I apologize for such graphic pictures, but I’m not sugarcoating this.
Today while I was working at the barn, I saw this dog on the way back from a ride. He stood up and walked very cautiously over to the horses, but he didn’t come very close. He didn’t bark or growl, he just stood there. I couldn’t leave him there, I had to go back and get him with my car.
I got out of my car and walked slowly up to him. He put his head down and came towards me without my calling or anything. He sat down next to me (I didn’t pet him because he clearly has bad mange) and wagged his tail. He looked at me with his pretty blue-green eyes full of hope and I think he knew he would be ok.
I called every nearby animal control number and the Houston Humane Society right down the road. I had to go through so many menu options before I finally left a message… None of them have called me back, about eight hours later.
I took matters into my own hands. I didn’t want to put him in my car because I transport my own dog, but I couldn’t just leave him. I figured there would be some way to sanitize my car so I gave in and called someone at the barn to help me get him in my car. He’s a small dog, but he has scabs all over his body and I wanted someone with gloves.
Anyways, I drove about five minutes to Houston Humane and the first thing the admissions lady told me is that they’ll hold him for three days and if no one claims him, they’ll put him down. Nope, that’s not gonna happen. I asked her where else I could take him and she gave me the number and address of BARC. I thanked her and got some gloves from her and loaded him back up in my car for the 45-minute drive to BARC.
They shuffled me around everywhere at BARC. I went through the door that said, “Entrance” and the guy made me go back through the “Exit” door. I know this doesn’t seem like much, but this puppy could hardly walk. He stumbled as if he were drunk and would occasionally just plop down. They determined he was too sick for him to be in the main building with all the other dogs, so I had to load him back up in my car and drive him to the rear entrance.
Some kind volunteers directed me to the vet building, and I waited in there for a vet tech for about 15 minutes. I sat next to him and talked to him. I told him over and over that he would be ok and I wouldn’t let anything happen to him. I told him he’s going to make an amazing pet someday and he’s in a safe place. I promised him.
The exhausted-looking vet tech came out, took my driver’s license (which they had already done at the front..) and entered me into “the system.” Then she came back over to me and the dog, whom I had named JoJo, and informed me of his fate. She said two very conflicting things and I’m still confused. First, she said that they’ll wait three days for someone to claim him, then have him evaluated by a vet and put him up for adoption if he’s not aggressive (which he clearly wasn’t). Good news, right? Then she said they’ll wait three days for someone to claim him and then euthanize him. I kept trying to clear this up with her and determine which one she meant because she wasn’t making sense, but I never got a clear answer. I’m pretty sure the answer is more towards the second option than the first.
Then I got mad. I asked her why the hell I took him there if they’re just going to kill him, just like they would’ve at Houston Humane. She shrugged and I said, “Ok well thanks,” and left with tears welling up.
I pretended to text on the way back to my car so the volunteers wouldn’t ask what was wrong. I got to my car and broke down crying for poor little JoJo. All I could think about was how amazing he’d be as someone’s dog and how I had promised him over and over that he’d be ok. I called Christy (the barn manager, we kept in contact the whole time so she knew what was going on) and told her the news and she got mad, too. She kept saying, “Why the hell do they call themselves a no-kill when they clearly do if the dog is the slightest bit sick? They’re not going to do ANYTHING for him?” My thoughts exactly.
I drove home crying and took a nice, hot shower. Christy had called me again while I was in the shower so I called her back and she had some good news for me. She knows a woman who brought a stray like JoJo into BARC, donated some money for his initial treatments, and then fostered him (and later ended up adopting him). Christy is actually offering to donate $250 to help him and she knows another woman who loves pitbulls and is already offering to foster him.
I’m not begging everyone to reblog this, though that would be appreciated. I’m not gonna hate you if you don’t. I won’t be mad if no one offers a little cash for his initial treatment. But it would make me and JoJo feel a lot better if you did.
We have until Thursday to figure all of this out. This dog needs a miracle, but Christy and I won’t stop until he gets his miracle.
P.S. To whoever did this to this dog - I sincerely hope you suffer equally as much as he did/does/will. I hope you find out how it feels to have someone give up on you, and that no one gives you a second chance. I know you’re out there because he has a collar and he’s neutered. It makes me sick to know that you exist.