On Sunday, Andrew and I helped to move a dog. One of the wonders of the internet is that it facilitates the many networks of volunteers who are involved in things like transport, homechecks and so on - all the activities that keep rescues running. One of the rescues I volunteer for is Evesham Greyhound and Lurcher Rescue. A boarding kennel they use is north of Cardiff so they often need help in moving dogs onwards into foster care or for adoption.
I saw a post on Facebook asking for help with this particular dog, and let the organiser know we could help. Accordingly on Sunday we went up to the kennels, had a nice chat with the lovely lady who runs it and picked up Meg. Meg is a gorgeous dog probably aged about 5 -6. She had been found as a stray, dumped, and taken to a pound where she had seven days before she faced the needle. Fortunately she, along with some other lurchers was removed to the kennels and now had found safety.
The reason for her abandonment became clear after we met her. On the front of her chest was a large lump, biopsied and now found to be cancerous. Moving her was urgent as this would allow her to be placed in a foster home, from where she could have emergency vet treatment to remove the lump and then convalesce in a home environment.
Although she had previously been a working dog, like most pointies she was a joy to handle. Relaxed and friendly, she greeted us beautifully and we were both smitten by her gorgeous fawn colouring (so like our darling Boola) and the most stunning dark eyes. She travelled beautifully and it was a calm, sunny day as we headed off to Monmouth. This is where we would meet the next volunteer who would transport her the last lap of her journey to her new foster home. I took a picture of her in the car with my phone (see above).
The journey went well and we soon arrived at the service station for the handover. Meg was glad to stretch her legs and easily settled into the next vehicle. Then we waved goodbye to her and drove home, still with her blonde hairs stuck to my trousers.
She had her operation on Tuesday, along with her spay and a dental, and the latest I've seen is that she is continuing to recover and had her first short walk today. When she is feeling better, someone will be able to adopt the most gorgeous dog with the sweetest temperament. If any of my readers are on Facebook, you can follow her progress on EGLR's Facebook page, where there are regular updates on her and several other foster hounds.
I mention this incident as really it's not terribly newsworthy ( dog goes for car ride in a nutshell) but is one that I've been thinking about a great deal this week. In particular, it's very difficult for me to understand the person who simply dumped her rather than pay for vet treatment ( or indeed seek help and free vet treatment). Doing rescue work is always hard because you see innocent animals bearing the consequences of human choices. So much of what I see is rarely deliberate cruelty (though of course that does exist) but a sort of toxic combination of laziness, ignorance and unwillingness to spend money.
Especially as it's Lent, I've been reflecting a lot on this - how much of the evil in the world is created and sustained by these chains of inactivity and a horrible narrowness of vision - either being unwilling or unable to envisage or accept the consequences for others of an individual's choices. This applies whether it's dumping piles of rubbish in a back lane or abandoning a sick dog.
It also occurred to me that much of my adult life has in various ways been about clearing up the mess others leave behind, and this in turn brings with it its own choices and dilemmas.
