No More Chain

The HOWS Project is a group that I really respect and admire. They provide decent dog houses for outdoor dogs whose owners do not provide decent living conditions for them. They also supply straw and in many cases food, and in some cases they help owners re-home their dogs when they are willing to do so and the dogs are adoptable. I've taken a couple of dogs from them, including this one today. I admire them for the work that they do to improve dogs' lives, and even more so for their ability to work with the people involved, pulling out their hair and biting their tongues to avoid alienating the people in order to help their dogs.

The owner truly loved the dog, it seemed, but he was unable and/or unwilling to provide for her. He did better than many people in his position, however, by agreeing to give up the dog so she would have a chance at a better life.

I had talked to the guy a couple weeks ago and he didn't follow through -- lies, excuses, etc. I talked to him again last night and again today, more lies and excuses but I drove out there and he showed up shortly thereafter. Clearly he was reluctant to surrender the dog, but even more clearly the dog needed a better home, food, and medical care that she had no chance of receiving in her current circumstance.

The girl doesn't have a proper name. She was living on a chain. She is sweet and lovable, starved for attention. She had a decent house thanks to HOWS and had been eating for the past two weeks thanks to them as well, but the owner told me he had given her the last of the food today, (and made no mention of having any plans to get her any more.) She had been spayed early in life, but that was probably the last time she saw a vet and he thought she was now about 10 years old. I'm not sure about that, she doesn't look or act that age and I don't put much stock in his information.

She readily hopped into a crate in my van and rode well all the way home. I set her up in my empty kennel for now, gave her a bowl of dry food, canned food, and Panacure. It's not luxurious by any means, but it's covered, she's got an 8' A-frame house and an igloo, all filled with fresh straw.

And no more chain.