An Open Letter To The Person Who Left This Sweet Dog At A Kill Shelter

[melzawelza]

So there is absolutely no circumstance, ever, in the history of dog ownership past and present, where it is acceptable to surrender a dog to a shelter?

I can't think of a circumstance where I would find it acceptable to dump a dog at a kill shelter, not when a no kill shelter is 20 mins away. But I'm sure I can't think of all the dire situations!!!

Ok, what about Nancy's situation, that she describes here on a thread discussing her response to Jamie's letter. (Side note - follow Kim's posts for more progressive, compassionate sheltering information). Read that whole thread if you can, there's so much interesting discussion that may cause people to consider other's situations a little more open mindedly:

Nancy Tranzow Let me get personal for a moment. 6 years ago, I moved to Colorado from CA. I have always been involved in some form of rescue and so know the ins and outs. Unfortunately I moved with my severely abusive partner of 15 years. I stayed until her children were old enough to be OK and I stayed because I promised her son when he was three that I would not leave. I finally endured one too many beatings and left. I could not go back to my home as the one time I did, she locked me in a room and would not let me leave. When I finally got back 2 months later, she had starved my dogs. One my oldest pups Rudy, a senior, was so broken down, so sick from those two months that I had to let him go. She had drained every penny I had ever saved and maxed every card I had. So I took him to our local shelter. I was SO ashamed of what I had let happen to him and I knew he needed help. I relinquished him and told them I could not take him to where I was moving. I did not know how to tell a stranger that someone had abused me and my dog so badly and we both needed help. I did not say anything because I had been in rescue and I knew how unforgiving people can be. So I see rants like this and I think my god, I hope Cocoa's owner never comes across that post. Because we don't know her circumstances and people don't tell a stranger their darkest secrets. If I had seen someone rail against me during that time in my life, I am not sure I would have had the strength to still be here responding. We don't know people's truths and should NEVER assume we do.

Was Nancy's situation worthy enough? Or does she also deserve abuse based on the condition of the dog she was surrendering and the fact that she wrote she was moving on the intake form? Does she deserve compassion or a blog post calling her by name going viral condemning her in hateful, vitriolic language?

Also, no kill shelters are very often closed admission. Not many will take an elderly dog with a low chance of rehoming. Those that do almost always have extensive wait lists. Just because there was a No Kill shelter there doesn't mean it was an option for Cocoa's owner.

Edited September 25, 2013 by melzawelza

[Staffyluv]

The oldies break my heart as much as anyone else's. So do the puppies and the untrained dogs who never get a chance - they all break my heart.

But just maybe, the old dogs owner really didn't or couldn't think of euthing the dog themselves, maybe they were very elderly themselves and heartbroken at the thought of giving up their elderly dog, that they could no longer care for because she was ill (but didn't know what else to do)..

Not everyone knows there are rescues or other resources that can help them with their pets - we do take for granted (being overzealous dog lovers) that everyone thinks like us - they don't..

I am trying to help a young family who are just now going through a difficult time (they didn't even know about rescue), they have to give up their two dogs - they never saw this coming and they are absolutely devastated at the thought of dropping the dogs at the pound - because there is no room in rescue here at the moment for surrenders, they can't take the dogs with them into a unit, they don't have the surrender fee for the RSPCA and have no family or friends in a position to help them with the dogs (one pup and one older dog) - they are nice people who have been dealt a rough blow and their dogs pay the ultimate price having to go the pound because there is nowhere else for them to go..

It isn't like they haven't tried - they have been trying for weeks to find an option for their dogs. No one wants an older Bordo/mastiff cross and a staffy pup.

[RiverStar-Aura]

When I read stories such as these, I am always astonished over the speculation by people. The assumption that the dog was dumped by the owner knowing it had cancer and all these other issues ... It is quite possible to not know a dog is sick with cancer as some dogs show no outward symptoms -- I know this because my beloved Poochie was one such dog.

