Sad Puppy Stories

Maybe it’s an overall indication of my mood, but when I think about the dogs that have captured my attention at the WCAC the last couple of weeks they’re all a little sad.

It really pulled at my heart strings the first time I walked through the lobby and realized that the happy little dog on a leash wasn’t going home, but was being surrendered by their owner. And then there was Tippi who obviously had a family, ‘cause she had a microchip that was registered, but no one returned the WCAC’s phone call to get their dog back. Sammie’s story has to be one of the saddest I’ve come across at this point.

Gabi brought her back into the office area after giving Sammie a bath to try and cheer her up. She’d been very sad and hunkered back in the corner of her kennel since she arrived several days before. She had done very well in her bath, knew how to sit and shake paws, so we decided we would update her Adoption Summary. We pulled up her record and saw that she had arrived by “ambulance.” What? Gabi had me pull up the note attached and it turns out that Sammie was the “dumpster dog” that staff had been talking about all week. An animal control officer had been called to a business where they found Sammie in the dumpster behind the building.

Now, let’s get this in perspective. Sammie is a three year old, +/-60 pound, Bernese Mountain Dog mix; someone had to put some serious effort into getting her into that dumpster. We decided to lead her Adoption Summary with “Who on earth would throw out (literally) a wonderful girl such as myself?” She hasn’t been adopted yet, but she’s gotten lots of attention. Lots of baths to wash away the years of licking at her itchy skin (allergies, ya know) and some terrific photos.

Check out Sammie (37965) at http://services.wakegov.com/adoptiongallery/   UPDATE: Sammie went to her new forever home this past Thursday.

Anastasia’s story is one of neglect; the kind of neglect that brings her to the shelter absolutely covered in ticks. So many ticks that when they take her first photo the bottom third of her ears look brown, not black. Julie was bound and determined to get her out of the back room and into the main area where she would get some exposure to potential adopters. First, she had me take the “babushka” photos. All the ticks had been cleaned off, but her ears were all scabbed over. Julie came in a few days later, gave Anastasia a bath and cleaned out one of the kennels on the main floor so that she could come out of the back room.

She has been a complete sweetie and has the cutest little nub of a tail that wags constantly. She has since been tested and come back positive for heartworm, which will make it tougher for her to get a new home even though low cost vet services are provided for it.

UPDATE: Actually didn't have to take her photo 'cause somebody had already taken some FABULOUS outdoor photos of her. I stopped by her kennel tonight and she looks so cute!

I left Dennis for last because he doesn’t seem to have as dramatic of a story, but I’m sad that he’s still at the WCAC some 45 days later. I took this photo during one of his first couple of days in the WCAC. I noticed the tear in his nose that was so old as to simply be an old scar. He had lots of little nicks and tears on his face and ears and was recovering from a collar injury.

He’s a bit of a melancholy dog. Every time I’ve gone past his kennel he just looks up from where he has his head on his paws and gives you the sad eyes. I want to stop by and cuddle him, but I’m always in such a hurry to get other stuff done.

But, tonight is different. Tonight we’re going to hang out for a little while. We’re going to take some new up-close photos that show how much better he looks; we’re going to get some good info to edit his Adoption Summary and we’re going to request that they move him to another kennel to get a little bit different exposure.

UPDATE: Well Dennis' story does not have a happy ending. Although every time I saw him he looked mopey, he was agressive acting several different times out on the adoption floor. He was "gone" by Thursday afternoon when I was looking him up to go take photos.

Kryptonite a.k.a. Shelby the Chow Chow

Oh, I wanted her. I still want her. I'm glad she's adopted, but there's a little part of me that's sad I didn't see her first.

Okay, if you don't know this about me let me just say up front, I've had a thing about Chow Chows since the late '80s. I was dating a guy with a huge red Chow named Einstein who liked to eat my underwear (don't ask, 'cause you probably really don't want to know) and I pointed out a poster with the cutest puppy on it and was told it was a Chow Chow.

One of the volunteers pointed Shelby out and even though her picture had been taken I had to go in at the end of my shift and get me some "Chow time". What a sweetheart. What a lover. As soon as I started petting her she crawled up and tried to lick my face. When I wouldn't let her do that, she curled up close next to me and laid her head on my lap under my arm so that I would keep petting her.

I'm thinking she's mixed with Beagle which gave her the most adorable color and made her small. She was full grown here.

On my next Paparazzi shift I decided that I was going to take some photos of her, if not for her profile then for me. This was the last time I got to cuddle with her as she was one of the first to get adopted during the Grand Opening event the first of July.

Oh how I miss her ... I do love a cuddly Chow.