My first Delta Dog was River. She was an amazing girl and more of her story will be told here; I learned so much from her. For one story of her life see out
local dog magazine page 6 http://www.spotmagazine.net/Issues/Spot_March2006.pdf
She died in my arms in January of 2007. http://corva.livejournal.com/194946.html
It was a long search for a new partner. I did not have the luxury to mourn her. I was working full time at the Humane Society for
We welcomed two dogs into our home in what turned out to be long term fosters as they were not suited to the Work.
The work is therapy dog work. I am trained and registered through the Delta Society http://www.deltasociety.org/ . It takes a very special dog to be solid enough, willing enough, and friendly enough to be a Delta dog. It is not something that can be taught, though there is a lot of teaching involved. It is something in the basic temperament, the soul of the dog if you will.
This is from the time we welcomed the third canine application into our home. (I am guessing there will be some stern looks and disapproving thoughts about re-homing two dogs for “not fitting in” but it is more than that. I was not looking simply for a pet dog, a Delta dog is a working dog and need to be cut out for the job.)
July 2007
“Moon has come to live with us.
It seemed there was still something missing from our pack with River's passing and there are work situations where I fear little Journey Bug is just too much of a pushy clown.
I'm thinking that Moon might be a Border/Spaniel or some sort, or maybe Border Aussie?
She lived the first year of her life neglected: on a chain in a back yard of a small town, escaping often and going out wandering the town (finding much of her food that way). She was noticed by her soon to be foster family who saw how sweet and charming she was despite her start in life. When Moon became pregnant on her first heat, the direness of her situation became even more apparent. Her savior starting bringing her high quality food and trying to talk the owners, a somewhat clueless young couple with a baby of their own that took most of their focus, into giving Moon up for adoption into a family more able to take care of her. Which they eventually did, after Moon gave birth to four pups on the first day of spring.
The pups and Moon when to live on a sheep farm in wonderful foster-home, with other dogs, room to run and huge hearted folks. All the pups were placed. When Moon was spayed, a lump was found. The cancer was removed but it was very unusual to find cancer in that young a dog. She stayed in foster till this weekend.
I have been taking with her foster folks for many weeks. She seemed like such a perfect dog but the cancer thing really spooked me. I spoke with my vet, had the lab tests sent to her, spoke to her some more. The only answer remains, there is no answer - only hope.
I finally shifted to wanting to meet Moon by thinking of what a short time we had with River Girl, under three years! "River of a thousand days", well 1015 anyhow. She was such a blessing to us and to so many others! I came to the thought that even had I known she would have only been in our world so such a short time I would I jumped at the chance to have spent that time with us.
We never know how much time we have.
So, here is Moon.”
There is a organization called Dogs Deserve Better that works with amazing heart to educate about unchaining dogs, to offer care and support to pet owners trying to take proper care of their dogs, and rescues chained-ones when they can. Please take the time to visit them at http://www.dogsdeservebetter.com/
5 comments:
Both Moon and River are lovely, I had hoped that Burley would be a good theeapy dog, but he is a bit pushy, Miss Priss is our wild child so I guess I am done with threapy dogs for this life time. The local blog covered some of the dogs deserve better stuff and I agree a chain in no place for a dog, but she does go on other peoples property and I think more good would come from getting the authorities involved, just my thought. Her heart is in the right place, but some of her techniques bothered me....
I especially enjoyed your mission statement, I want to see how neutral works in your area, sure didn't work here. Hug the Rio....
I do hear your about your concerns about some of the more radical behavior from DDB.
Their public education (including Valentine's Day cards) and offers of assistance to get fences built for those that need them, as well as their media "chain-ins" are what caught my attention.
I come from a hill-county background myself so I know all to well about being stuck in somewhat backward belief's but I honestly believe that if folks can be reached, in ways they can understand, they will do the right things. A vast majority of folks do wrong because they don't know what right is.
Hug Rio? Oooff - I wouldn't want to do and do that, not him. I could hug Moon for you. I'll throw his frisbee and give him some cheese though for you instead!
Wow, looked over my earlier post, made a few mistakes. I may not have understood what I read on the Valentines campaign. To me it seemed like " We noticed you're a jerk" I will peruse it more thoroughly. And truthfully in some rural counties the Sheriff might say " mind your own business" so I shouldn't judge til I know more. When I worked for a vet in Cental Missouri we would get dogs dumped all the time and sometimes they were not in good shape. I guess I stand by my earlier gut feeling of don't P O an owner and leave him with the dog ! When you target one person that is going to be the result. On many military bases and some community codes you cannot install a kennel, end of story. I would hope those dogs would be kept in except for walks and potty, but if some zealot goes banging on the door, the dog is going to the pound. discretion gets the job done sez Oreo
Banging on doors with hostile intent is the wrong way at it, especially when there is abuse involved and there will be no one there to protect the victim when the protester is gone.
Letters, one-on-one education in a non-threatening way (working to find ways for both parties to be heard and respected) is what my goal is. I deal with that everyday on the phones.
I may get a message, all the calls come in through a telephone-bank, with some guy cursing me out for not answering the call and letting his pet suffer but I need to call him back with as much kindness and strength as I offer any other client in need.
90 % of even these callers come around after a bit of conversation. I am not saying it doesn't rattle me, it does, but I keep breathing and move forward to the resolution we both want, getting the pet the care that they need.
There are times though when one choses for different reasons to step over the line, to defy, even to break the law. Civil disobedience comes in many different shapes and sizes, some justifiable others not so much.
Would I take an animal who was suffering to save them? Take something that is property but yet have feelings and emotions? I could be pushed there. If I were though, it would be in the full knowledge that I would have to pay the cost of my actions.
I have marched. I have been arrested. I knew why I was there and what might happen. I have seen the world change.
"And the eye's of the world are watching now..."
Certainly a very different struggle but it gives inspiration to me on some of those days when I am very low.
We are have a very interesting debate. I too have marched and have been arrested; I follow the guide of compassion closely. I draw the line at taking someones property from them. Now, in all fairness I have never been in a situation where the law did not back me up, but I have had to call the enforcing agency and the damn Mayor, but we got the animal impounded looked after and did follow through. I have been known to take pictures and document and stay on top of the abuse until help arrived and I have had threats pointed at me by a man hitting his dog over and over with a 2x4. The picture is frozen in my mind forever. The video got the dog removed, treated and 3 years for the man. We also had an abusive neighbor, who nearly killed his dog behind a 6' fence before the police arrived. I know these are tough calls. I guess so far in my experience; the cavalry had done the better job than I could have alone. When she got herself arrested she set the cause back a few years. That is the stuff that scares people off from stepping in. they just read " she tried to help a dog and got arrested" so they don't try to help... Hug Moon, cherish Rio from a distance......
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