Everyone who has ever had a dog knows how abiding they are, how much they adore their owner. What do these dogs feel when they are taken to the kennel to get sacrificed? What do these puppies feel, thrown into containers of garbage without having the chance to open once their eyes? What does a greyhound feel after a few years accompanying his owner on the hunt, when he is leftin the middle of the field or hanging strangulated on a tree? What do the dogs feel that were left behind on the road and see their owners driving away in the car?
That can't be, they have forgotten me!
No, my love, they have not forgotten you. And do not sit here waiting for them. They do not love you any more, you hinder them, it is not funny any longer to take you out for a walk, and nibbling their fingers has lost its grace. The children have grown up and do not want to play with you; the mother is fed up of your hair lying around throughout the house and the father has gotten tired of taking you to the veterinarian to heal you.
Yes, you are one of these abandoned dogs. Did you really believe that your owners were special? No, they are abject, treat you as an object that lost his value, you are out of fashion and you are'nt as sweet as you once were as a puppy.
But why me? Perhaps I behaved badly? Am I ugly? Am I too old now?
No, this happens to many dogs. The gallants, those of race and with pedigree are also abandoned, no one is safe. Young dogs are left as well as puppies a few days after their births. Good and obedient ones are left, because though they were educated, they stain the house, it is necessary to take them out for a walk, their medications and food cost a lot of money and during the vacations they keep getting in the way.
It is not your fault. You simply should never have fallen in their hands. The irresponsible people should not be allowed to have dogs.
I don't know how to take care of myself. How will I survive?
It is sad but true. The human beings turned you into a domestic animal, but overnight you become a wild animal that must fight to stay alive. You must look for food and water. You must protect yourself from other animals (especially human kids who will throw stones on you, shoot at you with pellets or invent other barbarities). You must flee those moving machines that men call cars, they will become your worst enemies. Don't go into the fields, there are brambles, boughs, dangerous animals...
What will become of me? What future does wait?
I don't know. Everything depends on the chance of an angel crossing your way. You know, not all human beings are bad, some of them have feelings, and when they find an abandoned dog they will take it to their homes, heal them and try to find them a new owner. But these persons are very busy, they also clean cages in other shelters; they sterilize and take care of the shelter dogs, visit the kennels to save at least a few dogs from their sure death; they spread throughout the internet cases of dogs like you to help them find a new home.
If your savior does not appear, you'll die starving or lying down in a gutter, knocked down by a car, or it's possible that men wearing uniform are going to catch you. But do not be glad about this, they are persons who catch abandoned animals, not as a vocation, just because it is their employment and they get paid for it. Often they do not even like animals. These men will take you to a concentration camp of dogs (they will call it kennel, or 'sanitary lodging' or 'center of animal protection') but don't put your trust in these names. This is a cold place, full of piss and excrements, the dogs are enclosed in small cages close to other dogs. Some ones are lamed, others injured, others have just been born (they left their pregnant mom), and other dogs were spoilt by their owner as they told them 'Let's go out for a walk...'.
They will take your companions out of the cages, one by one. 'They will have been adopted', you will think. No, my innocent friend, these gentlemen are going to give them an injection and your friends will sleep forever, never again they will open up their eyes.
Will they kill me too?
Hopefully I am mistaken, but most probably they will also kill you. The probabilities to get adopted are scanty: people prefer puppies and dogs of race. Besides you there are approximately 40 more dogs in the kennel. Do you have anything special? Have you suffered? The others also have suffered, and possibly even more, like the puppies that don't even known a proper home, like the little one-eyed dog upon which they threw stones; also that abandoned pitpull, left after one of these horrible and clandestine fights, or that greyhound whose entire life was bad, always giving everything for a handful of old bones.
The clock is ticking, they will only give you 10 days, if during this time you are not claimed, you will be killed.
A couple has entered the kennel, what must I do to make them adopt me?
You have two options: lie down in the cage, remain quiet, with a sweet little face of sorrow and pray that they will get fixed in you, maybe feel some compassion. Or you can forget everything what you have suffered and begin to bark, jump and give licks to demonstrate them that you are the best dog in the world.
I have to leave you now, a few persons have gone on holidays and they could not take the dog with them, so they have left it in the gutter. I hope that you are lucky, I hope you will be adopted and that you are very happy with your new family until you are old and gray.
If not, we will meet in heaven in a few days.