June 4th, I received the Euth list from the ACC. The list was full of beautiful, friendly, adoptable dogs that only landed on the dreaded list because of space or because they had come down a cold. Yes, a simple cold can land a dog on the euth list these days. This was the reason that Lacey, a beautiful chocolate brown pit mix was to be euthanized the next day. She was only 30 lbs. From her photo she looks very underweight. I could see her ribs. Her tail was tucked so far underneath her body, you culd barely tell she had a tail at all. An animal control volunteer wrote she was friendly with people, other animals, no aggression noted… However our shelter was full. I had a waiting list a mile long of dogs that needed to come in. Where was I going to put Lacey?
I tried to put her out of my mind… but sometimes there are dogs that just won’t leave. They haunt me. There was another dog named Lucy that I had wanted to save off the euth list awhile back but I had already pulled another dog… and I had no space, yet something about Lucy just grabbed me. “You can’t save them all,” I told myself as I went to sleep with an uneasy feeling in my chest… I never forgot Lucy. For some reason she stands out in my mind. I know if we don’t have space and I can’t find a foster there isn’t much I can do. I had already pulled another dog that I really didn’t have room for and was going to foster myself… Yet I felt personally responsible for her death even though I had nothing to do with Lucy being in Animal Control in the first place. Once you make that connection, its hard to forget. This is just one example of what goes on for many rescuers in our city. This nightly heartbreak that the euth list brings… It hurt to know Lacey would join Lucy and the rest of the dead that live on in the back of my mind…
Then on June 6th we had a very successful adoption event. Two dogs ended up going home and we had some great applications for some others. In addition to that, another dog went to foster in the morning. In my mind I am always trying to figure out a way to “make room” at the shelter and once I had mentally filled the empty cages and potentially empty cages with the waiting list dogs it looked like there still may be room. I had a beautiful Rottweiler that had been thrown out on the street by his owner coming in on Monday ( a kind neighbor was holding the dog for us) and two pit bulls abandoned by their owners coming in later in the week. By miracle another dog on the intake list had been reunited with his owner… It looked like there may be some room now… some pressure was lifting…
I am hardly ever delighted to see an animal on the Euth list but that night on June 6th when I saw Lacey back on the list, I was ecstatic. For some reason or another, they hadn’t euthanized her two nights ago but here she was again. I immediately picked up the phone to call the hotline to pull her off the list. In my message I told them I would pick her up Monday morning.
I hung up the phone and looked at my own dog, Horatio who was lying in bed looking at me. Horatio was also on the Euth list twice before I was able to save him. The first time, a volunteer pulled him off in hopes that rescue would take him. No one did and he ended up back on the list a couple of days later. He was only six months old at the time. We just had a dog adopted that day and I was able to pull him. It was the best decision I ever made.
Horatio was staring at me with his dark eyes. “This one was for you,” I told him. I can’t imagine my life without Horatio. He brings me so much happiness everyday. He is loyal, devoted and affectionate. He is so full of life, loves to run and play and inspires me everyday. I knew that Lacey could also bring this to someone’s life. Its easy to just say, “Oh another pit bull on the list” but if you know a dog that has survived the euth list… know their personalities and look into their eyes… you can’t imagine that they almost lost their lives because they are so beautiful, so alive, and you can’t imagine that there are ones just like them about to be put to sleep right now… yet tragically, there are. Beautiful dogs that could be someone’s pet, someone’s best friend are being put to sleep everyday in NYC.
I felt ecstatic that I was able to save Lacey. I love the feeling of picking the dogs up from Animal Control and telling them they are safe now. I love when they hop into the car and stick their noses out the window and sniff the fresh air… Its a wonderful feeling to be able to rescue a dog!
Then I open my email the next night… and as there is everynight, there a euth list there, full of dogs waiting for rescuers to come get them… and my heart sinks as I look at the photos… where can I make room…? Where can I make room? If only I had a huge shelter or a waiting list of foster homes just waiting to help rescue a dog off the euth list… or even an extra room in this apartment… All of these things swirl through my mind…
While I am grateful they give us a chance to save these dogs, I can’t wait for the day when there are no euth lists. It will take more than rescues pulling dogs for this to happen (spay/neuter, humane education, the closing of puppy mills etc) but we can’t stop pulling the dogs, rescuing them one at time. It may not seem to make a dent but for the ones who survive it means everything.
Here is Lacey’s ACC photo.
For more information of adopting and fostering please visit our website www.bobbiandthestrays.org
I have took on two rescue dogs that were abandoned by their former owners. They are the most loveable creatures I have ever known. It is awful how some people treat animals like belongings or worse. My hope is that more people will get educated about this issue. I am a strong supporter of the anti-puppy-mill crusade as well. Keep up the great work!!!
Keep up the great work, Laura! It does make a dent - really and truly. It reminds me of the following:
A man walking along the beach noticed that there were thousands of starfish that had washed up on the shore. He also noticed a boy stooping down and picking them up and one by one he was throwing them back into the ocean.
The man said to the boy “Why do you bother doing that? There are so many of them you can not make a difference.”
The boy stooped down and picked up another and threw it past the breaking waves and replied “It made a difference to that one”.
Loved this post - but it is very sad. Thanks for doing what you do and for making a dent.
Hopefully little Lacey will go home soon - have a promising app =)
To add to your post, I want to say the same things for the cats. At the moment, I’m trying not to look at the nightly cat and kitten euth list - it’s usually double or triple the dog list =(
The story that came to my mind reading your Lacey post is about Simon & Baby Girl. Both siblings - both big fluffy 6 yo house cats - both dumped in a kill shelter for no reason - both slated to die the next morning. I will never forget this - I was at work and opened the euth email from the ACC… there they were - their frightened, confused faces staring at me… they were going to die - alone and afraid. Ok that’s it I thought! I can’t let them go this way. Laura if you remember I called you and we figured out a way to get a cage even though we weren’t supposed to - we had no room - but we did it! You and another person waited because the transporter was late - it was 10pm when she showed - all workers were exhausted - it was a cold November night. But as soon as the transporter opened the carriers in the VP cat room - the 2 big, fluffy, beautiful cats jumped out - happy to be alive although they didn’t know where they were. A serene-ness filled the whole room - almost like a sense of calm and warmth. Simon, a 20 lb. gray and white loverboy was very curious and his sister Baby Girl, an 18 lb. Calico, basically just hung back and stayed behind her big brother. A cage was set up for them with all the necessities to make them as comfortable as possible. They went home in about a month to their forever new mom. She sent me pictures of them both in their new home and it just made me smile ear to ear knowing that I made the difference! If I didn’t open that email at that moment, they would be gone. It made me feel peaceful for them. Thank GOD we pulled them - I know they are only 2 out of thousands and thousands, but their lives are happy and content.
I wish I could do more for all the rest. People please - make sure to spay and neuter, do not buy - adopt - and please make your cats and dogs family members so the thought of putting them in a shelter will never occur to you - THIS will help them all.
Laura, I can’t read one of your blogs without tears! When we got Tara at ACC she was on the list for the next day.(we weren’t supposed to be told that) She had so many issues due to her previous owner…well, I could write a blog about it…but it amazes me the reasons people bring their dogs to ACC! Too big (Tara’s reason and she was only a few months old!), too noisy, too much trouble, etc. I wish everyone felt like we do that once you take a pet it’s your responsibility for life! No ifs, ands or buts! I’m glad Lacey is one of the lucky ones!