Finally--adoption day! Or so we thought. We arrived at the shelter at approximately 11:30 and went to kennel #88. We found Buddy lying in his outside kennel. I started feeding him, and Claudia asked if she should go ask the staff about having him sedated so we could take him home. I said sure, and she left to do so.
After about ten minutes or so, Claudia returned with a gentleman named Greg Beck. As Greg walked up, I noticed Buddy stopped eating and changed his whole demeanor. He got kind of a look on his face, as if to say, "What's he doing here?"
We talked about the dog for several minutes and Claudia explained to Greg how the dog had ended up at the shelter and how we wanted to adopt him. She told Greg she had been rescuing dogs for thirty (30) years so she had a lot of experience handling dogs. She also explained how Brenda had suggested we sedate him for the ride home. At this time, Greg replied, “You know, we’re just not in the business of adopting out dogs that have to be sedated. We couldn’t sedate him today anyway as our vet tech is the only one who can do that and she’s not here.”
At this time, I immediately stood up and said, “Your vet tech is the one who told us she’d be off today and said we would need to ask your staff to sedate the dog. She also said we needed to get this dog out of here as soon as possible because he‘s depressed.” Greg responded that he wasn’t sure why she told us that, but that he’d need to check into the matter further. He also said there was a liability factor that if the dog bit someone, the County could be held liable. We both told him we’d be willing to sign a release of liability.
Greg went on to say that his vet had deemed the dog to be aggressive and vicious. I replied, “The dog is being aggressive out of fear. He’s defending himself. It’s not that he’s vicious or aggressive. Any dog would act the same way if you invaded his space.” He replied, “You’re absolutely right, but my vet said this dog is not adoptable because he’s vicious and aggressive.” We then explained how the dog had shown no aggression towards us either while at the shelter or on the streets and was even now eating out of our hands. Greg responded, “Yeah, but he changed his whole demeanor when I walked up.” I said, “Yeah, he stopped eating.” Claudia responded with, “I don’t think he likes men.” (My thought was, he probably doesn’t like anybody with a scent from this place on him!)
We discussed the matter for several more minutes, and Greg indicated that he could not make a decision about the dog until he talked to his vet tech and his vet. He said he’d have a decision for us by the end of the day. He then asked Claudia how long we’d be there, and she replied, “We’ll be here for a couple hours.” He said he’d get back to us.
After Mr. Beck left, I told Claudia, "That explains why they've never placed a collar and I.D. number tag on this dog. They've never considered him adoptable. Not from the day he walked in the door."
A couple hours went by and no Greg Beck. We walked up to the front desk and I asked the receptionist if Mr. Beck had made a decision about the dog in kennel #88. She responded, “No, and Mr. Beck is at lunch.” I asked her if she knew when he’d be returning, and she said no. At this time, Claudia and I decided we would go back to Buddy’s kennel and wait for Mr. Beck to return from lunch.
We noticed the time, and it was 2:00 p.m. Most people are back from lunch by now, but not Mr. Beck. We looked at each other and said, “Uh huh. He thought if he’d wait long enough, we'd leave.”
We weren’t at Buddy’s kennel five minutes when Mr. Beck returned. (We figured the receptionist must have called him and told him, “You might as well come back. They’re not leaving!”) At this time, he said, “You know, if it was up to me, I’d let you have the dog. But I still want to talk to my vet and my vet tech and run it by my boss.” I responded, “That’s fair.” We talked a couple more minutes about the dog, and he then told us that he’d have an answer for us the next day as his vet tech was off today and he still needed to talk to her, along with his vet. We said we’d be waiting for his call.
On the way out, we stopped at kennel #60 and said hello to the black and white Pit Bull inside. As usual, he was very happy to see us and his whole body wiggled as he wagged his tail. We both commented how cute he was and how we wished we could take him home too. Little did we know at that time........
We were both rather somber on the way home and totally shocked about the way things had transpired. Here, we went through the trouble of getting this dog off the streets, thinking we were doing the right thing for him, only to be told we may not be able to adopt him, after we had bonded so deeply with him. It just wasn't fair. Neither one of us could stand the thought of the dog being euthanized and were prepared to put up a fight if that was the case. Buddy would not go down without a fight; that's for sure. If it was the last thing we did.....
