 Sunday, May 10, 1998Adopt-A-Pet Shelter in Benld ILLinois was recently contacted to help with a very distressing situation. A local boarding kennel was found to contain 20 dogs whose owners never returned. Some of the owners died, moved away, or just didn't care. Over the past few years the kennel owner became senile and months ago was put into a nursing home. She had handled the kennel affairs and records "in her head". She had a caretaker who was limited to certain rules and duties. He was not allowed to let the dogs into their outside runs or get vet care....for YEARS !!!!!What shelter workers found when they went into the barracks type of kennel turned stomachs and brought tears. Occasionally the cages were hosed out; feces were shoveled out; food and water put in; and the dogs never left their 4x4 dungeons. It was damp, very dark and the odor penetrated your clothes. Shelter personnel were told these animals were crazy, aggressive and unsocialized since they were without real human contact except for when the caretaker might have put in food/water. Adopt-A-Pet's shelter director, Lorraine Jackson, told her workers to see for themselves how bad the animals were. The first cage door pulled open after a couple of tries and out stepped a Collie, hair matted and dirty. But with tail wagging and head held high...right into the workers arms. So much for the first "aggressive" dog. An Airdale was next, when led outside jumping up and down, throwing all four feet into the air then gave the shelter worker a big kiss... The bigger dogs did better physically than the little ones. The majority of the little dogs were left blind because of being in the constant darkness of their crates for years and being in close proximity to the floor which was saturated with ammonia from the urine. The following is the list of dogs and their condition: White German Shepherd (Update from new mom!) Severly underweight--weighs 34 pounds, pressure sores from laying on concrete floors for years. Most of her teeth worn to the cage. Very sweet dog. Black Tri Collie Very matted, dragging clumps the size of basketballs, one front tooth and a few jaw teeth remaining...severe gum and teeth infection. Very affectionate. Airdale-condition seems fair...needs to be groomed badly. Shih Tzu mix?-white Very matted hair made it almost impossible to walk. Hair on head completely matted over eyes...vet check results--totally blind from hair mat, ammonia exposure, and continual darkness. Missing teeth, infected sores on back from tight mats, heart murmur and fluid build-up. Put on lasix to see if will clear up with medication. Friendly. Shih Tzu mix?-black Matted hair, stress sores, blind (same as above), walks in circles from continuous circling in cage (might come out of that...doing lots of walks for therapy) Friendly. Bassett/Beagle (looks mostly Bassett) Older but in fair condition. Friendly. Pembroke Welsh Corgi Overweight but otherwise seems fair, very friendly. (This is one of the animals that did get fed on a semi regular basis) Schnauzer mix (black-Mid size) Extremely matted but otherwise seems fair condition. Very Friendly, walks good on leash. 2 Malamutes (Update! Read about "Tops") Older, bleeding stress wounds, one has oozing sore on ear, stiff from being cooped up in too small pens for these big guys. Seem friendly. German Shorthair Pointer Mix Pressure sores on feet, large bald raw sore on back, friendly. Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Matted and pressure sores. Boxer Stress and pressure sores. American Eskimo mix Nervous and hand shy, pressure sores on feet, both ears raw and bleeding. Last third of tail bald and black. Chow-Black (Update from new mom!) Few mats, otherwise seems fair (another that got some food occasionally). Yellow Lab/Golden mix Older, cataracts, might be starting with arthritis..Friendly but still somewhat shy. 2 Long Hair Shepherds-Black/Red Matted hair and pressure sores. Very friendly....was climbing into my lap giving kisses, eating up the attention. Small long hair terrier type Hair so matted the dog seemed twice its size. Partially blind (same as others), right front leg was caught in its matted hair and had, over time, almost severed the foot at the ankle. All nerve and muscles are dead and the foot is twice the size of the other. The dog walks on its ankle due to no feeling in it. Will be amputated at vets recommendation. All the dogs were friendly though some are somewhat shy. They are not sure what to make of someone actually paying attention to them and of going outside. The windows of the shelter were not even allowed to be opened. Some of the dogs like the schnauzer mix have been there for at least 6 years we found out. The last one didn't survive- Tiny wire-haired terrier mix-if healthy would have weighed about 5 pounds. Nails were so long they were curled under and imbedded into the feet. Walking on its wrists. Blind (same as others) deaf, neurological and muscular problems. |
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The Dogs |