my dogs are being abused *Updated*
This is perhaps themost painful post I will ever have to make.
My health has taken a turn for the much, much worse. I don't want to go into details, but my doctors want me hospitalized. I refused. At least, I'm refusing until the 1st when my insurance kicks in and God only knows what will happen after that. Anyways, I took an emergency leave of absence from work. All I could think of was that if I could get up to Maine to visit my dogs, everything would be better. Oh how very wrong I was.
My dad has been watching my dogs since I moved to Hartford in June. I have been able to come up three times since then, once at thanksgiving and once at Christmas. And once right now. When I came up at Thanks giving, my dogs were very underweight. I told my dad that was not okay and gave him more specific instructions on how to feed them and what weight they need to be at. So, when I got to come back up here at Christmas. They were at a good weight and I felt relieved.
I came up here the day before yesterday and my dogs are bordering emaciated. They are filthy, their nails are grown out to over and inch and caked with feces. They are kept in an eight foot my eight foot space day and night, my dad lets them out once to take them for a ten minuet walk and once to feed them. I am heart broken. Guinever and D'artagnon are like wild creatures. When i let them out of the room, they scavenge for food and don't stop moving. They fight with my dads dog and they relive themselves where ever they happen to be at themoment they need to go. They don't listen to a word I say. I have been feeding them multiple times a day, Idont want to do too much at once and make them sick. I cannot give them a bath because my dad does not have any hot water. I barely feel like I can touch them because of the condition they are in. I'm mortified.
I don't know what to do. I must do something. Please help me think of something! I posted this ad on Craigstlist: http://hartford.craigslist.org/pet/1081476419.html but I honestly do not know if it will work. I canonly afford about two hundred dollars a month at the MOST. PLUS, the dogs are in no way trained any more. IM SO SCARED. The last thing in the world I wan to do is find a new home for them, but I really do love them with all my heart and right now they are being abused, and if I love them, I will do what is best for THEM. even if that means letting them go :'( :'( :'(, I'm so so so hurt by how my father and sister have been treating them. I cannot believe it. I thought I has found a good situation for them while I worked. I never would have guessed that this would have happened. Guinevere and D'Artagnon have never been separated from one another. I'm scared that If I try to re-home them, they will be split up. I'm scared they will be adopted and then returned by some impatient [person who expects three year old dogs to be housebroken and well trained. I am so so so sad. I cant stand by and let that happen to them. Please, if anyone has ANY ideas, please let me know. At this point I would be willing to send them anywhere in the country if someone was able to offer them a good foster home. These dogs have litterally saved my life...adn now I have to rescue them again....I just dont know how I would live without them. :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
Right now my health is so precarious that I do not know what I can do. This is all just too much for me.
VHZ, I'm so sorry to hear this. I would be heartbroken if I left Scampi (my bunny) or Lucy (our family dog) with someone I trusted and something like this happened. My first though was for you to report this, since you've been there at various times and seen that they were not being taken care of, but at the same time I know this is your family and I don't know your dad's situation (ie. is he financially stable? maybe he's having a hard time?) I know there really isn't any excuse for this, though. I have never had to report someone for neglect or anything, but it sounds like if that's what you decide to do, you have substantial info to back it, and if your dogs are taken in by a rescue and/or fostered I doubt they would split them up unless it was really necessary. Since they were in your dad's care, you could still be able to get them back once you're ready, it's a tough situation & hopefully whoever helps your doggies would take that into consideration.
I don't really know what else to say, not that can make you feel better about it. <3 Take care of yourself and hopefully you'll be able to do something about your dogs.
:'( Reading your post made me cry..I'm so so sorry that this has happened to your beautiful dogs. I wish I could help, I'm sending all the good thoughts I have your way, I so so hope that someone will see your ad and step up to help you out.
Thinking of you and them.
VHZ,
I am sad at your plight and also the plight of your dogs.
At times, we need to take tough decisions in order to save lives.
Please give them in adoption to caring families.
NJA
Oh Zealia, this is such an awful thing to have happen to you and your dogs. My first thought is the same as tino_bambino's - what's your dad's situation at the moment, is there anything that could lead him to act out of charater? Secondly, I would talk to a few shelters and see what their feeling is about splitting up dogs. It may be that they are fine with rehoming as a pair. Finally, it's my sense that if they've been housetrained in the past, then retraining them will be possible with a little care. I know there'll be someone at a shelter, or someone who'll adopt them, who'll be kind-hearted enough to give them that patience and care.
Ask around a couple of places and know that you're doing the best you can for your dogs and yourself.
::puppy:
I'm so sorry. I wish there was something I could do to help....I really do.
