After talking about how there aren't any clouds in Bahrain, I got this wonderful surprise the other day when driving home.... I looked up and the sky was full of these beautiful, glorious clouds. It looked as if God sent these just for me. It was if he was saying "ok, here'r the clouds you've been waiting for missy"... and I was so happy. I so love clouds and these were especially pretty. And.. the ones in the distance even, sorta, look like mountains - which I really loved. So... I can't say that Bahrain doesn't have nice clouds because it just isn't true. And... I've even been known to say the sky is yellow here... but.. if you'll notice, the sky is a beautiful blue!Today, this afternoon rather, we took our kitty, Yumi Cat, to the vet. She snuck out of the house last week - she knows how to open the back screen door - and was out for the entire day and night. My husband went out the back door and she was standing there crying to get in. I guess it was later that day when I noticed something bloody on her back right pinky claw. She was licking it and it was bleeding, so I took a closer look and her claw had been broken off all the way down from where it grows from her toe. I can't imagine how bad that hurt! Well, I let it go because I know claws grow back, so I figured it would hurt her for a bit but it would be ok. This was probably 4 or so days ago. Yesterday evening I noticed that her right foot out by the toe area was swollen and her toe area - where the injury occured - was bloody again and when she licked it she would shake her foot and take off running, so I knew something was wrong. We decided to take her to the vet just in case it was infected, and I wanted to make sure she was okay.
We get to the vet a little after 5 today and when we walk in there's a dog on the floor w/ blood in front of it. I immediately feel concerned for him and take a long look to see where the blood is coming from, but I can't tell. The dog, I think, is a Rottweiler and he's really big and muscular. But the one thing I noticed when I walked past him, he had the saddest eyes I've ever seen. He looked at me right in the eyes and I felt so sad for him. Dogs are so expressive with their eyes... they seem so human and I've never been able to stand seeing a dog hurt or in pain, so it was really hard seeing him like this. No one was in the waiting area so I didn't know who he belonged to, but I immediately told my husband that I bet this dog is being used for fighting.
I guess about 10 mins. later this guy walks in and it's obvious that the dog is his. He stands by the doorway to the waiting area for cats and calls to the dog. Then he comes in and sits down. My husband starts talking to him and he tells my husband that the dog is bleeding from the nose because of the heat. They talked for a bit and then the vet came out and he went in w/ the dog. I told my husband that he's fighting that dog and I didn't believe that dog was bleeding from heat.
After the vet spends time w/ the dog, it's our turn inside. I immediately ask the vet is the dog is ok and he says no. The dog had been left outside in the heat and was having something similar to heat stroke (he was bleeding and could barely stand or walk) and even though the man said that the dog had only been out for a day, the vet said that he believed that the dog had been left outside for days. The dog isn't being cared for properly and, INDEED, they are fighting that dog!! I knew it. I immediately felt so much anger I could hardly stand it. I could hardly even concentrate on my own cat from feeling so much anger at that guy. When he had been in talking to my husband I came so close to asking him if he fought that dog but I didn't... what good would it have done?!! People like that... you can't reason w/ them... I know that, but... the anger I felt and still feel is almost overpowering.
Our kitty's back paw got a good cleaning, and I must say that she behaved like a true lady. I'm so proud of her. She didn't cry one time and didn't even try to get the vet. She even got a shot and didn't cry out, altho she did try to back off of the table while he was giving it to her, but she didn't try to bite him or anything, but I knew she wouldn't. Our kitties are always so good at the vet, if I must say so myself! ;)
Anyway... on the way home, I let my deep, heartfelt anger out for this guy. I can't stand people like that... who fight dogs or any kind of animals for that matter or ppl who mistreat animals. That dog's eyes said so much... I just can't imagine how someone could fight an animal like that... which, if I'm not mistaken, is usually to the death. Not to mention how badly they treat these dogs - they starve them, they mistreat them, they beat them, they let them kill cats and other animals in order to prepare them for fighting... just so many awful things. You know, I feel such hate for ppl like this. I even told my husband that I hope God punishes him... I do. I hope he and others like him get terrible illnesses like cancer and suffer miserably for long periods of time... I hope they suffer like they've made these animals suffer. They deserve no more.... honestly, I hope they burn in hell.
Yes, these are strong words but for someone to abuse an animal - AN ANIMAL - how could a person do this? An innocent animal. It makes me sick. Just today there was an article in the GDN about how many animals are killed at the BSPCA and there was a story about ppl burning this dog. The poor thing. I didn't read this article, my husband did. I can't read stuff like this because I see it in my head and it stays w/ me for long periods of time.... like the pictures of the dog today.. they'll stay w/ me for a while. The thought of this man mistreating this beautiful animal... fighting him. He sat and bragged about buying this dog in the U.S. and how much he paid for him - $1,300! But HA... he's at the vet and says he can't afford to pay. He wanted the vet to give free services.
