The Rescue of Cuddles
Check out this letter
www.UnchainYourDog.org received from a happy California dog!
Dear Friend,
I am writing to express a big thank you for helping me get free. My name is Cuddles (formerly Puddles) and I used to live chained up to a filthy trailer hitch in Eureka,
California, with no shelter. I never had very much food or water. The ground was always muddy and there was all sorts of dangerous stuff on the ground that could hurt me. Most of the time I had to poop very close to where I laid down.
But the worse part was, I never had any friends or contacts. My loneliness hurt even more than my tummy. Since I lived chained up, I never had any fun, except for one day when the neighborhood rottweiler snuck through the dilapidated fence. As teenagers often do, we had casual, unprotected sex. It was fun but pretty soon after that, I had 7 mouths to feed, and I wasn't even getting enough food for myself!
Right about then, this one crazy, subversive lady in my neighborhood, Mashaw rode by on her bike, and it made her sad to see me like that. She got an inspiration from a website
www.unchainyourdog.org and decided to approach my owners. She made up a story that her friend's dog had died, and she had all kinds of doggy toys and bones, and asked my neighbors if they'd like them for us.
My owners didn't look very healthy, and they usually dressed in dirty rags and smelled bad, but Mashaw acted nice to them, like she didn't notice. She smiled a lot, and made them feel comfortable. One day she spoke to the guy who first brought me home, even though he's really skinny with bad teeth, and most people are afraid to talk to him. He confided to her that no one who lived there was capable of caring for dogs, so she asked him very gently “Wouldn't you like to find a loving home for Cuddles and her pups?” He said he would, and so
Mashaw made up another story, and told him that she had a "doggy network" of friends and she would make that a priority! She really didn't have a network, but right then she started one!
She began e-mailing and calling everyone she could think of. She contacted animal adoption places, the Eureka Animal Control, and all of her doggy loving pals in southern California. She told my story to coworkers, salespeople, and anyone who would listen. It was like working a second job for a few weeks, and all the while, Mashaw came over every morning and evening. She snuck into the backyard when everyone was asleep and brought CANNED food with REAL GRAVY and really healthy dry food. I confess, I ate like a real pig, since I was nursing 7 pups, and pretty soon my ribs didn't show anymore!
Mashaw also brought over a plastic tarp and managed to hang it over the trailer hitch, so we had a makeshift “tent”. She meant well, but she's not much of a builder. It was coverage, but not nearly warm or dry enough. Not only that, but every time I walked outside the tent, my heavy chain would drag stuff inside on top of my newborn puppies!
Well then Officer Rob Patton got involved! He went over to my owners house and told them in his firm voice that this was no way to treat a faithful pooch! He made them pull out an old plastic ”dogloo” and clean it up for me and my babies, and instructed them to provide food and water every day! His shiny uniform got results even faster than Mashaw's nice smile. Well, before long, we started getting donations from my relatives that I had never heard of...Aunt Robin, Uncle Gary, Uncle Casey, Aunt Cyndi, Uncle Fred and Auntie
Charmaine.
Mashaw got put in touch with Shanon Miranda of Miranda's Animal Rescue, and she begged and pleaded until he very kindly agreed that we could go live there for awhile. They would make sure we got healthy and that they would find safe homes for all of us. Thanks to all of my aunts and uncles, Mashaw was able to give $150 donation towards the spaying/neutering of all eight of us. Through her internet research, she managed to find a true Guardian Angel of animals, Gail Holder. She started “K9 Angels” in Humboldt county, and she helped pull the loose ends together. She brought a big getaway car with warm blankets and treats on Doggy Deliverance Day. That morning we all snuck away quietly, before my owners changed their minds!
Then we were taken to our new temporary home. It was a warm, cozy barn, and we got the maternity suite! It was private and I noticed right away there was no poop on the ground, plenty of food, and toys! I had never had toys before! Just look at these happy faces! I don't know who smiled bigger that day-me, or Mashaw!
Well now we are all safe and happy. But the best part of this whole story has yet to be told! Before Mashaw left, she took my furry face in her hands and promised me that I would never, ever have to live chained up to a trailer hitch again. And you know the strangest thing? I went to lick her face, and discovered it had gotten all wet and tasted salty. You know, if reading this story makes your face a little wet and salty, I wonder of you would do just one thing for me? Please send a link to this page to every animal lover that you know, and ask them to keep their eyes open in their neighborhoods. If they see a dog who is left on a chain all the time, tell them to please not look the other way! Ask them to gently and kindly approach the owners, and offer to help instead of being critical or
judgmental.
If every human reading this story could just save one dog from living on a chain, then there would be so much tail-wagging all over the world, that it might even cool off global warming!
Your very grateful friend for life,
Cuddles and Cuddles Jr.
Find out how YOU can help a chained dog,
too!
