Gimme' Shelter

Last week, while preparing to leave for work, I happened to look out of our bedroom window and glimpsed a small brown figure next to my truck. In the early light, it was just possible to make out the slight figure of a dog, rooting around for food. It was obvious even from a distance that this dog had missed a few meals.

Stray dogs are a common sight in rural Virginia. Whether for economic reasons, cultural reasons, educational reasons, or all of these, people are less likely to spay or neuter their dogs here than in more urban areas, or to properly care for the dogs they own. Some will simply dump dogs that they no longer want, rather than take them to one of the few overworked shelters. One previous visitor was dropped literally at our doorstep, and this one may have been, too.

As soon as our latest visitor saw us, she retreated in terror under the truck, refusing to come near us. Recognizing her malnourished state, Tom placed a handful of dog food in a bowl and left it near the truck. No movement. So, Tom went inside and we watched, and within a few minutes, our guest was wolfing down the food. Next he took her some water, and again after leaving for a few minutes, she crept out and drank all of it.

We decided that we needed to know more about our guest, in order to determine what to do next. So I walked out slowly, and crouched down about 20 feet from the truck and called out to her in a low voice. The dog was clearly terrified and she let out a warning “woof” that was not quite believable. Her eyes were wide with panic and she trembled with fear. But after a few minutes, she crept, nearly on her belly and shaking every step of the way, up to my outstretched hand. Once she came close enough, I was able to reach under her chin and stroke her face. Her eyes nearly closed and she literally sank with relief that I wasn’t going to hurt her. She curled into me like a long-lost friend. At this point, I could see that this was a young dog, no more than 6 months old (later verified by her teeth). Other than her general ribiness, she appeared to be healthy and not quite her ultimate adult size.

I abandoned any hope of making it to work on time. Tom and have a background in companion animal rescue and we are familiar with the many resources for finding lost dog ads. I called the County Animal Shelter, the local
SPCA, checked Craigslist, the local papers, and several Internet lost pet sites. Apparently, no one was looking for a lost adolescent mixed breed female dog in Burkeville. So, I posted “found” announcements in all these same resources. Within an hour, I had calls from two sad people looking for lost members of their family. There is little more heartbreaking than knowing that your pet may be in harm’s way and being unable to locate him or her. I really felt for them and wished them both luck.

So, now we have Cassie, short for Cassandra (Tom’s name). Cassie has discovered that we are nice, we have food and we can be trusted. It took no more than half an hour for her natural exuberance and joie de vive to outweigh her initial fear. She loves attention and will follow us anywhere. While we are waiting for her owners to come forward (though people aren’t exactly falling all over themselves out here to claim stray dogs), we will make sure that she is treated for parasites, vaccinated, and spayed. We will teach her to sit, lead and behave in the house. If no one claims her, we will try to place her in an adoptive home. If anyone asks, we will tell them that she is an Appaloosa Dog. One of the best things about unregistered dogs is that they can be any breed you want.

But we are realistic about the number of companion animals that are now in harm’s way because of the economy, and the relatively few homes available for them. Household pets were among the earliest casualties of the wave of foreclosures to hit much of the country. In rural areas, where animals are dispensable even in easy times, many are at risk and many more will lose their homes in the impending recessional economy. Cassie was very lucky in finding help when she most needed it and her willingness to trust people even over great fear may have saved her life. After a week, she is back to being a normal, cheerful puppy who just needs affection, regular meals and a few more lessons in housebreaking.