Written by: Sue Bagley, Dog Adoption Coordinator
Some days your heart feels broken, your spirit crushed and your faith in the world lost. But the company of a dog will repair and restore you – every time. With the daily grind of work, bills and other constant day to day worries, humans can quickly run out of love. Dogs, on the other hand, forgive and love unconditionally, regardless of what they have gone through. They revel in affection and friendship and seek to bring out the love in humans. This is what I love most about working at Pets Alive. Everyday we see incredible transformations and the power of love.
ALFRED
This poor fella was picked up as a stray. His skin crusty. His fur sparse. His very body thin. It was obvious that no one had cared for him in a very long time. We named him Alfred. We think he is about 4-5 yrs old. Along with a horrible c
ase of alopecia, this piteous looking fella was covered in fleas which, as you can imagine, is incredibly uncomfortable. Alfred was immediately bathed with a medicated shampoo and he actually seemed to enjoy the warm water running over his body! He was a happy guy despite being so neglected in his life up until this point. Alfred is currently on medication for his skin, still appreciating his regular baths, and we are seeing steady improvement in his condition. Once he is feeling a bit better, he will be neutered and will then be ready to find his forever family. He can’t wait!
OSCAR
Then we have this sweet boy named Oscar, who was used as a bait dog in an illegal dogfighting ring. His wounds are already somewhat healed in these pictures, which show just a glimpse into the life of horror these dogs endure. When he was seized and rescued by Animal Control officers, his face was infected and swollen from wounds which had been stapled shut by his owners after suffering through being used as living bait. He lived in horror and filth – in a crate with feces, blood and urine soaked newspapers stuffed into the bottom to absorb some of it. We don’t even want to imagine the grisly life this boy would have continued to endure had he not been saved. We thank the Animal Control officers who take this crime seriously and try to put an end to it. Oscar is now thriving in our care, learning good doggie manners and getting a whole lotta lovin’!
ROMEO
Romeo was lucky to survive. He almost died all alone on the streets, thrown out by his “family” – the people who should have loved him. As a puppy, his owners had placed a harness on him, but then never removed it. As he grew, the harness became embedded into his skin. At some point, they finally decided it should come off, and attempt
ed to remove it by pulling it out of poor Romeo’s skin. Romeo of course started to bleed terribly and was then thrown out into the street, where he was left to die alone. A passerby who saw this lethargic dog lying in a pool of blood called Animal control. Luckily for this little lovebug, someone finally cared. Someone who didn’t even know him cared him more about him than his owners did! Romeo is now an energetic bundle of fun and can’t wait to have a family to show him how great life can be!
These three dogs, and the many others we have the privilege of caring for and loving, teach us that you can heal, you can still give and receive love no matter the nightmares you’ve lived through in the past. While they heal and wait for their forever families, they give us hope and keep us going on the days when we sometimes feel like giving up. We look at their sweet faces and help them trust again. It’s easy for us to see how forgiving and full of love they are. We have learned something from each of them. Eventually, that wonderful day comes when we wish them well as they go home with their forever family. We always look forward to the update photos we will receive, and we smile.
Interested in adopting or learning more about Alfred, Oscar or Romeo email us at adoptions@petsalive.com