Mercy! Mercy! That Dang Nabed PERCY!

What would I change?

What would I change?

I suppose I should choose some macro concept, like End War, or discover a cure for some debilitating disease. My response however, is to consider trying to change something my wife and I have some control over…. not much, but something we can try and do something about. This is a gut-wrenching topic to me so if your life is dreary enough already don’t read on any further.

I live on my old family farm homestead. It is only ten acres but nestled out among the potato fields, surrounded by bluffs. It is a common practice that when somebody wants to get rid of a pet they drive out into the country, let them out and drive off. I always assume the best about such people. Maybe they have to move to get a new job, maybe they’re afraid if they take the pet to a shelter it will get put down or maybe the dog or cat will find a new home in the country with a loving owner. This blog today is not about the people who toss a pet out on a deserted country road but rather how a local somebody deals with it.

For Linda and I, we learned about the practice when a large black cat showed up, taking residence in the equipment shed next to the old granary. It was the dead of the winter and I took to feeding her. In the spring two kittens crawled out and we took the whole lot to get neutered.

Even worse is what happens to a dog. They tend to hang out along side the road waiting for their owners to come back. The have this forlorn and wistful look, convinced that if they wait long enough the family who abandoned them will drive up, open the door and their life will return to normal. Usually these dogs get reported and the animal welfare people (Dog Pound) send someone out to get it.

However if the animal has been abused, they are very suspicious of strangers. This is the case with the black lab that is roaming around now. He/She frequents a mile square of farmland bordered by paved roads. We first saw the lab out in a field where a deer carcass had been dragged and was out there with a couple of bald eagles. Later on I saw the dog cross the road and go into a stand of trees. Whenever I try and approach, the poor creature takes off running in the opposite direction. With a foot of snow on the ground and dropping temperatures it is only a matter of time before he perishes. Linda and I have taken to dropping off a food dish whenever we see him. I whistle, put the container on the ground and we drive off. Something is eating the contents… I hope it’s the Lab.

So if I could change anything it would be for that dog to show some trust and let us give it a new home. Dogs have an enormous capacity for love and seeing this K-9 waiting patiently along side the road… really gets to me.