The names in this column are fictional, but the story, sadly, is all too real.
On Christmas morning, 2021, the Calvin twins were thrilled to open a large box in which an adorable spaniel puppy with a beautiful shiny plaid holiday collar had been waiting to meet them.
The kids rolled around the floor, squeaking toys and playing fetch with the cute little brown and white fluff ball they named “Chewy.”
The twins opened their other presents from Santa, but didn’t seem to notice that someone, who’d been part of the family for the first nine years of their young lives was not part of the morning celebration.
In past years, they’d filled a stocking with dog treats and anxiously waited to see if Elvis would like his new red collar, and squeaky elephant toy.
They had pushed past the notion that Elvis “ran away” on Wednesday and hadn’t come back.
What they didn’t know was that while they were in school, mommy had taken a very happy 9-year-old Elvis for a ride in the car — always one of his favorite things — and drove him to the local Animal Shelter.
He looked up adoringly at “mom” while she told the lady behind the counter that she was surrendering him. She then handed his leash to the lady and walked out the door without even saying goodbye.
The lady brought Elvis into a back room with a long hallway and a dozen cages filled with barking dogs. An hour ago Elvis got off of his comfortable plush bed to go for a ride with mom, and now he was being locked inside a kennel with nothing but a raised canvas bed and two bowls, one for water and the other for food.
Elvis came to mom’s family as a puppy, he grew up with the twins played with them, protected them and he was a good boy. When was mom coming back?
Elvis is not the only beloved house pet who was discarded this week to make room for a younger dog. A total of six people approached the animal control officer to surrender their once-loved dogs on Wednesday.
Elvis is not the only sad and confused family member to leave the comfort of a warm home and comfortable bed for a jail cell. Their only crime was getting older.
Here is a heartbreaking video of AJ, a dog who cried constantly after his family left him at a shelter when they decided that they simply didn’t want him anymore.
Responsible Dog Ownership
I found my MiSun at the shelter 10 years ago after my Golden Retriever passed away.
I raised her through puppyhood and everything that this brings. I spent my life savings on veterinary bills when she contracted a deadly strain of MRSA (a Staph infection) around age 5 and never thought twice about trying to save her.
Keeping a dog properly vetted is not inexpensive. One visit to the vet could cost upwards of $500, depending on what is needed.
The cost of food, treats, licenses, collars, beds and toys add up, but add to the quality of their life.
The time you spend with your dog is important, too. Don’t get a dog if you aren’t ready to put in the time commitment to fulfill their need for play and exercise.
After MiSun turned 7, I thought she would benefit from having the company of a housemate. I found that companion in Tori, a terribly abused, possibly 2 year old new mother dog from South Korea. (MiSun is a Korean Sapsaree and the only place you can find the breed now is in their native country). She was completely vetted and spayed once I said I’d take her.
Tori was badly damaged mentally, sure she wouldn’t ever be loved, she had never been inside a house and never had a human to call her own.
She arrived in the USA via Kennedy Airport in New York in March 2019. She shied away from my hand as I tried to get her out of the car and, having never gone for a car ride in her past life, she had no idea how to jump down and act like a real dog.
It was snowing out and around 10 p.m. when I finally gained her trust and was able to pick her up (all 20-25 pounds of skin and bones) and carry her to the fenced in backyard to explore.
After about 15 minutes I opened the door for MiSun and held my breath — in 7 years no other dog had ever been in MiSun’s yard. But my good girl approached the stranger and welcomed her.
We had no issues whatsoever for more than a month until one day MiSun walked into the room while Tori was finishing her dinner (I fed them in different rooms) — Tori viciously attacked MiSun. I still had a crate set up and locked Tori inside to keep her from hurting my precious old girl again.
I knew she’d been starved, beaten and abused in many ways in her old life, and I had to find a way to stop this aggressive behavior without resorting to hitting her. Protecting MiSun and understanding Tori’s past pain were key.
