Then we saw this face:
Along with the words: WILL BE EUTHANIZED TOMORROW.
Pixie had been found on 108th and Park in New York City. Scared, lonely, and alarmingly skinny. Who knows how she got there, who owned her before, who bred her for puppies and then left her to fend for herself on the streets of Spanish Harlem? Who knows how she felt, or if she wondered if they were going to come back for her? We'll probably never know. But in spite of all that, like many dogs Pixie is forgiving and trusting. She was friendly and affectionate to the folks who handled her at the Manhattan Animal Control Center. She passed her behavior tests with flying colors and the volunteers who walked her said she was gentle, polite on the leash, and good with men, women, children, and other dogs. In spite of all that good faith in the human race that had so let her down, the ACC was going to let her down again; they put her on the euth list for having kennel cough. That's the part that really pisses me off. Kennel cough? Seriously? They were going to euthanize this dog because she HAD A COLD. I will save my ire for the NYC ACC for another post.
Seriously. Look at that face.
And then tell me we could have just let her die.
And then tell me we could have just let her die.
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| Pixie says "Goodbye ACC!" |
It is thanks to an amazing network of dog-loving volunteers who diligently post photos and descriptions of these stray, homeless and rescued animals on Facebook and EBay, that we saw Pixie's info. And it is because of their efforts that we were able to contact a rescue group that very night who was willing to put a hold on Pixie for us, and it is because of them that instead of being euthanized that Sunday morning, Pixie got a new shot at having a family. We drove down to NY the next morning to pick her up. And when we did, we could not get out of that sad depressing place fast enough. And neither could Pixie who, when we stepped out the front door, took a deep breath of fresh air, hacked a bit with the kennel cough, peed on the nearest patch of grass, and then hopped into the back seat of our car like it was already hers. She alternately slept and gave us kisses the whole 5 hour drive home. Once here she quickly endeared herself to every being in this house - including our shy big black cat (she licks his ears like he is her "puppy"), our sometimes-cranky resident geezer dog Mr. Tim, and our other lap-sitting, bed-hogging mushface bully, Django. She sits with my kids while they do their homework. She curls up next to us at TV-time. She likes to sleep on the bed and has perfected the art of weaseling under the covers where she IS NOT ALLOWED! (yeah... right...;-) )
Here's Pixie, cozied up with my 13 yo boy.
("mmmmmm...... teenager feet!")
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| Welcome home, Pixie. We are so very glad you are here. |
If you are reading this, and you have any room in your heart or home for a critter that has done nothing wrong but to be homeless, please consider adopting from a shelter or rescue. Some people have commented that we "lucked out" that Pixie is such a good dog, and while I certainly agree we are lucky to have found her I also fervently believe that the shelters are full of GREAT DOGS JUST LIKE PIXIE. She is not the exception! Unspeakable numbers of dogs who are JUST as wonderful and adoptable as Pixie are euthanized in these shelters every day. So if you have been thinking of adding a pet to your family, please consider that right now, a dog as wonderful as this is just languishing in a steel cage with the clock ticking. Please go get them!
