The Joys & Heartbreak of Rescue Part 2 – The Great Dane Females The two female Danes lay crumpled on top of each other for days. There was no moving them, as they were wild with fear; their eyes would widen and dart back and forth with every step I would take. They would defecate and urinate on each other in one big cluster. Ever so slowly, I would have to inch toward them with a bucket of soapy warm water to wipe them down. I was taking a huge risk of being bitten with each wipe. The door of their kennel was always open to encourage them to move about freely. It was only in the dead of night that they would eat and drink. Every day was a chore to wipe them clean, and change the blankets they were sleeping on. When they did stand as I slowly pulled the blankets from underneath them, they would frantically circle around and around the kennel crashing into each other, me and the walls. These were feral dogs, born and raised in a barn for one purpose - to breed. They are not pets, they had never had a human hand touch them in a loving way. These are the Momma’s of those puppies in the pet store. People often tell me they “rescued” that poor sweet puppy from the pet store. What they don’t understand is they are keeping these puppy mills in business with each pup sold in the pet store. They didn’t rescue that puppy from the pet store, they contributed to the nasty business of our local puppy mills right here in Ontario. It is the basics of economics - supply and demand. Each puppy sold and the Momma’s like these two Danes have to produce another litter. I named these two female Danes Shay and Shand. As long as I did not make eye contact with them and moved ever so slowly, I was able to circumvent a bite. Weeks and weeks passed with only slight improvement. The girls eventually got used to the routine of me changing their blankets and cleaning their kennel. Each time their kennel was cleaned and they had fresh blankets, they would collapse onto each other in a heap once again. Shay, would sway her head and shoulders back and forth for hours on end. Shand, would stare blankly at the wall, her face mere inches away. Weeks turned into months with still no improvement. They refused to leave their “safe spot” which was their kennel, even though they had freedom at all times to do so. Many many nights I sat on the floor watching them and stroking them. There was nothing a human hand could do to comfort them. They were alive but they were not living. They were alive but their minds had slipped away. After 4 months of watching these beautiful girls emotionally drained, I made the call to my vet. There was no way they would let a stranger enter their kennel, so we needed to implement a plan to make the task as stress free and calm as possible. I placed a towel over each of their heads as they lay crumpled on the floor, and without uttering a peep, Ken my vet and Katie the vet tech slipped into the facility and tip toed into the kennel. You could hear a pin drop. They raised up their heads, their noses sniffing the air - they smelled strangers. Katie and I stoked their shoulders while Ken gave them each a sedative injection. Ken, slipped out of the kennel and Katie followed. No words, no sounds. I took the towel off their faces and continued to stroke them until the sedative took effect. Within 10-15 minutes they were asleep. It was the first time I had seen Shay and Shand at peace. The only sound was their slow rhythmic breathing. They lay on top of each other but stretched out comfortably, with Shay’s upper body drapped over Shand. It was time. Ken and Katie slipped quietly back into the kennel. As Ken slipped the first needle into Shay’s forearm, the sadness in the room was overwhelming. No one spoke a word. Katie and I continued to stroke them while Ken slipped the needle into Shand’s forearm. It was all over. Ken and Katie quietly left, still no words. As I sat there on the floor with these two beautiful Great Danes, I couldn’t help but ask myself; where are our Politicians, MPP’s, Councillor Members, Townships and the OSPCA? They certainly are not here, yet it is these people who have failed these dogs, and hundreds like them. Kimberly Thomas Kismutt Rescue
Posted on: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 17:55:52 +0000
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