Dog Days...

The following letter was written by a good friend of mine.  Kristin and her husband have done a lot for me, and I am so grateful to have them in my life.  She found me through my blog, and has built shelters for me and donated in so many ways.  Kristin lives in the sticks, and has seen a lot of sad things regarding animals and the way' country folk' keep their animals... She wrote this in hopes of changing a dog's life - the dog lives just near her home.  I commend her for doing something - too many people turn a blind eye in this world when there is an injustice in front of them either out of fear, selfishness, or ignorance.  Thank you Kristin, for trying to make a wrong right.  I will keep you posted if anything comes out of this!  Here it is:

February 3rd, 2012


Hello to you. Although we have never met, I am a Churchville resident and have been for many years. I live on a neighboring road and I often walk my dog along Palmer Road as part of my routine. I noticed recently that you have acquired a small dog. It makes me very sad whenever I see him or her and it is for this reason that I am writing to you. I hope that you will take a moment to read this. I would like to say first that I am just a fellow human being who is by no means perfect and that this letter is written with humbleness, with my hat in my hand so to speak and my heart probably too much on my sleeve. I can only hope that this message will be taken in the kind and respectful spirit in which I write it.


I see that your dog appears to be an outdoor dog as he or she seems to be out whenever I happen by – which is at various times due to my work schedule. I also see that he or she has a nice house and a run which lets me know you must care for your dog very much. But it breaks my heart to see him or her alone, day after day, night after night, knowing how much dogs need and want attention, companionship and affection. I understand that many dogs cannot be in the house during the day when the owner is at work. I myself tried this with my shepherd years ago and she chewed through my mattress one day, right down to the springs. When I got home, it looked as if a bomb had exploded in my mattress. Needless to say, she spent her days happily in her pen while I was at work. So I truly understand the need to have your dog outside at various times. What I am hoping is that you may consider bringing your dog in when you are home during the day and at night. A dog tied up alone for the vast majority of its life is a sad and lonely animal. Dogs are pack animals and do not like or want to be alone. Sometimes they may not want other dogs around but they always want human contact. A life spent tied to a small house all alone day and night - except for a few minutes of contact when someone brings you food and water is sad life for any animal, let alone a dog. I think of the excitement your dog must feel when he or she sees you walking towards him and then his unhappiness when you walk away and he or she is alone again. There is no doubt that dogs have emotions. They love us, want to please us, and want to be with us. Dogs can think and feel - feel pain, sadness, and loneliness as well as love, loyalty and happiness. If they did not, they could not be the wonderful pets they are as well as police dogs, hunting dogs, military dogs, companion dogs for the blind and disabled, search and rescue dogs, and therapy animals for those in hospitals and nursing homes and schools. There is a reason there are no search and rescue lizards or police fish. J And regardless of what job they do, at the end of the day, they need to be taken into the home and treated as the pets they deserve to be. There are many misconceptions about certain dogs losing their abilities if they are not kept outside – guard dogs, hunting dogs, sledding dogs. But this is untrue and if you check any reputable website it will explain why.

I can only imagine the joy your dog would feel to be brought in at night with you, to curl up next to you feeling warm, safe and loved. I think you too would find you love having your dog with you, to play with or simply be by your side. It would not take much to change the life of the wonderful creature now tied up alone in the backyard.

I know this may not be easy for you to read or even consider – I know it has not been easy for me to write. But I think that in this world that can be so heartless and cruel to both people and animals, we should take every opportunity we have to make it a kinder and more loving place. So, I truly, truly have not written this to offend you or anger you in any way. Just to offer some food for thought about your dog’s living situation because I care very much about the happiness of people and animals. Also, if it helps knowing how others view this subject, the lawmakers in 3 states (Texas, Nevada and California) have passed laws making it illegal to tie up or pen a dog for more than a certain number of hours a day. Not too many people know about that. Our state as well has a proposed law limiting tethering which has not yet been voted on. The city of Canandaigua however, already legally limits the number of hours a dog can be tied up or penned. I know other cities have similar laws too.


I hope that maybe you will consider what I have said and decide to bring your dog into your home and your life a little more. The kindness you show a dog will always come back to you and is never wasted. Thank you very much for taking the time to read this. I know it’s kind of long.

I wish you nothing but the best ~

Sincerely,
A fellow dog lover


(Kristin did give an e-mail address that this person can contact her at).