I found a list of rescues and shelters by googling but I don't know much about any of them. Maybe you can call a few and get some leads? If you want I can call for you....but all I can find from your page is that you are in Arizona. Anyway let me know. I think a foster home is what you are looking for....
http://muttcats.com/shelters/arizona.htm
Oh Zealia! I am so, so, so, sorry that your pups are in this situation--I wish I had a magic wand to make you and them healthy and happy and all in one safe place together. Please know I am thinking of you and hoping for the best possibly out come for this situation--I'm sorry I am unable to reach out and directly help you--I really wish I could.
I love you much sweetie--you know how to get a hold of me if you need someone to talk, chat, rant, cry, or even ty a laugh with!
:)>>> :)>>>
Z, I'm so, so sorry. I really wish I had the power to do something for you and your babies.
I'm so sorry. I wish there was something I could do to help....I really do.
I found a list of rescues and shelters by googling but I don't know much about any of them. Maybe you can call a few and get some leads? If you want I can call for you....but all I can find from your page is that you are in Arizona. Anyway let me know. I think a foster home is what you are looking for....
http://muttcats.com/shelters/arizona.htm
I think Zealia's dogs are in Maine...
http://muttcats.com/shelters/maine.htm
I would start at the link above. And I am so sorry about your puppies and your health. Please keep us posted. (((Zealia)))
Zealia,
Like everyone else, I am so very sorry that you're experiencing this double/triple dose of bad health! I would recommend calling your local ASPCA/Humane Society IMMEDIATELY and ask them for advice. They would probably be willing to take your puppies from your dad's and return them to you once you've found a place for them. (They could more than likely help you in finding a foster home as well.)
Here are some links I was able to find:
www.aspca.org
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&hs=Dli&q=humane+society+maine&btnG=Search
Good luck, hang in there, and I'm pretty much house bound atm so if you need someone to talk to, I'm here!
~H
Oh Zealia! I am so dreadfully sorry to hear this. I wish you could bring them to me until your health was better! Poor pups.
I'm sorry.
I agree calling the Human Society might help. Hang in there. I wish I could take them too. :)
Okay...So, I spoke with my dad and told him flat out that I felt the dogs are being abused. I told him that I was so concerned about them that I was considering looking for a new home for them.
My dad has always been so good to animals that this was really as hock to me. Its very out of character. There are many factors that are contributing to the way they are being treated. Factors that really were not as present when I was living up here with them. One, money is a problem. I have been sending money up for food, but it is apparently not enough. Also, my dad only heats three rooms of the house (his room, my sisters room and the dogs room) so, naturally, living in Maine the house is worse than an icebox! Because it is so cold, my dad and sister avoid the whole house as much as possible and the house is in shambles. So messy and dirty.Because of how bad it is, the dogs cannot be let out into the house because there is too much for them to get into and its to cold for my dad to hang out and supervise them. The insulation in this house is so so bad that my dad just cannot see the point in attempting to heat the whole thing anymore. He wants to move desperately. Additionally, its hard to bring the dogs outside because the snow here is still quite deep. His yard is not fenced in so we set up a large kennel (about 20 feet by 20 feet and six feet tall) last summer for the dogs. However, the snow is a good three-four feet deep right there and the dogs can escape extremely easily. Its hard to walk them because the roads get icy and these are three strong dogs that can easily pull him down. (a few years ago, his husky made him slip on the ice and my dad got a concussion, which was very very scary!)My dad has also had up to ten hours of overtime every week for the past several w weeks so they have been getting less attention and my sister is unwilling to do a thing with any of the animals.
So, I spoke with him today and told him exactly how I felt about it...that i was considering finding them a new home and everything. He feels simply terrible. He keeps saying he is so overwhelmed by the condition of the house and all this stuff...However, he feels sure things will be better in less than a month when spring arrives because it will be warm enough to do things outside of his bedroom. He is also hoping to move by summer, but who know if that will happen. I told him I was not comfortable leaving the dogs knowing they are in this situation....He really does not want to see me lose the dogs and is willing to try different things. For one thing, I am going to send more money for dog food. We spoke with his fiance and she is going to bring her scale over every few weeks and they are going to weigh the dogs and get them to their right weight and keep them there. My dad is going to start taking them on a ride in the back of his truck everyday to give them fresh air (I know this is neither exercise or a chance to relieve themselves but at least it gets them out of that room!) And now that the roads are not quite so icy, he is going to try to take them on longer walks. My dad is extremely concerned that my worry for the dogs is not going to make my health worse (it probably is.) and that he is even more concerned about what would happen to me if I had to get them a new home (I probably would get very, very sick). He says hes willing to try harder and just push through till next month when most of the snow and cold are gone. He does clean out their doggy room twice a day.
