Death of an Abandoned Dog

The Sweeper

Different country, pertinent sentiment.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/opinion/death-of-an-abandoned-dog/story-e6frerdf-1226159536801?sv=f486076e7f47f1e7885514613e0eb82

TO THE driver of the sedan: I thought you might be interested to know the outcome of your actions at 7pm last Sunday.

Needless to say, while you thought what you were doing affected only you and your dog, the after-effects continue to reverberate in waves of sadness, grief and shock for many of us.


My learner-driver daughter saw you push your dog from your car, pulled over on the side of Eumundi-Noosa Road. You probably thought no one would notice. I only wish I had thought to notice more and take down your licence details.


But we all saw you pull out in front of us without indicating and leave your bewildered, frightened dog in the half light in an unfamiliar place.


It was at my 17-year-old daughter's request that we turned around a moment later, to see if we could help your dog, to keep him safe, to let him know not all humans are as cold and heartless as you had just shown yourself to be.



We pulled to the side of the road near your frantic pet.


My husband, daughter and I all got out of the car, torch in hand, calling to your terrified, beautiful dog as it weaved and ran in the direction that your tail lights had taken. A dog's love is as unconditional as it is sometimes misplaced, it seems.


My daughter and husband were right there when your dog ran in front of a car, driven by a young man. He became another unwilling victim of your dreadful act.


My animal-loving daughter's heart broke as she heard two bangs and a whimper - the sounds of your dog's death. She will never forget that and I know that a part of her will never be the same.


Are you starting to see the ripple effect now?


Can you see that your decision to dump a living creature on the side of the road hurt more than just him?


I can't pretend to know what would make a person do something so cruel as to dump a pet.


Maybe your dog was too demanding or too much responsibility. Maybe you just got sick of him.


But to leave him alone in the dark, in a strange place where cars fly by at 80km/h, is inhuman, illogical and callous. It could only have ended in tears.


We didn't know your healthy-looking, beautiful dog. But we are traumatised at his loss. My daughter and I have cried buckets for this creature and the way he died.


I witnessed the five minutes he lived after you drove away. I saw him running, scared. I arrived as he lay dying on the roadside and I was with him, patting him, as he died.


That he did not die alone is small consolation. At the end, at least he knew the love of a caring human's touch.


My husband's hands were covered in your beautiful dog's blood as he carried him off the road so that at least he would not suffer the indignity of being hit by more cars and so more drivers would not be traumatised by running over his corpse.


The young man whose car hit your dog was shattered. Unlike you, he had no choice in the situation in which he was placed. He said he had two border collies at home and his emotional distress at taking a life so similar to his beloved pets was palpable.


Another young driver pulled over to see if he could help. He was with your dog, too, when he breathed his last. He was kind to him, there in the dark. He was supportive and tender.


The kindness of these two men is a silent reminder that for every person like you, there are more like them.


Are you getting it? Do you see how much trauma dumping your sentient, human-centred possession caused?


Humans have an extraordinary relationship with dogs - closer than with any other animal. But while we "own" them, they are not like other things we own.


The rule is that they must be loved. They must be cared for. You can't just throw them out, like a fast food wrapper from your car window. You broke that rule and we all paid.


If you really had to dispose of your pet, you could have waited until the morning, when the RSPCA shelter just up the road was open. At least they could have had the chance to try to find him a new home. At least they could have offered him some care and affection. At least he might have had a chance to live.


Maybe you did not deserve to have such a beautiful dog in the first place, but he certainly did not deserve what you did to him.
I have to wonder which one is more of an animal.

star-pants

Gosh, I'm honestly trying not to sob in work, that is so incredibly sad.

Not just this story, but I will never EVER in my life understand how anyone can be so cruel. NEVER.

MaryK666

I'm with star-pants on that one. Reading this at work is not a good idea as I'm sitting here sniffing and trying not to bawl.

People can be so heartless and cruel sometimes.

dudara

I am truly sorry to read of any dog's death in such manner, but that piece of writing is so OTT and stupidly melodramatic that it works against the underlying message.

westies4ever

so so sad

The Sweeper

dudara wrote: »

I am truly sorry to read of any dog's death in such manner, but that piece of writing is so OTT and stupidly melodramatic that it works against the underlying message.

