Published: September 06, 2008 01:42 pm            

Confusion reigns when puppies are abandoned

By JOYCE McNALLY

Special to the News-Capital

Have you ever thought what it would be like to be a shelter dog? Although dogs do not think like us, it might be helpful to imagine what a dog might think if it could. Here’s a look at this from a dog’s perspective:

How did I end up in the shelter in the first place? Did I slip out a gate or under a fence, thinking I could explore that big world beyond my yard and got lost? Did I break loose of that chain because I was hungry and didn’t have food and water to help me survive? Or, could it be that my parents took me for a ride and left me beside the road?

Think about it, especially if you started your young life with what you thought would be a loving family. Oh boy, how exciting it would be. Then something changes and you wonder if you did something wrong. What happened in the process?

I’m just a puppy and I don’t understand. Why are my mommy and daddy yelling at me? And when they hit and kick me, it hurts. Maybe it’s because when my daddy brought me home, no one else lived there. We played together and I could always nuzzle under the covers and sleep on the bed. I had lots of toys and my daddy put a leash on me and we went for walks. It was neat because I had all kinds of new smells to check out.

Puppies are soft, cuddly bundles of joy who grow up to be dogs. For some, having a puppy is exciting, but when the dog grows, they lose interest.

Then, another person came to live with us. I figured out that this must be my mommy. I thought she was really nice because she let me cuddle in her lap and she always petted me. One day that changed. She started pushing me away and wouldn’t let me lay in her lap anymore. Is it because I’m getting bigger? I run to greet her when she comes in the door but she pushes me aside with her foot. My daddy has changed also. He doesn’t let me sleep on the bed anymore and he hasn’t taken me for a walk in a very long time.

Dogs sense our emotions and know when they’re not wanted. Often, they will hide if they feel threatened or unwanted.

They don’t love me anymore and I wish I knew why. I must have done something really bad. I found a little place to hide and that’s where I spend most of my time. This morning I heard them talking and they kept looking at me. Daddy had the leash in his hand, so I thought we were going for a walk. Well, it was a very short one. He put me in the truck and then mommy came with us and we went for a ride.

For some dogs, a shelter is where they end up when owners decide they don’t want them anymore.

What is this place? I hear other dogs barking. Maybe I’m getting a brother or sister to play with. Wait a minute! What’s happening? Where did my mommy and daddy go? Someone put me in this big cage and closed the door. I can see the other dogs, but I can’t run over and say hi. Man oh man, I’m so scared!

What do you think happened to this dog? At least this family brought it to the shelter and didn’t just leave it on the side of the road. Will you be the next person to fall in love with this puppy and take it home?

The Pittsburg County Shelter is located at 1206 N. West St. in McAlester. The hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. until noon. The phone number is 423-7803. The adoption fee is $50 and the animal will be spayed or neutered before leaving the shelter.

If you need your pet spayed or neutered and need financial assistance, call PAWS Connection at 470-7297 to see if you qualify.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.