Yes I do understand The author's anger towards the previous owner, as I too firmly believe a dog is for life and couldn't ever imagine being in a situation requiring my to give up my elderly dog. I just couldn't do it. Having said that, I also understand that sadly, situations do arise in which eldery dogs are required to be surrendered or 'dumped'.

Rather than feeling such vehement anger towards Cocoa's previous owner, the author should be thankful she was able to provide a peaceful and pain-free ending for her. There's no point playing the blame game because it gets us nowhere and it's always easier to judge people and situations we don't know or understand, but again, it too is pointless.

[Dame Aussie]

I hate this blog post. I feel sorry for the author and the pain she is feeling but it's just awful and should never have gone viral.

Nancy at ColoRADogs in the USA wrote a response which I much prefer (I was lucky enough to meet Nancy in May and the work they do for the underprivileged dog owners in their area is amazing).

Facebook link

There is a response from the author there too.

I don't agree with Nancy. I don't have much sympathy for people who dump their dogs. Those who put in the effort to rehome or hand over to rescue because of dire personal situations, or if they are too old, PTS, I can sympathise with. But to dump at a kill shelter is unthinkable.

Yeah, unfortunately my experiences have made me this way too.

[Plan B]

I think experiences shaping attitudes can be a really dangerous thing, often leading to bitterness and burn-out - things nobody involved in rescue should let into their lives.

[Dame Aussie]

I agree. It's why I don't work in that area anymore but I can't change anything now unfortunately.

I wish I could have as much compassion for these people as others do.

[Alison03]

I don't understand cruelty to animals or children, it makes me angry to see it. I have a hard enough time dropping my dog off at the kennels, I feel like I'm leaving her at the orphanage every time I do it. Even though its a great place.

I couldn't work in animal rescue, I'd be useless and crying all the time. This lady obviously needed to get her story out there, perhaps it might make someone who is thinking of dumping their dog think twice.

One thing that does bother me these days is how some parents don't teach their kids that animals aren't just things. The phrase "It's just a dog" really sets me off.

[hankdog]

I have huge respect for anyone in rescue, or police or any of the services that clean up the mess made by humans. I think I'd alternate between crying and cynicism. If she needs to vent, go for it.

[tdierikx]

I friend of mine summed up what it takes to be able to survive without going insane in the rescue world... you need to be able to be dispassionate with compassion...

Sure - in rescue, you will see some of the worst things that people can do to their pets - but you will also have lots of opportunity to meet many other people who are amazing and awesome human beings. It balances itself out nicely if you go at it following the above summation of how you operate.

We humans are a funny bunch really - we do so love to elevate ourselves to something higher than the somewhat advanced primates we really are deep inside... and if supposing the worst about previous owners of animals coming into care is what does it for you, then you probably aren't going to last very long before you hit burn out - or just go mad...

Successful and ethical rescuers will think with both heart AND mind, and simply focus on what each individual animal in their care needs for the best future - not focusing on what it's past life or owners MAY have been like.

T.

[Odin-Genie]

So there is absolutely no circumstance, ever, in the history of dog ownership past and present, where it is acceptable to surrender a dog to a shelter?

I can't think of a circumstance where I would find it acceptable to dump a dog at a kill shelter, not when a no kill shelter is 20 mins away. But I'm sure I can't think of all the dire situations!!!

Ok, what about Nancy's situation, that she describes here on a thread discussing her response to Jamie's letter. (Side note - follow Kim's posts for more progressive, compassionate sheltering information). Read that whole thread if you can, there's so much interesting discussion that may cause people to consider other's situations a little more open mindedly:

