A Cruel inhuman boarding kennel

[Demi shae]

I started work at boarding kennel this week & quit within 2hours. The horrific cruelty & inhumane treatment of the dogs (one in particular) that broke my heart & I am unable to comprehend or forgive myself for not being able to do more for this 12 year old grey hound named ridge, he was brought into this kennel with 'so called' arthritis & i was told that he was unable to walk when he arrived but the owner said he had anxiety & was being a sook, what I saw was far different from anxiety & if you call a dog that had lost all ability to stand , lift his head or move at all! Unable  to get a drink or eat food arthritis or anxious then my god something is very wrong ! If you call a dog anxious that has been lying on the cold concrete weeing and pooing on him self in the same twisted position for weeks and weeks anxious then wow!!! This poor boy was left to die a slow agonising lonely  death in a kennel that was beyond caring clean or animal friendly , Why would a kennel except a dog in such a state of poor health unless they only cared about the money ! Poor ridge  he has no voice but the state he was in when I saw him was something I will never get over. I dropped to my knees and kissed this dog over &over & told him I was so sorry he was a good boy a beautiful boy & he deserved so much more.. ridge was unable to move completely with his legs all 4 legs twisted & covered in sores his squashed back legs & his state of mind was that of pure torture. He could not reach his water so I made sure he got water & he drank & he drank & he drank his teeth chattering as he couldn't move his head to get his mouth deep enough in the dish so I layed with him & changed bowls & hand fed him water, as looked at his freezing concrete slab that he was dumped on barely wide enough for his body size other dogs barking continuously in his direction, I saw nothing but obstacles in his path, wet dry food squashed in the corners of his cell, meat so old it was green & out of his reach, a wooden Pallett  Crete for him to fall on NOT THAT HE COULD WALK he could barely lift his head. As I hugged him & cried I heard the death rattle breathes & I walked out of that job in absolute disgust & called the kennel owner out on this dogs condition I demanded something had to be done now!  excuses & justifications was not good enough! I called the RSPCA the AWL, I phoned places I didn't even know who they were because this dogs soul had left him & his pain was silent his eyes told me he was suffering to the maximum he could not bare to live like that another second !  he didnt have any life left in him . I would do anything to take away his pain . I am crying as I type this because I can not do any more ! The RSPCA don't give a shit I told them the horrific nature of this dogs condition & if a dog can't walk & is unable to lift his head he should not be left to die in a kennel. I don't know what to do from here!  but I love you ridge you certainly will never be forgotten we shared all of 25mins together but you changed my life & i hope you are in heaven now. If you are still in that kennel out of sight & out of mind I will do everything in my power to save you...I'm so sorry beautiful boy I'm so so so sorry ...

[persephone]

[_PL_]

There are legal codes in all states for boarding facilities and the relevant contact for you is the Dept of Environment and Water SA. (DEW)

I'm very sorry for your experience and best wishes for some progress.  

[Dogsfevr]

Take away the lack of care care of the dog i can tell you  as a boarding kennel owner we get plenty of owners lie about there dogs medical needs & i cant tell you how many owners of senior dogs would do weekend board & hope it would die or we would have to PTS on there behalf because they were to gutless to do the right thing. 
We have had dogs brought in just like above & had to refuse boarding them as it was beyond cruel for an owner to even think that was the right path.

[Mairead]

A person sending their aggressive dog to be boarded! It was a pick up and they put it in the van themselves. Not sure how it was wrangled into a kennel but we were all warned not to go near it. One of the workers said he could see it becoming like the Addams family rug that still growled when you walked near it.

[Mairead]

On reflection the aggressive dog might have been another case of handing over the decision to someone else. 

The kennel owner had a long talk with the dog owner, explaining that this was an accident waiting to happen. The owner admitted that the kids couldn't have friends over. The decision was made but that poor dog died (and not peacefully) away from the family he was comfortable around. I wonder what story the kids were told. 

The poem The Last Battle maintains you who make the decision should stay until the end.