Goodbye Suzie

We are fortunate at the Justin Animal Shelter. We have the luxury of being able to hold animals for longer than many other shelters. However, sometimes we have to make hard decisions. Sometimes we have to make "the list" - those animals who will be euthanized. Sometimes we have to euthanize due to space limitations. Sometimes we have to euthanize an aggressive animal. And sometimes we have to make the decision to euthanize when an animal begins to deteriorate emotionally and or behaviorally. We were not full, she was not aggressive, but she was definitely deteriorating. She had been in the shelter for almost 7 months. Even though we provided walks, kongs for unstuffing, rawhides for chewing, and other dogs to play with it wasn't enough - she needed a home. The shelter is not a home, at best it is a stopping off place on the way home. She had become unresponsive to the shelter workers, she spent her days either staring off into space like a despondent person, or digging at the concrete floor and biting at the wire fence in an obsessive attempt to escape the confines or her 10 x 10 run. Today we said good-bye to Suzie. I will miss you pretty girl. Wish we could have done better for you!

Her Story

All dogs have a story. Some are happy, some are sad, and some are quite tragic. This is HER story. At least as much of HER story as we know. SHE was found as a stray, by a nice lady with kids. The nice lady invited HER off the streets into the nice lady's car. SHE accepted. SHE went home with the nice lady and the kids. The nice lady gave HER food and water, taught HER to play fetch with a tennis ball, and let HER play with the kids. The nice lady might have even given HER a name, I don't know. The nice lady thought SHE was a chocolate Labrador retriever. The nice lady thought that for 3 days, while SHE played with the nice lady's kids, rode in the nice lady's car, was given affection, food, and a place to live. After 3 days, someone told the nice lady that SHE was indeed NOT a chocolate Labrador retriever, but rather an evil pit bull. The nice lady panicked. SHE ended up at the Justin Animal Shelter February 12, 2008.   SHE was a sweetheart with lots of energy. We named her Candy.

After some time had passed, with no one contacting us about a lost red nose pit bull, we took Candy to the vet for vaccinations and a spay. We hoped she would be able to find a new home. Our vet said she had a spay scar, and a surgery scar on her hind leg. Maybe she had broken her leg sometime in the past and the leg had been set and secured with a pin. So, someone, somewhere, sometime had taken responsibility for this dog and given her veterinary care, possibly expensive veterinary care. 

Candy remained at the shelter until October 10, 2008 - 8 long months. Lots of other dogs came and went, but no one came for Candy. In October, the shelter was at dog capacity - every run occupied. So, we had to make the euth list. Candy was at the top of that list. Candy was lucky, Candy had an advocate - me. Wait a few days, let me try to arrange my life so that I can take that dog home with me. Let me give her a chance. They did wait, I did arrange, my husband did agree. Candy found her forever home. Now her name is Gracie.

There were adjustments that had to be made. New routines had to be established. But for the most part the household has settled into a comfortable fit between and among the 6 dogs and 2 humans. 

Here is Gracie with her partner in crime, Gus. Two fun and happy dogs - two very lucky dogs.

Today the shelter is at dog capacity again. We are making the euth list. There are 2 pit bulls who will probably be at the top of that list, Megan and Azlow. Great dogs, who are at a disadvantage mainly because of the shape of their heads, and the way they are built.