It would be wrong of me to expose the unknowing reader to the horrors that we come come across in pursuit of rescuing dogs. They are many and rank. But irrespective of the physical experience the dog goes through, the emotional component is fairly consistent across all rescue dogs. Here's a typical story to illustrate.
Last week I transported a St Bernard from Iowa. She was 9 years old, and the sweetest old lady you can imagine.
Her people, who'd had her since she was a puppy, took her to a vet where they requested she be put to sleep because she "couldn't walk and had such a bad case of heartworm that she wouldn't make it through the summer". "OK" said the vet, "Let's bring her in."
Florentia ran into the clinic, and the vet instantly saw the wool the owners were trying to pull over his eyes. To his great credit, he refused to euthanise the dog, and instead placed her with Big Dogs, Huge Paws, one of my favourite rescues and avatar 'funneling' places. (Reread book 2 if you don't understand this phrase!)
Not too bad a story is it? After all, the dog is saved, we took her to a great new home. Happy ending all around. But let's pause to examine what the dog went through on the way.
A dog that had spent 9 years with her family, loved them, watched over them, been faithful and loyal to them, grown up with their children, and no doubt adored them all, was cast out like so much garbage.
So what do you imagine she felt? Let me share it with you.
Confusion, followed by anguish that rapidly developed into fear, leading to panic, overtaken by a wave of emotional pain that quickly turned to agony; subsequently replaced by helplessness and futility, growing into a gnawing misery that became grief and heartache, finally displaced by depression.
Only sustained kindness whilst in rescue gave her hope. She was lucky enough to be with a truly wonderful foster family. Yet she still misses her people. She doesn't know they're heartless, thoughtless liars. Time may heal her. The scars are deep. Cesar Millan may be correct in his assertion that dogs live in the moment, but that doesn't mean that they don't hurt, and it doesn't mean that they don't remember.
I know this because an Archangel told me so. And some people are still stupid enough to believe think animals don't experience emotion!
Last week I transported a St Bernard from Iowa. She was 9 years old, and the sweetest old lady you can imagine.
Her people, who'd had her since she was a puppy, took her to a vet where they requested she be put to sleep because she "couldn't walk and had such a bad case of heartworm that she wouldn't make it through the summer". "OK" said the vet, "Let's bring her in."
Florentia ran into the clinic, and the vet instantly saw the wool the owners were trying to pull over his eyes. To his great credit, he refused to euthanise the dog, and instead placed her with Big Dogs, Huge Paws, one of my favourite rescues and avatar 'funneling' places. (Reread book 2 if you don't understand this phrase!)
Not too bad a story is it? After all, the dog is saved, we took her to a great new home. Happy ending all around. But let's pause to examine what the dog went through on the way.
A dog that had spent 9 years with her family, loved them, watched over them, been faithful and loyal to them, grown up with their children, and no doubt adored them all, was cast out like so much garbage.
So what do you imagine she felt? Let me share it with you.
Confusion, followed by anguish that rapidly developed into fear, leading to panic, overtaken by a wave of emotional pain that quickly turned to agony; subsequently replaced by helplessness and futility, growing into a gnawing misery that became grief and heartache, finally displaced by depression.
Only sustained kindness whilst in rescue gave her hope. She was lucky enough to be with a truly wonderful foster family. Yet she still misses her people. She doesn't know they're heartless, thoughtless liars. Time may heal her. The scars are deep. Cesar Millan may be correct in his assertion that dogs live in the moment, but that doesn't mean that they don't hurt, and it doesn't mean that they don't remember.
I know this because an Archangel told me so. And some people are still stupid enough to believe think animals don't experience emotion!