I know she's a fussy eater. He described her as brown and white, but this dog is more cream and light gold. He has no proof of ownership in the form of photos etc, since the dog is not his and the ex-wife's out of the country. It didn't sound like the right dog to me and another nurse. The problem is, she's so friendly, she goes up to everyone and wants to lick them or follow them. And she responds to every name we call her... so it's not really the name, she just responds to people all the time!
All they did was turn up at the clinic, look at the digital photos we took of this now beautiful dog, and the 12 yo kid and another lady (not sure who? nanny? carer? new girlfriend? stepmom?) said the dog belongs to them. They did not see the actual dog because she's at home with me. I'm not convinced they are the true owners but my practice manager said just give the dog to them.
So I have to bring the little darling in tomorrow and give her to them. I'm just feeling a little sad because I had hoped I could get to keep her, and it breaks my heart to think she could go back to being a mangy fleabag. I know that if they are her true owners, she would be happier with them, and of course the kids must miss the dog heaps, and it's not right for me to keep someone else's dog, but I'm going to miss her.
Thanks for reading this long story! I just needed to share. I'm still hoping for a miracle! Maybe they'll turn up and realise it's NOT their dog? *hopeful*