Today I went to a shelter to pull and transport 2 moms and their pups. I also had to go by a vet office to pick up two others that needed transport to the same boarding facility. When I arrived at the shelter to get the moms and pups I found out that instead of 4 pups there were only 3 left. When asked why, the shelter staff just kind of blew it off as mom had rolled over on him and killed him. Ok, but it still was a red flag to me. After picking them up and the others we made it to where we needed to be and I was not happy with the condition of one of the three remaining pups. We had a vet come out and they all tested positive for parvo. They are now at the vets office and will be there a while getting better; I hope they pull through. Then the vet looked at the little poodle pup and found out it had a deformed chest cavity and was having a hard time breathing. The rescue concurred with the vet, it was best to euthanize him now than wait, as it will get much worse. A birth defect I guess you call it. Well at least the moms are out and safe and if the 3 pups make it, then I guess it will be worthwhile, but it still weighs on you when you lose them, no matter the reason.

Why this dog was a seizure case I might never know, but he did spend 1 1/2 months in the shelter waiting for someone to come and adopt him; of course no one ever did and he just languished there day after day. I know it’s easy for people to overlook a 10 year old when there are so many others trying to get your attention; but the older, less demanding, very grateful ones are the real jewels in the shelter. Next time you visit a shelter, take a moment and search out the older dogs, maybe hiding back in the corner, knowing that they have little chance of getting out alive. Take a moment and at least say hi, you never know what the answer will be until you ask the question “and what is your name?”