Visit Kathy on Petfinder.com
Kathy is a one and a half year old Beagle who was adopted by a family when she was six weeks old. By the time she was 12 weeks they were “looking to get rid of her “ (E-gads! We’re so sick of that phrase!). They had some bogus excuse like they didn’t know she would be so active...or she never put the top back on the toothpaste...or she got bad grades at school - we can’t remember. After awhile, all the same morons with all the same cop outs, seem to all run together. However, during these exchanges, we never miss the chance to give them a “helpful” lesson in semantics. When someone says that they want to “get rid of” any animal, we say (with a manufactured sympathetic tone) “oh, you want them euthanized?” Their typical reaction is an audible gasp, followed by stuttering protestations. Only then do the unenlightened restate that they’re “looking for a home” for the animal(s)”. That’s when we reply, “Ohhh, we thought when you said “get rid of” you meant...”, followed by a saccharin warning that a person has to be careful about the kind of language they use. “About ten months later, after living happily at our sanctuary, Kathy was adopted by a family of four who already had a Beagle, Chuckie, who was two years old. Within 24 hours of taking Kathy to their home, they called to ask if they could bring her back. Evidently, Kathy cried all night and again all morning, which we found suspect. They said that she didn’t want to play with Chuckie and seemed extremely depressed. After suggesting that the mom in the family lay down on the floor with Kathy and maybe have the kids cuddle with her, the mom dropped the bomb on us. She explained that they “don’t let their dogs in the house” and that their current Beagle stays in the backyard 24/7. In the past, we’d get uppity and chastise people for this, but it never does any good. This time we simply asked to come get Kathy. We did calmly tell the people that we don’t rescue dogs only to see them relegated to a back yard (or crate or laundry room) for the majority of their lives. Since many our dogs have already been abandoned, we feel a sincere responsibility to recreate a life that is the antithesis of their past. Needless to say, Kathy was ecstatic to see her friends when we returned with her to the sanctuary. She immediately jumped from the truck, running happy/crazy in circle after circle, squealing with delight, finally falling onto her back to revel in the love her canine family began to shower on her. She’s precious, beautiful, and is one the most affectionate dogs we’ve had the pleasure to know. In fact, Kathy is going to start visiting the girls at Maryhurst with Norman and the rest of his gang and will be a huge hit with her soulful eyes and happy spirit.
