get your rocks off

it's no secret i am a doglover. it's also no secret that i generally prefer the company of animals to people. (you get bit less often.) but the news story i just read makes me want to go freakin' postal on this idiot.

this link will take you to the story reported in newsday, a small long island, ny newspaper. in the story, you'll hear about cali, a 4-year-old rottweiler reduced to eating rocks in her backyard to ward off the hunger pains in her belly, and now crippled with arthritis due to the starvation and neglect she suffered at the hands of her owner. when found by animal emergency services last week, she weighed 40 lbs and according to one office was just "skin and bones". for those unaware, an adult female rottweiler usually weighs 85 - 110 lbs, more than double cali's weight when picked up by the officers.

unfortunately for cali's sister, the officers arrived too late. she died of malnourishment a few days later.

the story was forwarded by of one of the rescue groups whom i adopted my sadie from last year. rescue groups typically are a band of like-minded people dedicated to finding homes for unwanted, abandoned -- and more often than we'd like -- abused animals. most specialize in a specific breed, others do not. most of the dogs taken in to find homes for come from shelters where not much background information is available. not that it matters, owners who surrender often give bullshit answers anyway.

+ we're moving.

+ we can't give it (not he or she, or the animal's name, "it") the time or attention it deserves.

+ we had a baby. the kids are too much for the dog.

a million and one excuses to tell one story -- "it" is disposable.

rescues have heard all the stories, one more time, gritting their teeth while holding the big lug that doesn't know why "it" is disposable. or understand why that's not his home or his family anymore.

grin and bear it. just as well, because as a rescue, we'll find others like us to do right by him. they're out there. in the meantime we will wait and try to facilitate kismet.

but if you ask anyone, all of those excuses are welcomed, as long as you do it for the animal's sake. any rescue would rather take in an unwanted pet than hear about the suffering caused by cowards unwilling to do anything for the animal's sake except to let them die. rescuers know then they have a long-recovery period to nursery a sick, wounded animal back to not only health but teach him or her to trust again because not all people are sick bastards out to hurt them.

to those bastards, i say karma will bite you in the ass. hard.

and i pray she is a rottweiler.