Dear Editor,
A few months ago animal lover Noreen Gaskin called to ask if I knew of a loving home for an elderly Dachshund. This is his story. Teddy lived in a fancy home and was happy until he got sick. Instead of taking him to the vet, his thoughtless owners locked him out of their yard. He got sicker and sicker and walked the neighbourhood looking for scraps and maybe a pat on the head. At the end of the day he would end up at his old family’s gate but they would always chase him away.
Noreen was visiting some friends in the area and knowing how much she loves animals they told her about Teddy. She went to look at him and could not believe his condition; his beautiful brown coat was gone, replaced with scaly pink skin and smelly sores. He was dehydrated, little more than a skeleton and sadness flowed from his eyes. Struck by the poor condition of Teddy, Noreen returned several times with food. Each time she hoped to see him back in the family yard but that was not to be. Every time she visited he was outside in rain or sun and looking worse. Noreen then made the decision to rescue him from his misery. She opened her vehicle door and with little coaxing Teddy jumped right in. She took him to Doctor McLean’s clinic/hospital for treatment. It took a few months but Teddy made a full recovery.
Teddy was then taken to the GSPCA in search of a good family to adopt him. Since he was competing with younger more active dogs for a good home he sat in the shelter for months. One day a family went to the GSPCA and saw him. They liked him and told the administrator that Teddy was the one for them. They signed the forms, paid for his vaccine and worm medicine and went back that afternoon in their vehicle to collect Teddy. Teddy’s excitement filled the room, knowing he was going home with a new family. As they put Teddy into their vehicle the father took another look at the dog and said to his daughter, “This dog is too old.” He took Teddy out of the vehicle and returned him to the clinic. The glow went out of Teddy’s eyes as he was taken back to his kennel.
I told my neighbour about this unhappy incident and one of her employees decided to adopt Teddy. We went to the shelter to see Teddy and it was love at first sight for both Teddy and his new owner. Forms were signed and home inspection was done by the GSPCA. The next day I went with the new owner to pick up Teddy from the shelter. As we lifted him into the vehicle he was shaking badly from fear. However, once he got to his new home his personality totally changed. The family’s son and their female dog were happy to have an addition to their home and Teddy is now happy, healthy, and loves and protects his new family.
Last weekend the family took Teddy and their other dog for a drive to see their new home on the East Bank. Teddy seemed happy with his head out of the window enjoying the freedom and love of his new family.
Thanks to Noreen for all she is doing and continues to do for our voiceless friends. Noreen knows we cannot save all the animals but we try to make life better for some of them, and hopefully in the process people will learn from example.
“It is as if life said, ‘I am going to send you into a world of cruelty. I shall make you sensitive to pain, fear, heat, cold, hunger and starvation. In this world of cruelty, I shall make you defenceless. In addition, I shall strike you dumb.’ This is the kind of world that animals are born into.” Grace Johnson, animal activist.
Yours faithfully,
Syeada Manbodh
