The sad story of Brutus

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

A month or so ago, the big thing in the countryside near me was trying to find a stray Great Dane that had been seen out and about. It seemed to like to hang around a cemetery, but nobody could catch it.

Finally the dog was caught when it took refuge in somebody's barn and brought to the local human society in absolutely sad shape. It weighed 60 pounds when it should've weighed twice that or more. I saw the picture of it. Nothing but skin and bones and sores and wounds from getting caught in fences and such. The humane society did manage to get the dog eating. They named it Brutus.

The local newsrag ran a story on Brutus. Donations of food and toys began pouring in to the humane society. A lengthy list developed of people hoping to adopt the dog. One of the people on this list is a co-worker of mine on the freight team at the swamp. She's been wanting a Great Dane for a long time.

I don't have the heart to tell her she'll have to keep waiting, because Brutus went to that great fire hydrant in the sky, either yesterday or the day before. This I heard from my mother today, at a family dinner for my dad's birthday as we were waiting for our pizza to arrive.

Speculation on Facebook says the dog was either dumped or ran away with its owners too negligent to notice. I'm leaning toward the former because when Brutus arrived at the shelter, they didn't come forward to claim him. At any rate, the owners will probably face no punishment because there's no proof they abandoned Brutus.

All anybody can do is wonder why anybody would do such a thing to a poor animal.

[AmbrosiaWriter]

Because they consider sweet dogs like Brutus to be a thing, a piece of property, a toy. He was cute when he was a puppy, everyone wanted to play with him, but then he grew up. He got bigger than they thought he would, even though they should've been well aware of how big Great Danes get.

They got bored with him, annoyed that - unlike a toy - when they didn't want to play with him he wouldn't just go quietly into a closet and wait until they wanted to "have a dog again."

They had no idea that bringing a dog into the family is exactly like having another child, perhaps more so because - unlike children - a dog will never understand your language or your reasoning. They will only understand, very clearly, your immediate mental/emotional state and whatever words you took the time - if you took the time - to train them to understand.

It is a sickening thing, and it's heartbreaking that Brutus had to suffer from these people's idiocy. All they had to do, if they no longer wanted the dog, was to sign him over to a shelter. But they couldn't be bothered, so they just dumped him in the trash.

[BlaqueKatt]

The local newsrag ran a story on Brutus. Donations of food and toys began pouring in to the humane society. A lengthy list developed of people hoping to adopt the dog. One of the people on this list is a co-worker of mine on the freight team at the swamp. She's been wanting a Great Dane for a long time.

What saddens me is that people will go on a waiting for a "famous animal", while the shelter is likely full of adoptable animals, but they want the "famous one".

[Ashaela]

This makes me so, so sad.... I would love a Great Dane. The two I've known were the biggest, lovey-est sweetie pies I've ever met. I can't fathom anyone deliberately harming their pet; our cats are basically family to us and always have been. I guess the one good aspect to the whole sad thing is that the local animal shelter is getting more attention and support....

Being that I live out in a rural area, we've had lots of encounters with animals that were abandoned on our road. One time there was a whole litter of puppies; my sister loaded them in her pickup and took them down to Walmart to find homes for them. My mom also adopted a stray that started hanging around their front door - he's the biggest baby in the world and absolutely happy whenever people are around. He doesn't even have to be leashed when she walks him; he hardly ever leaves her side.

[freeatlast]

Our Shitzhu had been abandoned. Her former owners chained her out in the yard and left her there, regardless of the weather. She is terrified of storms and was even scared of the snow. They left her chained in the yard and moved away. The neighbors noticed after they moved that she was still there and took her to Animal Control, where my Mom found her. I just can't imagine how anybody could treat an animal that way.

[MoonCat]

I like to believe that there is a very, very, extremely mega-nasty place in hell for those people. They will be chained up and ignored through wind, freezing rain, snow, blazing hot temps and hail; and the rest of the denizens of hell will be allowed to kick them, throw things at them, and poke them with a sharp stick. Repeatedly.

[Pagan]

This is why I can't watch "Animal Cops". And then there's the ASPCA commercials....

I'd make a horrible animal cop. I'd want to do to those people what they did to the animals and see how they like it.

[XCashier]

This is why I can't watch "Animal Cops".

I can't either; I see what those people did to innocent creatures and I try to stick my hands through the TV screen to strangle the bastards.

I like to believe that there is a very, very, extremely mega-nasty place in hell for those people. They will be chained up and ignored through wind, freezing rain, snow, blazing hot temps and hail; and the rest of the denizens of hell will be allowed to kick them, throw things at them, and poke them with a sharp stick. Repeatedly.

If there is any justice in the universe, this will happen.

[LillFilly]

Our friends foster dogs from a shelter who need a sort of half-way house because they were either injured, or have social issues, or other needs that make them harder to adopt to regular families. We got our dog from them. She's a big sweetie and her nickname is 'wigglebutt' because she walks funny. See, when she was dumped at the shelter, her hips/pelvis were broken so she has this little sashay when she walks and has to run like a rabbit, so nobody wanted her because of possible medical issues, and because she looks like she has a 'pit' look. But she's ours now, and gets along with our other pets, and steals my side of the bed, and is an AMAZING squirrel chaser!

[Teysa]

Awww. She's adorable. She looks like she could use a good scritch behind the ears.

[XCashier]

She is a sweetie! Love that little smile, and that pretty brindle coat.

[EvilEmpryss]

In some areas, *not* searching for a runaway dog can be charged as abandonment or allowing an animal to roam at large. If you don't contact the shelter to let them know your dog is missing and they pick it up then they assume you knew it was roaming and you get fined for it not being properly leashed. The only way to get through to some idiots is by hitting them in the wallet.

[protege]

The two I've known were the biggest, lovey-est sweetie pies I've ever met. I can't fathom anyone deliberately harming their pet; our cats are basically family to us and always have been.

My kitties are family. I'd probably take someone out if they were harmed.

With that said, when Kitty was still at my grandmother's, she had my cousin watch him when she was on vacation. That bitch kept him in his cage the *entire* time he was at her house. When I went to pick him up, he was covered in filth. Naturally, my grandmother and I were pissed. Cousin's lucky I didn't head over there with a bat....

[Talasar]

That poor dog. Both of my dogs are rescues, we have a chow chow thay we got from a friend because she barked to much and her neighbors convinced her to put a bark collar on her. Poor things neck was all burnt. My other dog is a pure breed am staffy who spent his early years as a pit fighter. He's the most loveable dog I've ever had.

I can't believe people can treat dogs so poorly sometimes. It makes me sad that a lot of those mistreated dogs never get a chance to learn people aren't all bad.

[paxillated]

I've done breed rescue, and I still foster. I have one show dog & 2 rescues. One of my rescued guys is a giant breed.

People think they want a giant breed, because they are so awesome, or kewl, or will be scary to other people. they don't think about what life with a giant breed is like.

The puppy is cute beyond belief, with those long legs and klutziness and affection. Then they grow up, and, guess what? they eat a lot. And they leave giant turds in the yard. And their heads are level with the kitchen counters, so they tend to grab things. Their tails whack things off desks and shelves, and when they play indoors, they run into things/people a lot. Several giant breeds drool; they shake their heads and it's "flying egg whites" time. And if you didn't train them when they were small, now they have all the bad habits you allowed. Ever been jumped up on by a huge, 110-220 lb dog? who, when his paws are on your shoulders is taller than you? No, your neighbors won't like it, especially when he knocks their kids over...

That's why they get abandoned.