After about ten minutes or so, Claudia returned with a gentleman named Greg Beck. As Greg walked up, I noticed Buddy stopped eating and changed his whole demeanor. He got kind of a look on his face, as if to say, "What's he doing here?"
We talked about the dog for several minutes and Claudia explained to Greg how the dog had ended up at the shelter and how we wanted to adopt him. She told Greg she had been rescuing dogs for thirty (30) years so she had a lot of experience handling dogs. She also explained how Brenda had suggested we sedate him for the ride home. At this time, Greg replied, “You know, we’re just not in the business of adopting out dogs that have to be sedated. We couldn’t sedate him today anyway as our vet tech is the only one who can do that and she’s not here.”
At this time, I immediately stood up and said, “Your vet tech is the one who told us she’d be off today and said we would need to ask your staff to sedate the dog. She also said we needed to get this dog out of here as soon as possible because he‘s depressed.” Greg responded that he wasn’t sure why she told us that, but that he’d need to check into the matter further. He also said there was a liability factor that if the dog bit someone, the County could be held liable. We both told him we’d be willing to sign a release of liability.
Greg went on to say that his vet had deemed the dog to be aggressive and vicious. I replied, “The dog is being aggressive out of fear. He’s defending himself. It’s not that he’s vicious or aggressive. Any dog would act the same way if you invaded his space.” He replied, “You’re absolutely right, but my vet said this dog is not adoptable because he’s vicious and aggressive.” We then explained how the dog had shown no aggression towards us either while at the shelter or on the streets and was even now eating out of our hands. Greg responded, “Yeah, but he changed his whole demeanor when I walked up.” I said, “Yeah, he stopped eating.” Claudia responded with, “I don’t think he likes men.” (My thought was, he probably doesn’t like anybody with a scent from this place on him!)
We discussed the matter for several more minutes, and Greg indicated that he could not make a decision about the dog until he talked to his vet tech and his vet. He said he’d have a decision for us by the end of the day. He then asked Claudia how long we’d be there, and she replied, “We’ll be here for a couple hours.” He said he’d get back to us.
After Mr. Beck left, I told Claudia, "That explains why they've never placed a collar and I.D. number tag on this dog. They've never considered him adoptable. Not from the day he walked in the door."
A couple hours went by and no Greg Beck. We walked up to the front desk and I asked the receptionist if Mr. Beck had made a decision about the dog in kennel #88. She responded, “No, and Mr. Beck is at lunch.” I asked her if she knew when he’d be returning, and she said no. At this time, Claudia and I decided we would go back to Buddy’s kennel and wait for Mr. Beck to return from lunch.
We noticed the time, and it was 2:00 p.m. Most people are back from lunch by now, but not Mr. Beck. We looked at each other and said, “Uh huh. He thought if he’d wait long enough, we'd leave.”
We weren’t at Buddy’s kennel five minutes when Mr. Beck returned. (We figured the receptionist must have called him and told him, “You might as well come back. They’re not leaving!”) At this time, he said, “You know, if it was up to me, I’d let you have the dog. But I still want to talk to my vet and my vet tech and run it by my boss.” I responded, “That’s fair.” We talked a couple more minutes about the dog, and he then told us that he’d have an answer for us the next day as his vet tech was off today and he still needed to talk to her, along with his vet. We said we’d be waiting for his call.
On the way out, we stopped at kennel #60 and said hello to the black and white Pit Bull inside. As usual, he was very happy to see us and his whole body wiggled as he wagged his tail. We both commented how cute he was and how we wished we could take him home too. Little did we know at that time........
We were both rather somber on the way home and totally shocked about the way things had transpired. Here, we went through the trouble of getting this dog off the streets, thinking we were doing the right thing for him, only to be told we may not be able to adopt him, after we had bonded so deeply with him. It just wasn't fair. Neither one of us could stand the thought of the dog being euthanized and were prepared to put up a fight if that was the case. Buddy would not go down without a fight; that's for sure. If it was the last thing we did.....
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