Repost: Finding Loki

I am reposting a couple of stories that I wrote for my myspace blog that I don't want to lose. I don't ever use myspace anymore and want to be able to find these easily. This one was written May 17, 2008. It's a very important moment in my life. The pictures are the ones I originally posted also, in order to stay true to the story.

So back in February I rescued a little cocker spaniel off the streets. He was in bad shape. Way underweight, covered in burrs, and his fur all matted. He was such a sweet dog, letting me take care of him. I wasn't sure I wanted to keep him at the time and was still considering whether I should try to find the owners. My dilemma was this: if he looked like this because his people were abusing or neglecting him, I didn't want to give him back but if he looked like this because he got lost and his people really want him back then I should find them. I decided to put up signs in the neighborhood that specifically stated the people who called had to account for his condition. Two days later I got a call from someone who described him perfectly. I wasn't completely satisfied with their answers of "We've only had him for a month and he was skinny when we got him. He pees in the house, so we keep him outside." I called my vet for advice, and he said I could try to keep the dog but they would just go to animal control and a police officer would come and take the dog from me anyway. So I gave the dog back. But FIRST I made sure to let my views known on keeping a long haired, floppy eared dog outside all the time and explained how to kennel train. They seemed very open to my suggestions as well as how to get some weight on him. I felt better about it.

Then I found out some friends live next door to them and have been calling animal control on these people for months. I felt sick. I could not believe I gave the poor dog back! The only thing I could think to do was give them my number and say I would help report if they told me what was going on. So two weeks ago I get a text, "Buddy's on the loose and if we find him and take him to the shelter, he'll be available for adoption in 4 days." So maybe it was a little unethical but these people were keeping him locked in a metal shed in their backyard until animal control came out. Then they simply put him in a pen with food and water and never played him. Never walked him. Never loved on him. He's obviously not a guard dog. What exactly did they get out of keep a dog locked in their backyard? The sick satisfaction of watching him I guess. So we found him, and took him to the shelter. Now, these people were gone when this happened on a Saturday morning. They didn't come home until Sunday evening. Instead of freaking out and looking for their missing dog as any reasonable person would, they mowed the lawn. They never went looking for him. I know that when I had him in Feb they had gone to the shelter to look for him so they knew to look for him there.

When I went back 4 days later, he was still there. No one had come for him. So I adopted him. They live right down the street and have apparently seen me with him. The little boy told Shanna (who lives next door) that his mom was gonna "go off" but they haven't said a word. For all these people know, I came and took him out their backyard. If it was me, I would have stopped in the middle of road and flown in a rage if I saw someone with Aurora. Nothing from them. All talk.

In case anyone wonders, I spoke with my vet about what they could do. Nothing. The law is on my side. I adopted him legally and have the papers to prove it. They could have found him where I did but they didn't bother. Now I have the sweetest little boy and he has yet to potty in the house after two weeks. Shows how much they know.