Winter

Winter

Monday, April 9, 2012

Monday Morning

It is Monday here and after a break, I could just move on into summer vacation. I won't though it is back to the last bit of school.
On Sunday morning about three in the morning. I woke up to the sound of a dog howling. Since Sasha sleeps under my bed, I knew it wasn't her. I have written before that stray animals show up here all of the time. I knew it was a dog that had wandered in and I hoped it wouldn't dig in the back yard and get my chickens.

When I got up later that morning this was what I saw.
I think he is a Bull Mastiff. He is so tall and big that he comes up to my waist. He makes Sasha look like a puppy. He is very sweet, and for such a giant of a dog, he is very careful how he walks. He has fresh scars on him like he has been in bad fights. Fairly recent. He follows my husband around like a shadow. He was wonderful with all of the little kids yesterday. He ignores the cats. They are very mad about it though.
I am going to call the vet and see if he has a chip so maybe I could return him to his owners.

If  I don't find the owners, I think we will keep him. I have to see though how he is around my chickens. I really wish this didn't happen. I see his poor hurt sides and face and legs and I just can't take him to the animal shelter. I know I should, but people here can't take care of animals and they just let them go. So the amount of animals the shelters have is terrible and the number of animals the dog pound puts down just makes me sick.
He is too nice a dog for that. Do you know how bad I wish sometimes I had a hard heart?  I could just look at a poor lost animal and just not get attached.

He has the nicest big brown eyes. Last night he was howling and I went out to check on him. I sat down in a chair and he put his face in my lap and just cried. It broke my heart. Earlier in the day, after I had fed him and watered him he was sleeping because he was so exhausted. I stood and listened to his doggy nightmares.
He has been through so much and I just can't face the thought of any animal being treated so bad.

So, another hobo shows up in April.

Now I am off to call the vet.
~Kim~

Well since writing the above post. I thought I would add this to the bottom. He is a lovely dog but I had not yet took him to the back yard to meet my chickens. When I did he went for them like to kill them. He attacked the fence where they were.
I brought him back up to the porch and I had let Sasha out to see how they would be in the back yard and he attacked her doing this punching thing with his feet and he punched her twice and knocked her down before I could get her back in the house.
I decided that I had to take him to the SPCA so I did. I cried the whole way home but I have new chicks coming is a few weeks and I just couldn't face the thought of walking out sometime and finding my flock dead.
I wish it had worked out differently.

A sad but very realistic Kim

15 comments:

Jacque. said...

You are a very kind soul, Kim. Keep us posted...and give some extra hugs for me, please.

Vintage Gal said...

Kim ~ what a sweet heart and those eyes are full of pain. Please keep us updated as to his progress ~

Debbie said...

Good morning! What a sweet dog! His eyes do look sad though. Your heart is soo big Kim, you don't want it any other way. Looking forward to seeing what happens. Have a good day! HUGS

TexWisGirl said...

oh, that poor boy. he has found a kind heart.

Empty Nester said...

I'm so glad he found you! I'm the very same way about animals! If we lived closer, I'd take him-if you were willing to give him up...LOL He has just about the sweetest face I've ever seen. Please keep us updated about the chip, etc.

Julia said...

I'm not surprised that he chose you to care for his needs. Sometimes the stranger you meet is disguised as a sad big dog. What a beautiful dog and those big sad eyes has a story to tell but can't tell.

I hope that you can find it's owner as he looks like he's very trusting. Usually a mistreated dog is not trusting and who can blame them.

I hope that this story has a happy ending. Hugs. JB

Donna said...

OK, you got a big tear rolling down my cheek! Thanks goodness you are so kind hearted. That sweet doggy needs some loving. I have a little dog who was lost for 10 days (long story) and when we got him back he had been injured by another animals too and had nightmares. I always got up and petted him. He seems so grateful! If you don't find his owner, I bet he turns out to be the best dog ever. Good Luck!!

Janettessage.blogspot.com said...

You have such a kind heart...so sorry!!

Kessie said...

Ah well, the livestock comes first. If he had been a little puppy and you could have trained him, that'd be different. Hopefully the owners will find him.

Miss Debbie said...

I know that was hard for you, but I believe you did the right thing. My son has had to put some dogs down because they kept killing his chickens. Sorry it made you so sad.

Kim said...

Aww Kim, I'm sorry it didn't work out the way you hoped. I'm sure this dog will find another good home.

Nellie said...

Bless your heart, Kim! You have done the only thing you could do.:( It had to have been difficult for you.

Patrice said...

Kim,
It's so sad, but I suspect the scars are from fighting. He looks like the kind of dog that those horrible people use for fighting. I'm so glad he didn't actually kill one of the chickens, or hurt Sasha. She is okay, isn't she? He has sad eyes. I would have cried too. I think you're doing the right thing.Maybe the SPCA can place him with someone who doesn't have chickens or another dog. Sorry you had to go through this.You have such a caring heart!

yaya said...

Hi, I came over from Starkey Hollow because Donna thought he looked similar to our boxer. He does in a way and I bet he's part boxer, especially when you described how he uses his paws. They do that. I understand why you had to take him to the pound and I do hope he finds a home. I wonder if he was used for fighting. You just never know. He did have a sweet face.

Kathy ... aka Nana said...

Oh, Kim, how sad. You did the right thing, but that doesn't make it the easy thing to do. {{hug}}