- Joined
- Jan 11, 2005
- Messages
- 6,394
- Purraise
- 17
Last night I was out with some friends and Max having a few drinks as Max's best friend is in town from Melbourne. I'm still a bit sick so I was sitting there in the cold thinking I wish we could go home (lol) and I looked over my shoulder and in the car park behind the pub I saw this big, big dog, scavenging for food. We were too far away to tell if it was a stray or had just got out, so Max and I went over to investigate.
He was a big boy - looked like an American staffie/mastiff cross, white with brown patches, intact and no collar, and was scavenging in a pretty expert way so we were sure he was a stray. As you can never be certain that dogs won't be aggressive, we watched from afar, and called him once, and he just turned and gave us this look, so we decided not to get any closer.
We called the ranger who said he'd be on his way, but the dog was wandering and we thought we'd better keep him there. We ducked into the shop at the same carpark and bought a bag of dog food. When we came out he'd gone. We looked around for about 10 minutes and thought he'd just left his hunting ground, so we went back to our table and told our friends what had happened (all animal lovers too so no-one thought we were strange for dumping a bag of dog food on the table and picking up our beers...lol)
Well, a few minutes later he was back, so we took the food and went back over. He came straight to us, and, oh my what a sight. His eyes were lovely, one blue, one dark brown, but it was hard to tell as they were rheumy and infected - weeping and they looked sore. We put some food on the ground and he ate it up, and while he was eating I got a good look over him. It was hard to see how underweight he was as he was so big, but he was definitely underweight, fleas, ticks and a distended belly, weepy eyes and his tail planted firmly between his legs, curling up under his belly. After a while he lost his trust and trotted off, and we'd already called the ranger again who said he couldn't give us a time frame and would get there when he could.
Well, we tried for another 15 minutes or so to keep the dog with us. But he didn't want any more food and his courage gave out, and he trotted down a lane behind some houses. A number of cars had had to stop suddenly to avoid hitting him in the car park, and you could tell he was getting anxious about Max and my attentions, so we had to leave him. I drove down the alley as far as I could go, because we were going to try to get him in the car and take him to the ranger, but he was gone and we couldn't find him. We left and went home, I was in tears the whole way.
Such a big, sad, beautiful, sick boy. His poor weepy eyes and his timid tail, he was hungry and thirsty and miserable, and it made me burn for people and their neglect and cruelty. Five minutes after we left the ranger called and said he was there and he couldn't find the dog. I phoned this morning and they never did find him.
It was cold last night. And dark. And that poor dog had no one to love him and nothing to do except wander the streets in fear and hunger. I haven't stopped thinking about him and I cried for hours. Max said to me, `Sweetie, you can't save the world'. And I said, `I don't want to save the world. I just wanted to save that dog'.
I hope that he does get taken in by the ranger, and get his eyes treated and some love and that he finds a home. He was so big and so mistrusting, but not a single growl or hackle or any sign of aggression was in him. He just wanted some food and warm place to sleep. It broke my heart. I know everyone here will say a prayer for me for that beautiful big boy, who I will always think of as `Ghost'.
I hope wherever you are, Ghost, you are safe, big sweet boy.
He was a big boy - looked like an American staffie/mastiff cross, white with brown patches, intact and no collar, and was scavenging in a pretty expert way so we were sure he was a stray. As you can never be certain that dogs won't be aggressive, we watched from afar, and called him once, and he just turned and gave us this look, so we decided not to get any closer.
We called the ranger who said he'd be on his way, but the dog was wandering and we thought we'd better keep him there. We ducked into the shop at the same carpark and bought a bag of dog food. When we came out he'd gone. We looked around for about 10 minutes and thought he'd just left his hunting ground, so we went back to our table and told our friends what had happened (all animal lovers too so no-one thought we were strange for dumping a bag of dog food on the table and picking up our beers...lol)
Well, a few minutes later he was back, so we took the food and went back over. He came straight to us, and, oh my what a sight. His eyes were lovely, one blue, one dark brown, but it was hard to tell as they were rheumy and infected - weeping and they looked sore. We put some food on the ground and he ate it up, and while he was eating I got a good look over him. It was hard to see how underweight he was as he was so big, but he was definitely underweight, fleas, ticks and a distended belly, weepy eyes and his tail planted firmly between his legs, curling up under his belly. After a while he lost his trust and trotted off, and we'd already called the ranger again who said he couldn't give us a time frame and would get there when he could.
Well, we tried for another 15 minutes or so to keep the dog with us. But he didn't want any more food and his courage gave out, and he trotted down a lane behind some houses. A number of cars had had to stop suddenly to avoid hitting him in the car park, and you could tell he was getting anxious about Max and my attentions, so we had to leave him. I drove down the alley as far as I could go, because we were going to try to get him in the car and take him to the ranger, but he was gone and we couldn't find him. We left and went home, I was in tears the whole way.
Such a big, sad, beautiful, sick boy. His poor weepy eyes and his timid tail, he was hungry and thirsty and miserable, and it made me burn for people and their neglect and cruelty. Five minutes after we left the ranger called and said he was there and he couldn't find the dog. I phoned this morning and they never did find him.
It was cold last night. And dark. And that poor dog had no one to love him and nothing to do except wander the streets in fear and hunger. I haven't stopped thinking about him and I cried for hours. Max said to me, `Sweetie, you can't save the world'. And I said, `I don't want to save the world. I just wanted to save that dog'.
I hope that he does get taken in by the ranger, and get his eyes treated and some love and that he finds a home. He was so big and so mistrusting, but not a single growl or hackle or any sign of aggression was in him. He just wanted some food and warm place to sleep. It broke my heart. I know everyone here will say a prayer for me for that beautiful big boy, who I will always think of as `Ghost'.
I hope wherever you are, Ghost, you are safe, big sweet boy.