Wow.

Should I respond to the Courier Mail with a letter to the editor that simply says 'Harden the fuck up, princess' so?

shinners007

How do people actually do that its so cruel.

Smeefa

dudara wrote: »

I am truly sorry to read of any dog's death in such manner, but that piece of writing is so OTT and stupidly melodramatic that it works against the underlying message.

If I ran over a dog it would haunt me forever.

I still remember seeing a dog run in front of a car and get hit on my road as a kid. I really don't think the article is melodramatic at all.
I can still remember the driver as tears streamed down her face after picking up the springer spaniel and placing him on the path. I remember the owner being called and arriving, picking up his body, hugging him and placing him carefully in the back seat. An old man unable to speak with grief. The poor driver crying on a helpful stranger's shoulder as the old man drove home.

Seeing something like that really sticks with you.
And seeing someone purposely place an animal in that situation would really really upset me

Killme00

dudara wrote: »

but that piece of writing is so OTT and stupidly melodramatic that it works against the underlying message.

Very much agree. Most people wont understand why.

pokertalk

v sad and happens all to much.i think it was well written

barbiegirl

Knowing our little Fargo was dumped just like this at only 6 weeks, this brings me so close to crying.
Some people are heartless, but those of us who do have hearts realise the truth in the sentiment.

dudara

Smeefa wrote: »

If I ran over a dog it would haunt me forever.

I still remember seeing a dog run in front of a car and get hit on my road as a kid. I really don't think the article is melodramatic at all.
I can still remember the driver as tears streamed down her face after picking up the springer spaniel and placing him on the path. I remember the owner being called and arriving, picking up his body, hugging him and placing him carefully in the back seat. An old man unable to speak with grief. The poor driver crying on a helpful stranger's shoulder as the old man drove home.

Seeing something like that really sticks with you.
And seeing someone purposely place an animal in that situation would really really upset me

And I grew up on a farm surrounded by dogs. Until I left home to go to university, I probably lived with and loved over 20 dogs in my lifetime, not to mention the same amount of cats.

As I said, I am truly sorry at the dog's death, and I absolutely abhor the mistreatment of animals.

My complaint lies with the writing style which is melodramatic and OTT. Clean factual writing would actually make this a stronger letter.

Cherry Blossom

I think the thing that irks people about this type of writing is that it upsets people who are already upset by these sort of actions. To the very people it's supposed to target though it comes across as whingy and preachy and yes OTT. So while it may well be an accurate description and expression of the writers feelings on the subject, there is so much of this type of stuff out there already - thanks to facebook, that it does just wash over people after a while and yes, this means the message does get completely lost on the very people that need to be taking heed of it, if for no other reason than because they don't relate to it. I seem to have become pretty immune to this style of writing just through having read so much of it.

For me you don't get any more hard hitting than the ad that shows a child living in a cardboard box and then shows a puppy in the same situation, this makes people think about it more (I think), and if little old de-sensitised me can see the value in it, others can too.

I might be taking this somewhere this thread isn't designed to go though, so I'll stop there.

DailyBlaa

That is the problem with humanity we had a great capacity for good but in equal measure we have a great capacity for evil. It never fails to amaze how cruel the world can be sometimes.

The Sweeper

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

For me you don't get any more hard hitting than the ad that shows a child living in a cardboard box and then shows a puppy in the same situation, this makes people think about it more (I think), and if little old de-sensitised me can see the value in it, others can too.

Interesting assumption. An image of a child wouldn't move me in that way at all when it comes to animals. I think equating children with animals would put a lot of people off, because of the whole 'superiority of humans' belief.

I liked how the letter linked consequences to actions, and completely understood the emotive angle - because it's an emotionally charged incident. I also liked how it pointed out that when you hurt an animal you can hurt people, too. Also I reckon if anyone was thinking 'if I stray my dog on the side of the road, someone will rescue him' before that letter, they wouldn't be after.