I don't know...I have to go back to Hartford tomorrow morning. I don't know what to do. I'm scared that if I'm not here to watch that these things are happening, that they will not happen. I feel extremely guilty. There are no easy answers here. Right now I'm thinking I will keep looking for a foster home. I will look at those sites you guys gave me links to an hopefully they can help me. I'm definitely coming back up here in a month if I have not found a foster home to check on how they are doing. I still don't know if this is enough. :'(
Zealia,
First off ;)b ;)b ;)b, for being able to go and talk to your father so up front about the situation. I know how such things are difficult. Also, like you predicted, it IS a tricky situation. Does your dad have any neighbor kids around that like animals? Would it be possible to shell out $5 or so a few times a week for said kid to simply spend time w/ them (walking/playing/brushing/nail clipping)? Just thoughts.
Or adults that like to walk with dogs? I used to borrow my neighbors dog for a walk. I got a dog companion and the dog got exercise. If they're misbehaving, would they be safe around kids?
I would let you bring the dogs over here to my place.
Only problem is I am like 3 hours from Hartford over here in PA.
Little hard to visit them when that far.
Sure hope you do not have to make the hard decision to give them up.
Good luck
I admire that you were able to talk to your dad about this...I don't know if I'd be able to do so in a calm civilized way but it sounds like you have. If you feel more comfortable with the dogs going to a temporary foster home, go for it. It sounds like your dad isn't really able to help what's going on, (although it would still seem suspicious to me if his own dog was in good shape and yours weren't, especially if you've been sending money). Still it's obvious that he feels bad. :( good luck with everything!!!
I'm sure my opinion is affected by my job, but I don't think your father feels bad that he was mistreating your babies. I think he feels bad that he was called out on it. It's easy to tell someone what they want to hear, especially if that person won't be around to witness action or inaction. I'd take Joe up on his offer. There, you know they'd be treated well. And if you eventually did place them with another family and Joe helped, you know you'd have someone on your side who was as strong an advocate for your dogs as you are.
What a rotten time for all of this to happen.
My Heart goes out to these dogs too!!
I dunno how can people be so cruel. :'(
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u3zsBZ5sv4&feature=dir
NJA
I would let you bring the dogs over here to my place.
Only problem is I am like 3 hours from Hartford over here in PA.
Little hard to visit them when that far.
Sure hope you do not have to make the hard decision to give them up.
Good luck
If you are serious, I think I might take you up on this. My dogs currently live a little over 4 hours away from me.The trouble with you living so far is I obviously would not be able to come very often (maybe twice a month?) and that would leave a lot of the care in your hands. i don't know if that is something you could be okay with. Please email me at eval(unescape('%64%6f%63%75%6d%65%6e%74%2e%77%72%69%74%65%28%27%3c%61%20%68%72%65%66%3d%22%6d%61%69%6c%74%6f%3a%73%69%6c%6c%79%7a%65%61%6c%79%40%79%61%68%6f%6f%2e%63%6f%6d%22%3e%73%69%6c%6c%79%7a%65%61%6c%79%40%79%61%68%6f%6f%2e%63%6f%6d%3c%2f%61%3e%27%29%3b')), and we can talk, thank you!
Thanks guys for all the input. I think my dad feels legitimately bad about how he has been treating them, but I also think that he is treating them that way because he is overwhelmed. His dog is in similar shape to my dogs, although not as underweight (I don't believe that is because he feeds the husky more, rather that his husky has a naturally lower body weight. PLUS, my dogs are allergic to corn---it goes right through them. They are used to being fed a highquality diet but I have not been able to afford that lately :-\ So what food they are getting probably is not being as useful to their bodies as it is to another. I really want to get them back on the food they did soooo well on and I think I will ASAP, I had them on AvoDerm Vegetarian.) I think that three large dogs is just too overwhelming to my father. I know once my dogs are out of there, he will take better care of his husky. The husky is allwed in my dads bedroom because he gets along with the cats. My dogs were not socialized with the cat so they do not get along with her (they were socialized with my chickens though and so I know they COULD be socialized with a cat) So Timber would get to sleep in my dads room at night and get out of the "doggy room." I dunno....it just was not like this when I was staying up there with my dad, but then, I was doing most all the animal care. :-\
Ohmygoodness, Zealia, I am so saddened to hear about Your doggies. :'(
You must know that this is NOT Your fault, and even if Your dad feels genuinely bad about it, he needs to assume some responsibility. If You need to be hospitalized or go somewhere to take care of Your health, please do....You can do whatever You can to arrange for a better life for these precious dogs, but You might not be able to be there to oversee everything. Again, it's not Your fault, and there's only so much that You can do, especially with a health condition that warrants hospitalization.
I can't think of any practical advice at this time...maybe because I'm so shaken up and nauseated to read about what's happened.....but I do hope that You and Your dad can take care of things.
Most of all, You need to be healthy ...You won't be able to take proper care of them, either, if You're not well enough. Please take care, hon.
(((Zealia)))
Pages