Three years ago Cookie and I went to our local Shelter and adopted a puppy. This is her:
Her name was Dalek.
And like most shelter pets, her past and parentage was unknown to us. As she grew it became apparent that our puppy was part Pit Bull- A breed with a nasty reputation. When we finally had to register her with our apartment complex we lied through our teeth and used her coloring to claim that she was a Boxer mix (also a large breed with plenty of teeth, but one that doesn't have the stigma Pit's do). Our apartment complex had a policy that banned Pit Bull dogs because of how "vicious" they are.
The problem with that stereotype? It's just not true. Dalek spent the better part of her days pinned under my eldest twin being "cuddled" (he loved her so much). She was constantly being tugged on, jumped on, petted, poked, and loved in a way that seems specific to very small children- A not very gentle sort of love. Dalek, of the vicious heritage, was actually better with the kids than her puppy-brother Skip who was a Labrador mix (one of the family friendliest dogs available).
She never once growled, showed her teeth, or made any aggressive move towards him or anybody else who wanted to be her friend. Even her stuffed toys suffered no more than a severe licking and cuddling- Dalek was a dog made for loving.
So maybe this is why the story of Puppy Doe feels so close to home- Like Kiya's owner I also had to make a choice because of my dog's breed. Someone complained about our Pit Bull and the apartment complex sent us a letter. I tried to talk to my apartment managers, I let them meet my dog and showed them how gentle she was with my kids. I told them that my dog was never off leash and never out of control... It didn't matter though, policy is policy.
We had a month to move or re-home Dalek.
Like most people, we couldn't just pack up and go so we tried to re-home her. We called all of our friends and family, but nobody could take her. We contacted every rescue in the area, but because so many other people were trying to find homes for their pets because of the economy, they couldn't help us. I asked my ex co-workers at Animal Control if they could keep her on indefinitely if we paid for her food and lodging, but they had policy too and couldn't help beyond offing us contacts we'd already tried. We asked veterinary clinics for help, asked our friends and family again... But in the end we were left with two choices-
Craigslist or euthanasia.
The day after this picture was taken I took my puppy to her veterinarian and I had to explain why a healthy, sweet, gentle, loving, and much-loved pet needed to be put to sleep. I held her until she was gone, and I had the hardest time letting her go. The vet techs tried to console me, they told me that I wasn't the only person who had chosen a kind death over an uncertain fate for a beloved pet. They told me a story about a man who had given his lab to what he thought was a loving family, only to have a rescue call him months later because they'd found his microchipped dog being used as a bait dog in a fighting ring.
They told me that I did the right thing, but I didn't believe them. Somehow I should have been able to do more, I should have been able to save her.
So when I read the Story of Puppy Doe and her journey from being a well-loved pet to the pain and suffering she had to endure until she felt a kind hand again and found mercy... I think about how her person must have felt being forced to give her up and how she must have felt learning about her Kiya's sad end.
I think about Dalek.
And I think about a policy that has absolutely no effect on public safety and forces people to chose between an uncertain fate or the certainty of death for a pet who has done no wrong, except to have been born the wrong breed. I think about predators who prey on desperate people who are just trying to do the right thing by finding their pet what they suspect will be a good home, only to take that pet and abuse it.
I think about Holly, the adult dog we adopted last year, and I wonder when someone is going to look at our newest family member and cry wolf.
The only thing it accomplishes is punishing good dogs and their owners for a false perception of what constitutes a dangerous dog.
It forces people to choose between an end they are sure of or an uncertain future for a pet who is, for most people, part of their family.
It takes a loving animal and turn it into an outlaw.
BSL need to go.
But until that happens, if you can take in a pet in need for a friend or family member- Please do it. Do it for Kiya who met such an awful end, do it for Dalek who would still be alive if only one person had said, "I can save her."
Do it, because yesterday it was our dogs- Tomorrow it might be yours, and you'd want someone to save your dog if they could.