Nancy Tranzow Let me get personal for a moment. 6 years ago, I moved to Colorado from CA. I have always been involved in some form of rescue and so know the ins and outs. Unfortunately I moved with my severely abusive partner of 15 years. I stayed until her children were old enough to be OK and I stayed because I promised her son when he was three that I would not leave. I finally endured one too many beatings and left. I could not go back to my home as the one time I did, she locked me in a room and would not let me leave. When I finally got back 2 months later, she had starved my dogs. One my oldest pups Rudy, a senior, was so broken down, so sick from those two months that I had to let him go. She had drained every penny I had ever saved and maxed every card I had. So I took him to our local shelter. I was SO ashamed of what I had let happen to him and I knew he needed help. I relinquished him and told them I could not take him to where I was moving. I did not know how to tell a stranger that someone had abused me and my dog so badly and we both needed help. I did not say anything because I had been in rescue and I knew how unforgiving people can be. So I see rants like this and I think my god, I hope Cocoa's owner never comes across that post. Because we don't know her circumstances and people don't tell a stranger their darkest secrets. If I had seen someone rail against me during that time in my life, I am not sure I would have had the strength to still be here responding. We don't know people's truths and should NEVER assume we do.

Was Nancy's situation worthy enough? Or does she also deserve abuse based on the condition of the dog she was surrendering and the fact that she wrote she was moving on the intake form? Does she deserve compassion or a blog post calling her by name going viral condemning her in hateful, vitriolic language?

Also, no kill shelters are very often closed admission. Not many will take an elderly dog with a low chance of rehoming. Those that do almost always have extensive wait lists. Just because there was a No Kill shelter there doesn't mean it was an option for Cocoa's owner.

I can't comment on this because I would never allow anyone to treat me or my dogs this way. But looking at the number of oldies in the pound list, I doubt that people in general only surrender them as a last resort.

[Aetherglow]

It is very possible that a loving owner who can afford vet care can have an animal with cancer and not know it. My cat who passed away earlier this year was seen several times for the symptoms that turned out to be cancer, and was treated for something considerably more minor for quite some time, which gave the impression of relieving her symptoms to a certain extent perhaps due to treating secondary inflammation and infection. She wasn't diagnosed correctly until a month before her death because whe wasn't responding fully to her treatment and that seemed weird to me, and even then the diagnosis was only possible because a new vet at the clinic brought suitable equipment with him that hadn't previously been available, and I was prepared to pay for an investigative procedure which is fairly unusual in pets.

[Tazar]

I am sure there are sometimes legit reasons for surrendering a pet, but the oldies just break my heart....

[Simply Grand]

One of the things that concerns me about widespread negativity and condemnation towards people who surrender or dump an animal at a shelter is that desperate people, who are unable to support the animal due to their mental, physical, emotional or financial limitations may feel too much guilt or that it's too difficult, panic, shut down etc and resort to worse outcomes for the animal (IMO) like abandoning, stopping contact, not feeding/watering/grooming etc.

At least if an animal is at a shelter, however long it may be there, it has SOME chance of an outside opinion, maybe some treatment, maybe a new home.

Any shelter, no matter how good or bad, is not a good environment for a dog, and I hate the thought of people taking putting a dog in one lightly, but I also think that even if it ends in PTS there are worse things. It's those worse things that I wish all dogs could avoid.

Edited September 25, 2013 by Simply Grand

[Daisys Mum]

that broke my heart

[Steph M]

Does anyone kind of feel bad for the author of this letter? She is very angry and hurt.

You do see some disgusting, mindboggling, tragic things in rescue, it upsets me but personally I refuse to carry the baggage that comes along with hating former owners.

Good bad or indifferent pet owners. They are in the past. And some are even unable to manage their own welfare let alone their dog's.

I can't imagine how not to be angry in such a situation. I feel bad for everyone involved, what an awful thing.

[aussielover]

Even though the person who dumped the dog did the wrong thing, perhaps they did it in the hope that it would have the outcome it did- rescued by a caring person and able to enjoy the last days if it's life being loved by someone else.

I thinks it's unfair to assume the owner knew the dog had cancer or even the reason behind dumping the dog at all.

In some cases old, sick or "ugly" animals are the first to be adopted as people feel sorry for them. It's the young healthy staffy types and working breed types that are overlooked in many cases.

