The festive season – a dog’s view
Imagine being a dog left behind while your owners go on holiday ... and then the fireworks start.
Once I was a happy dog, running around in my garden, just content with my life. Then one day I saw my owners packing the car. Jimmy my human friend was running around looking very happy packing the bags. A road trip, I thought?
When they were all done Jimmy came to me and said, we’re going on holiday, Buddy! Mom and Dad couldn’t get a boarding kennel for you, so you have to stay home for a week all alone.
Alone, I thought? But how is this possible? Who will feed me? Give me water? Seeing my confused expression, Jimmy said, don’t worry, I will put out a big bowl of water and lots of food for you. You’ll be okay, Buddy.
As I watched them climbing in the car and waving goodbye, I heard a loud bang. My water bowl had fallen over, and the birds were feasting on my food! Some holiday I will be having, I thought.
That night there was a lot of noise and bright colours in the sky. Bang! Bang! Bang! Jimmy, where are you? I’m scared and all alone! Maybe I should go look for Jimmy; he must be worried about me, surely.
I tried to jump the fence, but slipped and hurt my leg. I tried to squeeze through the fence, but only managed to cut my leg. To make matters worse, it started raining. Frantic with fear, I tried and tried again to get out of the yard until click, the gate opened!
Not knowing where I was going, I ran down the street. Bang! Bang! all around me. A car almost knocked me down. Stupid dog, get out of the way, they yelled. After a long time I was very tired, scared, and wet. I climbed in a drain to try to escape from the noise. Scared and all alone, I fell asleep.
When I woke up I was in a place I have never been before. A lady wrapped me in a blanket and gave me some food and water. Good boy, let’s see if you have a microchip. She scanned and scanned, but apparently I had no chip. No collar, either. Well, your owners have not phoned lost and found to report you missing, boy, so we will keep you safely in our kennels where you will be taken good care of.
If my owners had put a microchip in me or a collar on I could have been home with them now. If they had put me in a boarding kennel I would have been safe and comfy now. If they had phoned lost and found I could have been reunited with them.
So as I make myself comfortable in my kennel, listening to all my neighbours barking for attention as people walk past us looking for who they can adopt, I see a pup taken out and handed over to his new owner – Jimmy, my old owner, who never really looked out for me, who didn’t prepare me for the day I ran out of the gate, has just adopted a new ‘me’.
Farewell, Coco, at least you are microchipped and neutered as you leave the SPCA.
I give my paw one last good wash before I retire for a peaceful afternoon nap…
Buddy
(Courtesy: Liana Marx, Kennel Manager at the Johannesburg SPCA)
Must Read:
How to adopt a pet at the Jhb SPCA
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