Dear Editor,
In October, I got a call from animal lover Noreen Gaskin telling me of an abandoned dog across from the Russian Embassy. I immediately went to the area where I found a female dog in very bad condition. She was on the other side of the trench–a walking skeleton– and, I thought, definitely a “put down” case.
I had my large dog kennel in my pickup and quickly made my way across the trench with a sling and some food, forgetting my protective gloves and muzzle in the process. As I neared her, to my surprise, this Pitbull mix dog did not bark or growl and started wagging her tail and cowering as if to say “don’t worry I won’t bite”. With a little food and some gentle words I was able to put a sling around her neck and take her to my vehicle. I lifted her into the kennel and never once did she resist or try to bite me. Once in the kennel, her tail was moving fast enough to cool my sweating face, her way of saying “thank you”, since she had lost her voice.
When I saw the dog’s reaction, I felt guilty about thinking she would have to be put to sleep. That’s when I started calling her “Hope”. I called Noreen and asked her to talk to the GSPCA administrator, Ms Gonsalves, an extremely kind person, about Hope’s situation. The administrator then conferred with the vet who said it was ok and treatment began. Hope recovered her voice and is becoming more beautiful each day.
Hope (and many others like her) needs a good home where she can get food, clean water, a healthy environment and loving care. Hopefully, someone will give Hope a Merry Christmas and a second chance at life.
Please say no to cruelty to animals. Spay and neuter your animals to prevent overpopulation. Help save a life, adopt a cat and/or dog from the GSPCA.
Yours faithfully,
Syeada Manbodh