[melzawelza]

So there is absolutely no circumstance, ever, in the history of dog ownership past and present, where it is acceptable to surrender a dog to a shelter?

I can't think of a circumstance where I would find it acceptable to dump a dog at a kill shelter, not when a no kill shelter is 20 mins away. But I'm sure I can't think of all the dire situations!!!

Ok, what about Nancy's situation, that she describes here on a thread discussing her response to Jamie's letter. (Side note - follow Kim's posts for more progressive, compassionate sheltering information). Read that whole thread if you can, there's so much interesting discussion that may cause people to consider other's situations a little more open mindedly:

Nancy Tranzow Let me get personal for a moment. 6 years ago, I moved to Colorado from CA. I have always been involved in some form of rescue and so know the ins and outs. Unfortunately I moved with my severely abusive partner of 15 years. I stayed until her children were old enough to be OK and I stayed because I promised her son when he was three that I would not leave. I finally endured one too many beatings and left. I could not go back to my home as the one time I did, she locked me in a room and would not let me leave. When I finally got back 2 months later, she had starved my dogs. One my oldest pups Rudy, a senior, was so broken down, so sick from those two months that I had to let him go. She had drained every penny I had ever saved and maxed every card I had. So I took him to our local shelter. I was SO ashamed of what I had let happen to him and I knew he needed help. I relinquished him and told them I could not take him to where I was moving. I did not know how to tell a stranger that someone had abused me and my dog so badly and we both needed help. I did not say anything because I had been in rescue and I knew how unforgiving people can be. So I see rants like this and I think my god, I hope Cocoa's owner never comes across that post. Because we don't know her circumstances and people don't tell a stranger their darkest secrets. If I had seen someone rail against me during that time in my life, I am not sure I would have had the strength to still be here responding. We don't know people's truths and should NEVER assume we do.

Was Nancy's situation worthy enough? Or does she also deserve abuse based on the condition of the dog she was surrendering and the fact that she wrote she was moving on the intake form? Does she deserve compassion or a blog post calling her by name going viral condemning her in hateful, vitriolic language?

Also, no kill shelters are very often closed admission. Not many will take an elderly dog with a low chance of rehoming. Those that do almost always have extensive wait lists. Just because there was a No Kill shelter there doesn't mean it was an option for Cocoa's owner.

I can't comment on this because I would never allow anyone to treat me or my dogs this way. But looking at the number of oldies in the pound list, I doubt that people in general only surrender them as a last resort.

You have missed the point of Nancy's article. She is not saying that the owner definitely had a legitimate reason for surrendering the dog. She is saying that NO ONE KNOWS the circumstances of the owner and it is wrong to make a very big and very negative judgement call on her reasons and send such a letter out, naming her.

Granted, the writer didn't intend for it to go viral, and man I wish it didn't. It's a blight on rescue.

[Sandra777]

So there is absolutely no circumstance, ever, in the history of dog ownership past and present, where it is acceptable to surrender a dog to a shelter?

I can't think of a circumstance where I would find it acceptable to dump a dog at a kill shelter, not when a no kill shelter is 20 mins away. But I'm sure I can't think of all the dire situations!!!

Ok, what about Nancy's situation, that she describes here on a thread discussing her response to Jamie's letter. (Side note - follow Kim's posts for more progressive, compassionate sheltering information). Read that whole thread if you can, there's so much interesting discussion that may cause people to consider other's situations a little more open mindedly:

Nancy Tranzow Let me get personal for a moment. 6 years ago, I moved to Colorado from CA. I have always been involved in some form of rescue and so know the ins and outs. Unfortunately I moved with my severely abusive partner of 15 years. I stayed until her children were old enough to be OK and I stayed because I promised her son when he was three that I would not leave. I finally endured one too many beatings and left. I could not go back to my home as the one time I did, she locked me in a room and would not let me leave. When I finally got back 2 months later, she had starved my dogs. One my oldest pups Rudy, a senior, was so broken down, so sick from those two months that I had to let him go. She had drained every penny I had ever saved and maxed every card I had. So I took him to our local shelter. I was SO ashamed of what I had let happen to him and I knew he needed help. I relinquished him and told them I could not take him to where I was moving. I did not know how to tell a stranger that someone had abused me and my dog so badly and we both needed help. I did not say anything because I had been in rescue and I knew how unforgiving people can be. So I see rants like this and I think my god, I hope Cocoa's owner never comes across that post. Because we don't know her circumstances and people don't tell a stranger their darkest secrets. If I had seen someone rail against me during that time in my life, I am not sure I would have had the strength to still be here responding. We don't know people's truths and should NEVER assume we do.

Was Nancy's situation worthy enough? Or does she also deserve abuse based on the condition of the dog she was surrendering and the fact that she wrote she was moving on the intake form? Does she deserve compassion or a blog post calling her by name going viral condemning her in hateful, vitriolic language?

Also, no kill shelters are very often closed admission. Not many will take an elderly dog with a low chance of rehoming. Those that do almost always have extensive wait lists. Just because there was a No Kill shelter there doesn't mean it was an option for Cocoa's owner.

No. IMO taking this dog to the nearest vet and having it PTS would have been the ethical option. Or if this was impossible, taking it to the shelter and begging them to PTS while she was there may have been a possibility.

[melzawelza]

So there is absolutely no circumstance, ever, in the history of dog ownership past and present, where it is acceptable to surrender a dog to a shelter?

I can't think of a circumstance where I would find it acceptable to dump a dog at a kill shelter, not when a no kill shelter is 20 mins away. But I'm sure I can't think of all the dire situations!!!

Ok, what about Nancy's situation, that she describes here on a thread discussing her response to Jamie's letter. (Side note - follow Kim's posts for more progressive, compassionate sheltering information). Read that whole thread if you can, there's so much interesting discussion that may cause people to consider other's situations a little more open mindedly:

Nancy Tranzow Let me get personal for a moment. 6 years ago, I moved to Colorado from CA. I have always been involved in some form of rescue and so know the ins and outs. Unfortunately I moved with my severely abusive partner of 15 years. I stayed until her children were old enough to be OK and I stayed because I promised her son when he was three that I would not leave. I finally endured one too many beatings and left. I could not go back to my home as the one time I did, she locked me in a room and would not let me leave. When I finally got back 2 months later, she had starved my dogs. One my oldest pups Rudy, a senior, was so broken down, so sick from those two months that I had to let him go. She had drained every penny I had ever saved and maxed every card I had. So I took him to our local shelter. I was SO ashamed of what I had let happen to him and I knew he needed help. I relinquished him and told them I could not take him to where I was moving. I did not know how to tell a stranger that someone had abused me and my dog so badly and we both needed help. I did not say anything because I had been in rescue and I knew how unforgiving people can be. So I see rants like this and I think my god, I hope Cocoa's owner never comes across that post. Because we don't know her circumstances and people don't tell a stranger their darkest secrets. If I had seen someone rail against me during that time in my life, I am not sure I would have had the strength to still be here responding. We don't know people's truths and should NEVER assume we do.

Was Nancy's situation worthy enough? Or does she also deserve abuse based on the condition of the dog she was surrendering and the fact that she wrote she was moving on the intake form? Does she deserve compassion or a blog post calling her by name going viral condemning her in hateful, vitriolic language?

Also, no kill shelters are very often closed admission. Not many will take an elderly dog with a low chance of rehoming. Those that do almost always have extensive wait lists. Just because there was a No Kill shelter there doesn't mean it was an option for Cocoa's owner.

No. IMO taking this dog to the nearest vet and having it PTS would have been the ethical option. Or if this was impossible, taking it to the shelter and begging them to PTS while she was there may have been a possibility.

And if you have no money to pay for euthanasia?

[Dame Aussie]

If you have no access to money to pay for your animals then you shouldn't keep animals.