I brought MiSun to the vet after two of these interactions, but after a couple of months of occasional sniping, I was able to stop it before anything happened. I learned not to scream or overreact which just added to the excitement and made things worse.
A spray bottle of water stopped her in her tracks whenever she showed signs of aggression toward her “older sister,” shaking a can full of coins also caught her attention. But touching her on her hip and distracting her before she could bite became the tried and true solution.
The girls have not had a tiff in more than a year and a half and they often sleep next to one another.
Getting older
At age 9 MiSun became a little incontinent. She’d pee a little while she was sleeping. Washable dog bed covers made it easy to deal with.
Her vet said some dog moms will put their pets to sleep at this point to protect their homes. I bought comfortable throw blankets that I put on top of her bed, and if she has an accident it can easily be tossed in the wash.
Now, at 10 years old, MiSun will still wake me up at night if she has to go out. She hasn’t messed in the house on purpose in the past decade, and she’s not about to start doing it now. She becomes embarrassed if she has an accident while she’s sleeping and always lets me know.
A few months ago, we reconnected with one of her sisters who lives about 30 minutes away. After nine years apart they recognized one another with just a sniff and have had two playdates since — I wish we had started this several years ago — MiSun Loves seeing her sister and always is so happy during and after the visits.
In the past 10 years, MiSun’s vet bills alone could have put me into a new car, but did it ever cross my mind to have her put to sleep instead of fight for her continued health and well being? NEVER.
A Faithful Friend
After her battle with MRSA, she took it upon herself to take care of me. One night I could hear her toenails clicking across the wood floor as she raced into the bedroom. She made a strange noise that sounded like she was “saying” “MOM” and repeated it until I sat up in bed and paid attention.
Half awake, I noticed a stinging headache and dizzy feeling. I tested my blood and my glucose level was dangerously high. After popping some diabetes medication, I stayed awake and aware until the count went down to an acceptable level. I talked to my doctor about it and we paid closer attention to what I was doing after that.
Over the years MiSun has warned me a few more times about my sugar. Dogs are trained to do this, they can detect a certain odor on your breath — even from two rooms away, I guess — MiSun learned it on her own.
A couple of months later, she, once again woke me up out of a sound sleep, but it was different. She ran into the room at full speed leapt onto the bed and started pawing at my head.
Again, once I was awake enough I noticed a pounding headache and I couldn’t stand. My sugar was fine, but my blood pressure was totally off the charts. The hospital was a block away, and I drove myself to the emergency room. The doctor reviewed my intake paperwork and said, “Your dog told you?”
I explained and he didn’t hesitate in stating that she had probably saved my life. I have a history of strokes, if she hadn’t alerted me, I could have had another, or worse.
She told me about my blood pressure and sugar a few more times over the years, but everything is under control now and it has been a few years since the last alert.
A Lifelong Commitment
I owe this little girl my life and will do everything in my power to keep her happy and healthy for as long as possible. The oldest Sapsaree I’ve ever heard of, was 15. I pray that MiSun and I can have at least another 5 years together.
THIS is what everyone should do when they bring a dog into their home. Surrendering a dog to a shelter or abandoning them on the side of the road when they no longer suit your selfish needs, is not responsible and absolutely not humane.
Treat your pets with love and respect. When you bring one into your home, plan on being in to for the long haul. Dogs have memories, they have feelings and if you are one of those people who will toss a longtime family pet by the wayside to make room for a younger model, then you don’t deserve to have a pet.
There are perfectly good older dogs at shelters now who are looking for someone to love again. If your heart is big enough, you can commit to bringing some joy to a sad, confused dog whose mom surrendered him to make room for a new puppy that she’ll most likely toss out in a few years when another new puppy catches her eye.
Responsible, loving pet parents, hug your pups (and kitties) a little harder tonight. Let them know that they are loved and appreciated. And Thank You for being kind.
Merry Christmas, everyone.
