As it will show in a number of articles I will dedicate to this theme, there is a very high price to pay for being born in a world that has no need for you. No matter how sweet and innocent your gift to the world is, if you are an unwanted dog or cat, suffering and possible death will follow. As cruel as this may seem, and as uncalled for, there is simply not enough homes, resources and not enough compassion left in this world to deal with so many souls born every hour.
There was a time, very long ago, when man needed the help of a creature who could protect and offer him companionship, therefor, he tamed the mighty wolf and called him "dog"; from then on, dogs were loyal friends who had their masters' backs on dangerous hunting trips, protected them from thieves and wild beasts or were used as companions for their families. Whether loyal friends or tools in their households, dogs had their purpose in man's world and, as long as they were useful, dogs were safe. But modern times showed us that in different parts of the world dogs became undesirable, as their number grew more and more. Some countries found better ways to deal with the problem, still leading to a lot of unwanted dogs being killed, humanely, while others seem to get more and more creative towards ways to torture them, with no visible result in reducing their numbers.
Romania is one of these countries and the past twenty years have been a continuous struggle for animal welfare organizations to put a stop to the torture they are submitted to by the authorities and also to deal with the increasing number of the animals born unwanted on the streets and in the shelters. Mass free spay/neuter events throughout Romania, supporting local rescues, shelters, poor owners who have no means to solve their animals' uncontrolled breading, this is the only viable, efficient and humane solution to the overpopulation of dogs and cats' problem.
Dawn is one of the silent victims of this plague that punishes the innocents while the people responsible for the problem are free to get rich on their backs, sustaining illegal dog catching businesses or even pose as "rescuers".
As so many other puppies and kittens, Dawn's only "crime" was she was born unwanted and the people responsible for not taking the mothers to be spayed, although there are clinics that provide this service for free, thought they would solve the problem by simply tossing the puppies away in some park, for it to be other people's problem. And by doing so, they are contributing to the very issue they are most viciously against: the big number of stray animals, the streets not being safe, clean, free of fleas and infectious disease spread to pets which are not vaccinated.
Parvovirus is such a disease and it can be deadly for young puppies such as Dawn and for beloved pets who are not vaccinated properly. It wasn't enough for Dawn to be separated from her mother at such an young age (about 8 weeks) with no means to feed or protect herself against cars, bad people or the elements, but she was also put into a world where deadly disease give young puppies no chance of survival.
I found Dawn in the park near my home while walking my dogs. She was terrified beyond words, screaming and trying to get away, although I used a soft voice, trying to reassure her. I could see Dawn was starving and was very filthy and thin.
A trip to SUST Orphan Animal Hospital Bucharest showed me what I feared the most, that Dawn had Parvovirus; this disease attacks the stomach's wall and slowly destroys it, sending it outside the body by feces or vomit. After years of trying to treat this awful disease, I can only imagine the excruciating pain the puppies feel while fighting for their tiny lives; some make it and so did Dawn, she was lucky enough to be found and treated in time and is now recuperating.
But there are thousands of dogs who die unknown, who suffer to their deaths on the side of some roads or in public shelters, so soon after being born into a cruel world, too soon to show us what their lives are worth and without the chance of sharing their love with that special someone.
After more than 10 years working with the stray animals in Romania, after witnessing more cruelty than a human being should see in a lifetime, the death of young animals still haunts me and I don't know whether to wish them a quick and painless death soon after being born, before they understand how cruel and bleak this world truly is, or to pray they have a chance to happiness, even if this chance is paid with suffering, neglect and despair.
I will never understand why people need to repay kindness and love with cruelty. Why do we insist to torture our best friends, those born to be our loyal companions, why not show the kindness of spaying and neutering them to put a stop to their over population ? If you wonder the same, please know that you can help by supporting SUST Orphan Animal Hospital Bucharest to hold more free mass spay/neuter events throughout Romania, so that less animals are born to their futile deaths. You can also support our social cases, as we are not only trying to prevent more lives being born and wasted, but also save those already born, such as Dawn, from their terrible fate.
Here you can donate: https://www.susyutzinger.ch/en/Donate with the message "for Dawn".
Thank you for your care and trust in our cause!
Thank you for your care and trust in our cause!
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