Brownie, a pup

Brownie,
You were just a baby, not even 6 months old.
You had gorgeous hazel eyes with a great chocolate-colored coat and nice caramel-colored markings.
You never really barked much, even though you were in a teeny tiny, bottom cage, shadowed there, likely bored and stir crazy out of your little mind!
You were always just grateful for anyone that would pay attention to you; even better, get you out to play.
On Saturday it seemed your puppy dog prayers had been answered: a nice, vivacious man with 3 friendly kids chose you.
They got you out, played with you, loved you and placed an adoption hold.
You had surgery (neuter) and your new family was scheduled to pick you up the day after your nice meet and greet, Sunday.
2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m.... still no family... where were they?!

Then Monday rolled around.
That's when I saw you still at the shelter and I was perplexed; your family had seemed so nice, so sincere, surely they didn't bail on you... but they did.

Monday afternoon rolls around and a seemingly nice young lady inquired about you, wanting to adopt.
Unfortunately I had already seen a note on your file- a manager had 'extended your hold' one extra day to give your original adopter a chance to get you (bad move!!!!). This made it impossible for someone else to be able to adopt you that Monday, so the young lady chose a different pet.
Brownie, I called your original adopter/owner, leaving him a message saying, "You were there, freshly neutered, ready and waiting for him."

I even called from my personal cell to see if he'd answer, he didn't.
I couldn't help but wonder what lie he and his wife had told his kids to justify not getting you- they had all been so excited about bringing you home.

Tuesday I was off, you were adopted, 2 days after you should have been.

Wednesday I received the dreaded email from clinic staff-
you had been returned after only 24 hours and were among 5 puppies that had contracted parvo.
You were given until noon the following day to either leave or die.
The email said you were in good spirits for having parvo so your chances of survival would be good, for me honestly, that made the blow even harder. -I knew you likely would not make it out.
I couldn't go visit you, you were behind "A-ward" (euth room) and parvo is simply too contagious, I couldn't risk visiting with you only to potentially infect other shelter dogs. But I thought about you all day... promise. I felt very badly that you were alone, in a secluded area, witnessing the sad fate of many of your fellow canines first-hand while you waited.
Just shy of noon on Thursday you were put to sleep, 'humanely euthanized.'
Perhaps euthanasia was the only humane part of your sad story in a municipal shelter, your suffering was over. The rest of your shelter story and short life had been so heartbreaking, but unfortunately not uncommon.

Above all though, you should have lived... a long, happy, healthy life. You did not have to die like this.
Brownie, in your short little life, you were abandoned over and over again... once at the shelter by whomever dumped (I mean 'surrendered') you there, next by your 'perfect family' that didn't show up, and last but not least, by your owner that had taken you home only to bring you back in 24 hours.
It took everything within me to not call your original 'adopter,' telling him you had succumbed to parvo.
But I knew I couldn't.
I've seen this happen before, when puppies enter and then re-enter the shelter system they're often doomed to this sad fate.
All sickness is related to stress and the stress of being left, again and again, proves too much for many of our canine friends, especially the young ones.
-Jessica

This isn't Brownie but has the same coloring as Brownie, I'd have to search for his intake pic when at work

                                                     Posted 3rd October by Jessica Pita

Labels: animal shelters animal welfare dogs municipal shelters parvo pet adoption pet lovers puppies sheltering