Saturday, January 30, 2010

Abandoned

So what did we eventually do with Big Lost Dog? Same thing you'd do with someone who has spent two consecutive nights in your bed but now it's getting awkward: try and get rid of him!

Hometeam defends last intact toy from intruder

We called the Humane Society. Apparently, our town is not in their jurisdiction so they would not come get him. They told us to call the town of Hartford Police, we called the town of Hartford Police and they said they'd come get him.

But they did not come get him, they called back a few minutes later and told us they just figured out we were not really Hartford Residents (our driveway is half in Hartford, half in Pomfret) and that we needed to call the State Police. So we called the State Police and they said they couldn't do anything and we had to call the Pomfret Town Constable.

So we called the Pomfret Town Constable, but it was just an answering machine. Pomfret is a town of approximately 800 so the town constable is just a volunteering old guy with a title.

So we're out of luck, and the dog stayed another night. We sat on the couch and watched a Garth Brooks DVD together, which he seemed to enjoy, and then fell asleep in the bed upstairs.

But the the next morning our efforts to make Big Lost Dog evaporate were renewed after Big Lost Dog got ahold of my sweatshirt and chewed it to pieces WHILE I WAS WEARING IT. So we called the constable again. This time a very sad voice picked up. It was a very, very sad voice indeed but not knowing what else to do, we told him about our visitor and asked if he could come and take him away.

"Well, I can't come get him today, I have to go to my brother's funeral."

Oh.

(Big Lost Dog + 2 nights + lots of WOOF + biting behavior) = must go = (-) Humane Society + (-)Hartford Police + (-)State Police +(-)Pomfret Town Constable Answering machine + Pomfret Town Constable + Brother's Funeral + Guy named Jay + Pick Up Truck = Goodbye Big Lost Dog

Well, not knowing what else to do we told the bereaved constable how real sorry we were, and then we gave him our physical address in case the funeral was canceled. He said he'd see what he could do. We waited a few more hours as Big Lost Dog chewed our wood pile into splinters, and eventually low and and behold a pick up truck came rumbling up the road. A guy named Jay was driving it and he took the dog and wrangled him into the back of the truck.

"Pretty common these days," said Jay as he climbed back into the cab. "People can't afford their pets any longer so they drive them out to real rural places like this and drop em off. Mostly cats and dogs, but horses, too. Just drop em on the side of the road." Jay shook his head. "Oughta be a real punishment for that." And then he drove off, Big Lost Dog looking baffled and then despondent as he bounced down the driveway to the Humane Society. Hometeam, a dog of privilege, watches with no regret as the less fortunate is shipped away. Farewell, and come yee not back


Wherever these abandoned cats, dogs and horses end up, I hope it's a nice place, with a blazing fireplace and three good meals a day and a warm bed to fall into at night.

Come to think of it, I guess I hope the same for myself.

3 comments:

Brooks said...

I love the defender photo.

Cassandra said...

Aaaaw poor baby! I can't believe (well actually, I can. I'm just really sad about it) people would just abandon their pets like that! There's a special place for those people's noses. Like, against a big, muscular fist (obviously not mine).

My favorite photo is of Hometeam and Spoon, obviously trash-talking the big happy dog. Haha

I <3 U.

Unknown said...

Love your writing Melina!!!!!!! I'm a fan.