3-Dog Roadside Rescue This Weekend!
This weekend, I was teaching teenagers at Pima County Juvenile Detention Center. Among the activities, we did some poetry reading and writing, and I taught them some breathwork that they could use in the future to calm themselves down and reduce stress: it was wonderful to spend some time getting back to my literary roots and flexing my yogini muscles. And, naturally, we talked about animals and animal law quite a bit, too.
At the end of Saturday, I was escorted out of the building, where I waited for my husband Seth to pick me up. Apparently, he was running a little late. So I waited for another fifteen minutes while the sky grew darker and the raindrops started falling. Hmmm…
Finally, I saw Seth walking towards me from a distance. In his arms, a little scrappy terrier. By his side, without leashes, two larger dogs followed. All three dogs had been wandering around the parking lot together, less than fifty yards from a very busy road. The freeway was just a little further on up the road. Seth had been unable to get all three dogs into our car but realized they would follow him; the first step was just about getting them as far away from the street traffic as possible.
Together, we were able to coax the three dogs into the entrance of the detention center. However, with visiting hours approaching, the staff couldn’t keep them in the area. We urged them not to call Pima Animal Control Center,which euthanizes up to 70% of the animals that come its way. So we called Humane Society of Southern Arizona. The Humane Society’s office wouldn’t close for anouther twenty minutes, but we needed to get them into our own car and take them there. Unlike Animal Control, the Humane Society ensures adoption for animals given to them in good health (and of good temperament). These dogs were not only beautiful, but they were also very gentle and love-y. In the backseat of our car, the little guy actually climbed onto the back of his reclining big sister and started falling asleep.
Unfortunately, these dogs had no collars, no tags, and no microchips. We had to pay a fee when we dropped off the dogs, but it was well worth saving them from the horrors of the pound. It breaks my heart that this little family most likely will be separated. But at least I know that tonight they are safe, that none of them will find death on the freeway, and that they will be given the time for their new families to find them. These dogs will have loving homes.
I’d spent the day with wonderful kids who may have done some terrible things. But I looked at each of them on Saturday as we shared one activity after another, and I couldn’t help but wonder: what would they be like, had the circumstances they’d been born into been different? Then I got into the car with these three pups and also thought about circumstances, and all the pieces that had to fall into place so that our paths would cross right at that crucial moment. In this way, Saturday’s theme became about second chances — for humans and nonhumans alike.
On Sunday morning, I shared the rescue story with the seventeen teens at the detention center and they cheered. What a great weekend.
A few tips to help you make roadside rescues when the opportunities come your way:
- Keep a zip-lock bag of dog biscuits in the glove box. Makes it a lot easier to coax a dog into the backseat.
- Know your local no-kill organizations and where they’re located in town.
- Put the phone number of one or two of those organizations into your cell phone.
- Be careful! Especially on busy streets. You can’t do anyone any good if you get hit yourself or cause an accident.
- Be cautious! You don’t know the animal you’re trying to rescue, so be cautious when approaching in case they are aggressive or have a health issue.
- Be friendly, but move slowly! A too-fast approach might scare the animal right into oncoming traffic.
Microchips!
Finally, I know there is a family out there who is missing their three dogs right now, and they’ll never know what happened to them. I urge everyone with companion animals to get them microchipped for just this reason.
Bonus Tip
If you have companion animals of your own, the next time you’re at the vet office, ask them for one of their quick leashes (the simple loop-around-the-neck leashes that vet offices always have handy). A quick leash in the trunk can be a useful tool in helping a skittish animal to safety.
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YAY Sharon!! Great work!!
omg! i’ve never had to do a roadside rescue, which is a good thing because i don’t know how i would ever give those little guys up! so precious.