I might have told you Winslow’s story before, but having just taken him to the University of Pennsylvania for another echocardiogram and knowing that his heart murmur has gotten worse and that his blood pressure was up and nearing 230, I wanted to share it again, in more detail. This past month of extensive research with regard to my Briefing on Capitol Hill on the status of our pets in today’s society has opened my eyes, even more, to the destructiveness of our world. Unfortunately there are also people who put their dog to sleep, not because of its misery, but because the dog is an inconvenience. Whether he or she is older and needs more attention or the family has made a decision to move and cannot take the dog, it seems to be an easy answer. In conjunction with these issues, I have had individuals approach me, talking happily about getting a replacement puppy as soon as their older dog dies. It breaks my heart to hear these things when I consider Winslow to be a part of my family. There is no replacement.
Winslow came to me from multiple terrorizing sources. First he was the product of a puppy mill, then he was placed in the care of a veterinarian who starved him, and then he was sent to multiple foster homes. When I picked him up the very first day, uncertain of his new surroundings, he was so terrified that he threw up in the car. He was 30 pounds underweight and could not jump on the sofa or a couch because his rear legs were never really developing since being in a cage for so long. He was diagnosed with hip dysplasia. Initially he was distant, a loner, trying to regroup and figure out his place amongst me, my husband of the time, and our other rescue Apollo. He would fall asleep and cry in his sleep. I’m not sure what he saw; I could only tell that it wasn’t good.
Today, he has gained the weight. He is 61 pounds and has the run of the house. He is a Basset Hound watch dog, sounding his bark any time a neighbor walks by with their own furry friend, and he loves it when I sing to him. In the midst of running crazily through the house, he will listen to my voice, lie down, and fall asleep in my arms.
He is 8 years old now, not terribly old for a Basset Hound, but I know old enough that his days are numbered. That is why I am calling this newsletter, Winslow’s Call. It is merely because I will never make the decision to take his life away from him, under any circumstances. It’s his call. I have said this before but I stand even more firmly now. He is here on this earth for as long as he wants to be.
You see when I wake up each morning both my boys are sleeping with me. Before I even say a word or lift my head from the pillow, I hear this thump on the bed. It is Winslow’s tail wagging against the bed. He hasn’t lifted his head or moved, but somehow knowing that I am awake, he is wagging his tail in happiness. I know there are mornings he is in pain; I know there are days he is tired; but I know more than anything that he wants to be here and that the pain he has experienced in the past is a galaxy away from the love and happiness that surrounds him today. I know it would be an injustice to take his life.
What am I asking? I am asking for you to spread the word that getting a pet is a life-long decision. It is an inconvenience. It is difficult. It is costly. It is sacrifice. And it is hard work. But the lessons I’ve learned from Winslow are far greater than the lessons I have ever learned from any text book. His lessons are about truth, unconditional love, honesty, and the ability to be real. In life we search for people with these same values to surround us; we look for them in friends, in our families, and in the newcomers who enter our lives. Is it possible that we could be missing something that is right in front of us?
Best,
Gail
Gail
hey its georgeanne-very touching post-as an animal lover and living with more rescues than i’ll share here-it’s hard, it’s challenging, and costly- but WOULD NOT CHANGE A THING!! i have even made provisions for them in the event something should ever happen to me….people offer opinions even though i do not particularly ask – i once read a quote that how a society treats it’s animals reflects their stage of develpment…sometimes i wonder about our stage. i am ALWAYS apprehensive of a person who doesn’t like animals….ALWAYS. keep up the GREAT work!!
I agree that our pets are family and can’t be replaced. My 12 yr old poodle died in my son’s arms. Later my siamese cat and my son and I stayed by my 13 yr old greyhound mix on a blanket on the living room carpet until her time came and she left us. Then 3 months later, my siamese missed her buddy, and she joined him.
Have you heard the bridge story? There’s a bridge located in a beautiful meadow where our pets go when they leave us. They play and wait for us there until we join them. Then we cross over the bridge together. I find comfort in that story. I know my pets are waiting for me at the bridge.
God bless you and your work.