For some reason I felt the urge to visit my local animal shelters on-line site and just see what they have right now....In my heart I knew I probably shouldn't ( I knew it would just make me sad), but I was so driven for some reason, I did it anyway. Well, I saw the most beautiful German Shepherd...that face just screamed 'please take me home with you'. I knew that he was the reason I had felt so driven to go there...maybe Sasha had her paw in it...it just felt right to me. I called my husband and got the okay to go get this beautiful boy, and he said "If you feel like he's 'the one' then by all means go pick him up and bring him home!" I called the shelter to let them know I was coming, and then they told me the bad news...they had put him to sleep yesterday. I am balling my eyes out just typing this. I never even got to meet him, yet I am mourning him like he was my own. What is wrong with this world! Why can't people just spay and neuter..it's not that darn difficult!! I wish there was some kind of law against breeding all together until all the homeless babies in this world have loving homes...they are the ones who pay for our ignorance and it just isn't fair!
As for my shelter baby....I am so sorry I failed you, if only I would have looked yesterday instead...rest in peace big guy...I hope you will know you left this world with someone loving you...even if only for a moment...

That has to be one of the most horrible stories I have heard. I don't understand why they would be in such a rush to kill a healthy animal, particularly if someone was interested. If you are able to say on line, I would be interested to know which shelter it was.

I guess your dog needed a companion at the Rainbow Bridge more than you needed a new pet.

Daisy's Mommy

Oh Kim i wish i could reach through these darn lines and give you a big hug.

The right baby is out there and the universe is setting everything up for you.

It will happen and it will be right Sasha will make sure of it.

Love Sue

Daisy's mommy,
I can't be angry at the animal shelter, they are doing the best they can. Our shelter is actually very loving, and they do everything they can to find homes for their animals( I know, because I was once a volunteer there, but unfortunately my heart just couldn't take it anymore) but the sad truth is that there just isn't enough room for the number of animals that come through there(and they are a rather large facility!) so they are forced to euthanize at some point. I was so sad to hear that he had actually been there for months, but no one seemed interested in him...people just don't want to adopt large(intimidating looking) older dogs, so they decided his pen must be passed on for another dog to have a chance. I only found him on-line this morning...they just hadn't up-dated their site to take him off ( as they should have immediately to avoid this very situation!), so they had no idea that I would be interested in him today. They did enter him as 'urgent' yesterday morning, as she said that is what they do for all of the ones that are facing their last day, but I wish they would have given more of a notice to people that his time was up...maybe someone that saw him would have been more inclined to save him if they knew the clock was ticking for him, ya know? The poor guy was there for so long and the very day before I would have taken him home he is PTS<tears>...it just isn't fair!! I have looked on and off ever since Sasha died, knowing that I would one day share my life with another Ger. Shep., but as much as I would like to save them all, I was waiting for that one that just 'spoke to my heart'....he was that one....an older dignified guy...and I was too late. I hope whoever is responsible for him ending up there in the first place gets what they have coming to them.....they are the ones who I'm angry with (as well as the breeder who is ultimately responsible for each and every life he/she creates... just goes to show that just because people pay money for a purebred dog doesn't mean they will take care of it! Shelters are full of purebreeds!).
here is the link to the shelter (and my boy<tears again>). There was a mix up with the pics, but he is the one that is in the two pics that are alike.
http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displa...i?petid=6039946
I hope he is finally happy now...

Sue,
I hope so. Maybe God felt like this old guy had just had enough and he had earned his wings...at least I like to think so. I can't stop looking at his picture and wondering what kind of life he had. I see the grey in his face and know he had some years on him...where were those years spent? Who were they spent with? How was he treated before reaching such an end? I just hate this world we live in right now....

Kim, I am sorry to hear about this tragedy!

Maybe it'll help if you write your congressman to author a bill banning non-licensed breeders to breed. I wrote my congressman about this, and plan to send him the same email every week until somethings going to be done.

I wish I am wealthy to be able to accommodate as many animals as I can and protect them from mean humans like us. Sometimes I feel so ashamed to belong to the human race because we are so beneath these animals when it comes to unconditional loving.

Take care my friends and God bless!

LuckyNono's mom who is getting better.

Oh Kim. What a horrible story. I am sitting here crying for you now.
I have adopted 2 babies from animal shelters during my lifetime and every time I go in a shelter, I cry. I want to take them all home with me. I can't imagine working there!

I'm so sorry you had to go thru this.

Kurbysma

Our local rescue group believes strongly in the 'no kill' philosophy but our local shelter here still euthanizes. I can't even think about our shelter without becoming emotional. I give my furkids an extra hug. The only thing about no-kill shelters like the one in nearby Jacksonville is that they only have so much room. We take an occasional animal from them to adopt out but they still stay close to their maximum capacity at all times. Our foster parents are overflowing here with animals. I was just told that there would be 14 cats coming in for us to try to find homes for tomorrow. This is after we adopted out 10 last week. At any given time there are around 75 cats and 40 dogs in our group's foster care system. It would be worse except that we have some great local vets with an organized spay/neuter program. More people have to start being responsible and neutering their animals or tragedies like yours will become even more common. It is all just so very sad.

Oooh been there.

The only place to find peace is within yourself.

Hold the thought that he is now happily reunited with his owner, we naturaly think the worse, but its not allways like that.

Love Sue

So sorry to hear that this happened to you. B ut your heart was
right and you were trying to help this dog. I was so afraid when I found my new kitty online that she would not be there. My experience was
like yours I knew she was the one when I saw her. She had been
resued from the pound and was in a no kill shelter but still I though
she might not be there when we were able to get off to drive down and get her even though we passed our application someone might come
in ahead of us. they didn't hold them. I had to sign if we should ever
want to get rid of her for some reason..she would go back to
this shelter. We had a 2 weeks trial period and we could take her back..No way she was mine when I saw her.
Do hope you won't give up looking for another furbaby..so many
need good homes. I often wonder what my purr-motor I adopted
has been through. she is so greatful to have a home and acts like
she has been mine forever.
Sophie's mom--Jan

I went to the site I can see why this is so upsetting Kim. But just a thought maybe this wonderful dog captured your heart for another reason there are quite a few dogs on that site many marked urgent maybe he wants you to take another look at the ones listed???? Maybe there is the "ONE" there try to look a little deeper. I am sorry our world is in such a mess and it really is !