Adopting Throw Away Pets - My Dog Bruno

Animal cruelty and abuse is more prevalent than we would like to believe.

People are basically rotten and uncaring, not only to their fellow humans, but more so to these beautiful animals we are blessed with on this planet.

Bruno was born in 2003. He spent the first seven to eight months locked up in a small cage, outside in the elements, without any protection from the sun or other elements. He was fed very little and was subjected to physical and emotional abuse by his ignorant and cruel red neck owners, and tormentors.

One day my son was asked to come across the street to take the puppy to the dog pound for disposal, by those awful people to owned him. He saw the condition of the dog and agreed to take him to the pound where he would be better off euthanized than left in that abusive and unhealthy environment. They just decided that they could not afford to feed him anymore and continue buying their drugs. Not that they spent much money of dog food, as he was nothing but skin and bone.

When my son saw this scrawny and emaciated little creature, he agreed to take him. But, instead of the dog pound he brought him across the street and put him in the 10ft x 10ft pen we had in the back yard. He gave the puppy a bowl of water and some dog food and left him there as he did not have the heart to take him to the pound for disposal.

Since i was working evening shifts at that time, the pup was brought across the street after i had gone to work. So, my son called me at work to inform me of what he had done, and asked me to take him to the dog pound the next day.

Needless to say, i was not too happy about this position he was putting me in.

I got home from work, around midnight. It was very dark outside, but the weather was clear and comfortable. So, i just took a flashlight and went to see the puppy left in the pen.

He was so small and frail, and cowering in the corner of the pen shaking in fear. I refilled his water bowl and gave him more food. After turning on the outside light so he was not alone in total darkness, i left him there for the night.

The next day when i saw him in the day light he was still terrified and trembling. I could not take him to the pound and my rotten son knew it. That's why he left him there for me to take care of.

I, and my other two dogs, spent the next three days around the cage, giving him water, food, attention, and talking to him gently. On the fourth day, i was able to pet him and i had put a dog house in the pen for him to have a little shelter, as rain was eminent.

After a few more days, i managed to get a collar and leash on him and took him to the veterinarian. He got his shots, was cleaned up, examined thoroughly, neutered, and given a clean bill of health. So i brought him home to live with me and my other two dogs and seven cats, who all accepted him as if he had always been there. After all, they all got here the same way - all homeless little abandoned orphans - now one big happy family.

Bruno was the most lovable of all the pets. He stuck to me like glue, sat on my lap while watching t.v., slept on the bed next to me, and followed me everywhere i went.

This was the first time in his little life that he was loved, safe and secure. Over the next eight years he has been happy and content, and still lays on my lap when i watch t.v. The pictures above chronicle his life over the past eleven years.

And those people across the street? If this was not such a small red neck town, i would have had them charged with animal cruelty, but decided my safety and solitude was worth more than the satisfaction i would have gotten by doing that.

Every time Bruno saw them, or heard their voices he would cower, tremble and run to me sticking like glue. It took him almost two years to stop this behavior. I guess it took him that long to realize he was not going back there with those awful people.

Although, i am not usually a mean or vindictive person, when they finally had their property 'repossessed' for non payment, i gladly made them an offer to buy it to prevent the foreclosure and save their credit. So i made the offer to cover the mortgage, back taxes, foreclosure fees, and enough extra to purchase a used motor home so they could leave this area - and thank goodness, they did just that.

When Bruno needed surgery on his knee due to their abuse, i gladly had it done and paid for it from the proceeds of the re-sale of their property. I guess there is a modicum of justice in this world after all. And i ended up with the best part of it all - my beautiful, lovable little companion for life - Bruno.

Today i only have three pets left: Bruno, Dude, and Peanut (the last remaining cat). Peanut was extremely attached to Benji (his life story link is attached below). After Benji died, Peanut mourned, sad and depressed, wandered around the house crying constantly for several weeks. I truly thought she would die of a broken heart.

Then one day, she suddenly attached herself to Bruno. He unwittingly took Benji's place. She cuddles up to him and meows affectionately and Bruno 'talks' to her. He makes five or six discernibly different sounds when they are 'conversing'. I am not exactly sure what they are talking about, but i keep telling them that they had better not be plotting anything sinister against me or Dude.

I have yet to get any of their conversation on video, but as soon as i do, i will add it to this hub, in the hopes that someone out there can decipher their conversation.

Maybe then i will finally know if they are indeed planning a coup against me and the Dude, or just having a mutual admiration conversation.

I always say:

I strive everyday to be the kind of person that my dogs think i am. You can't be a better person than that in this world.

by: d.william 04/21/2011