A Terrified Dog is Rescued One Hour Before Euthanization
Michael Bolton sang that even when your world is falling apart, nothing will heal a broken heart like time, love, and tenderness. Most of us could interpret the lyrics to our love lives, but do you know that even animals get their hearts broken by humans? One dog almost lost her life because she had her heart broken by humans and could no longer trust anyone to come close to her. Fortunately, the terrified dog was rescued one hour before euthanization, and all it took was one brave man who showed the pup some tenderness. Let’s tell you the story of Edie and her journey towards finding a loving home.
Saved in the Nick of Time
For two weeks, a Maltese poodle mix named Edie waited in a high-kill shelter for someone to adopt her. However, no one saw beyond the scared pup who did not want anyone to get close to him. Without any other choice, she was scheduled to be put down on March 9, 2010, but Bronwyne called Eldad Hagar of Hope for Paws to come in and see what he could do for the pup. Edie was taken to the vet where Eldad was to meet them, and an hour before Edie was to be euthanized, Eldad finally arrived and got to work. According to a video posted on InspireMore, the minute Eldad walked into the room, Edie growled and tried getting away from the stranger. Eldar dangled a leash in front of Edie, who leaped to a corner and started making desperate cries for the humans to leave her alone. However, Eldad was persistent and managed to get the leash onto Edie, who got so terrified that she defecated at the corner in which she had sought refuge.
A Little Love Goes a Long Way
Upon seeing the fear that he had instilled in the dog, Eldad pulled her towards him and managed to sit her on his lap, where Edie finally felt at ease and calmed down. As Eldad patted the dog, Edie stopped whimpering and began licking Eldad’s arm. The canine became so comfortable with the human that she rolled over as if asking for a belly rub, which Eldad was happy to give. Edie was evidently happy for the first time, and the wagging tail was enough proof that she could trust humans. Once Edie proved that she was no longer aggressive, she was taken for a grooming session where all her matted fur was shaved. Still, Edie did not have a home, but Bronwyne Mirkovich could not wait to take the dog home with her. So six days later, she adopted Edie through Hope for Paws as published in The Animal Rescue Site. Within a few months, her coat had grown back, and she looked so beautiful you could hardly recognize her as the dog once terrified of humans.
Love Changes the Lives of Special Needs Pups
When Paula Peek visited a shelter to help a friend pick a litter of puppies, she saw a puppy was about to be euthanized. She had never adopted or fostered any puppies before. However, the thought of that lethal injection going into a pup because he could neither walk nor play like the rest of his siblings made her decide to become a dog mum. The staff explained that euthanasia would help Weeble; the dog suffered from spina bifida, and living with the condition would mean he would suffer for his entire life. Paula felt that was not reason enough to end the dog’s life, so she would only foster other dogs if she took Weeble home with her. According to Throwback History, it only took a month before Weeble had learned to play and run around thanks to a bit of therapy and feeding him healthy food. Seeing the transformation of Weeble encouraged Paula to foster more special needs dogs; after all, all they needed was immense love, which Paula had plenty of to give. Within a short while, Paula has fostered 20 special needs dogs, and since she plans on caring for such pups forever, she has a GoFundMe page to help with treatment. Even though some cannot be cured of their illnesses, Paula resolved to be their companion till their dying breath.
Why Shelters Euthanize Rescue Animals
Christians recite the Ten Commandments, one of which is “thou shall not kill.” However, people have taken the power of life and death into their hands, and euthanasia has been concluded to be a compassionate move. As animal shelters continue to rescue animals off the streets, sometimes they are only delaying the inevitable death. Usually, the most common reason for putting down animals is overpopulation. Crowding in shelters has resulted in animal rights activists calling for more adoption from shelters instead of buying from breeders to eliminate the need for euthanasia. Sometimes, the compassionate card is put in play as shelters do not want the animals to suffer a slow and painful death or live an unfulfilling life. That was the case of Weeble and the other animals that Paula Peek decided to foster.
Before deciding to euthanize sick animals, the main factors considered are the cost and length of treatment, chances of recovery, severity and infectiousness of the disease, and adoptability. Not many people are willing to care for sick animals, and treatment can be quite expensive. Lastly, as in the case of Edie, aggression causes euthanasia to be the only choice. No one wants to adopt a dog that will be aggressive and cause harm to people. If the dog is so aggressive that caring for it is difficult, it makes no sense to keep it alive. The parameters for assessing aggression are its reaction towards touch and noise, how it interacts with other animals, and how it reacts to treats and food. Of course, before a shelter resolves to euthanize animals, it usually has to try everything possible to save it, even calling in animal behavioral therapists.