I asked my husband why the vet doesn't report this man or why he doesn't take the dog from him... and my husband says he can't do this because these type of ppl are mean and they'll come and burn his place down or do something bad if he were to do that. It's horrible that things like this can't be policed and stopped.... I think there should be a group of ppl here or a show like Animal Rescue 911... someone needs to get these problems pulled out into the open - more than they are now!! Some undercover work needs to be done to catch these ppl fighting animals.... it's not a sport and it's so terribly horrific.
9 comments:
Cruelty to animals..sad pathetic people who feel the need to do these things. Its disgusting IMHO.
Clouds are nice, they mean less sun, but wow, its still soooo hot outside! the humidity is just too much :(
Ohhhh, I fall apart when dogs talk with their eyes.
The abject misery they are able to convey has no comparison...
When people mistreat their animals - or make them live outside - then I have no idea why they bother owning them.
They enrich our lives. Surely we don't own them just to stick them out in the backyard and leave them to languish in hot or cold, mud or dust, while we enjoy the comfort of the indoors, and stick a bowl of food out every now and then.
A dog will even wag for the foot that will meet his ribs, I have heard...
Writing this entire rant I have borne in mind the old dog that lived in a muddy backyard behind the school district office I was working at in Houston. Run-down house, Harley Davidson-type rednecks, and a dog on a chain attached to the fence in his own worn patch of bare earth that became a sea of mud in the rains. Predictably, he wagged with such hope every time his odious owners came near, even if they were ignoring him, which they did most of the time. I wanted to slap them.
Oh god, and what about the puppies that are chained, and as they grow the chain becomes embedded in the skin and starts to choke the animal because it's too narrow. (I used to watch Pet Rescue on the Learning Channel.)
Dogs (and other pets) are like children, they can't speak up, they can't leave, they can't tell anyone what they want. It is our responsibility to show them the best life we can and "bring them up well" - which includes boundaries and discipline along with the affection and comfort.
OK I will shut up now.
*sigh*
rant over...
Sorry.
Good heavens, I did go on.
I hope Yumi Cat's little claw gets better quickly, poor mite. As I read about it my toe suffered a stabbing pain which went away, of course, while I wrote that rant above :o
techz, YES, it is really hot outside. the worst thing is when you're dressed for work, walk out to your car and are covered in sweat before you even start the car! and i agree, these ppl are sad and pathetic!
olivia, my dear, you write so eloquently! i read your comments and find myself taken away each time... when you say "a dog will wag for the foot taht will meet his ribs"... this truly touches me. there is so much heartache with animal cruelty. i've seen the kinds of things you talk about in the states as well. once when i was a young girl, i remember a house that had a dog chained in their yard. he had nothing but his dog house and the chain as his friends. he'd get so excited any time we'd walk past. well, i was young and didn't know better so i let that dog go. looking back i know all the reasons it wasn't a good thing, but, at the time, i'm sure i thought i was giving him life. i so much agree with everything you write. and indeed, this dog spoke w/ his eyes. they were soooo sad and the way he looked at me. i didn't dare go near him because you just never know w/ dogs... but my heart reached out to him. i watch a lot of animal planet here and see such terrible things on Pet Rescue 911... i really wish there was such here but i can't see it ever happening. and yes, pets are like children... this is how i see our pets. ppl have always thought me crazy.... kind of like 'that crazy cat lady'... but i don't care. when you talk about boundaries and discipline for animals, i'm having to teach my little arab kitties both. i've noticed a huge difference, believe it or not, between our little arab kitties and the kitties from the u.s., which is odd. the cats here... they don't like to mind and misbehave like you wouldn't believe! ;)
and again, olivia, i think you should write a book... and i'm not kidding!
maybe you should start your own pet rescue. its always been a passion of yours.....
Tooners.. the "animal whisperer"
No joke though, this blog has made me seriously think about doing soemthing myself.
off the subject: your poem in the book you sent to us is beautiful. and first page too! wow. i am impressed and very proud of you... i just wished you had signed the book for us.
Aw, Tooners - thank you so much for everything you wrote.
It means so much.
You know, my Mum was reading my blog a couple of weeks ago and she saw the excellent encouragement you wrote about my life getting better soon, and she said you must be a nice person.
that is a beautiful picture, and i hate going to the vet.
i guess it's all sweet and sour.
--RC of strangeculture.blogspot.com
Beautiful clouds coupled with an injured loved one and cruelty to a sad-eyed dog. It's ironic how these things wind up going together.
Maybe you were meant to go to the vet then and see that dog. I'd be careful what you do, however. I don't think I need to tell you that you'd be an easy target to spot in a crowd if someone decided they wanted to get even.
The thought of animals suffering, makes me so damned sad....and whats even worse, is when they aren't feeling well they cannot tell us they feel icky or they're in pain...breaks my heart!
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