Pictures by courtesy of Vivienne Chiew
This is Colby who was left at a vet to be put down. What ‘crime’ did Colby commit to deserve such a fate? Old, plus skin problem at his butt area. To the vet’s credit, he did not put him down yet. It’s just Colby’s good luck that Vivienne happened to bring Boney to the clinic and the vet showed her this dog. Vivienne extracted a promise from him that he won’t put Colby down but to give her time to do something. Thereafter, the vet made it Vivienne’s problem. He pestered Vivienne to take the dog away. I guess Colby took up space. When more dogs came to the clinic and Colby’s kennel was needed, they put him into an area which was about 2′ x 2′ plus or minus (previously he was in a much bigger space) and he was wearing an E-collar. I think it was just standing room. We saw it with our own eyes.
Vivienne told me about this dog. She was trying to get someone to adopt him but of course, it’s never easy, given his age and condition. Straightaway, we offered to foster him temporarily to give Vivienne more time to get an adopter. I told her that if eventually no one wants him, we will keep him. Vivienne and us are of like mind. There is no reason under the sun why a dog should be put down, more so when it’s normal in every other way. Whatever problems he has, skin or otherwise, can be cured. The vet was reluctant to hand him over to us initially. We were actually taking him on Vivienne’s behalf. Why the reluctance? For the obvious reason that he knows that it involves me and I believe in ‘The pen is mightier than the sword’. I guessed eventually his eagerness to get Colby out overrode everything else. One freeloader less to feed.
Well, Colby is still at GOE and his skin condition has improved by leaps and bounds. The photos above were taken when he first came to the farm. His condition has since improved. We care not how he was but we value him as a living thing entitled to love, good home and care. We make no distinction whether he’s going to be with us long-term or otherwise, we still love him and treat him like one of our own.
Now what we need is to have him castrated. Vivienne at first wanted him to go back to the vet from whom we picked him up, to have the castration done. I believe there is an unspoken understanding that it would be done free. But, I disagree and I told her my private thoughts. Even if I have to pay, we will take him to Healing Rooms, which we did. Unfortunately the vet, on examination, said that he was not fit to be castrated yet. The vet suggested giving him another month or so for the hole in his butt to heal. One of the vets, after checking him, told us that he is between 4 to 6 years old. He hasn’t qualified for the Senior Citizens’ Club yet.
Whoever wanted Colby to be put down, we’re sure that he has earned for himself a place in an old folks’ home, or worse, sleeping at five-foot way and pavements of shops. Fortunately, this vet did not obey instructions and did not put him down. Whether he would have done so eventually if Vivienne had not intervened, I do not know. But thanks to Vivienne, another life had not been wasted. Vets or for that matter whoever are P.T.S.(Put To Sleep)-happy had better beware, as sweeter than honey is the vengeance / retribution that befalls when animals are put down unscrupulously. It’s not whether there will be but when.
The only fault that Colby has is, being a Pinscher mix, he barks and can be quite long-winded. But, once he stops, that’s it. He won’t make any noise. A good ‘doorbell’ indeed. We hope that there is a kind someone out there who won’t mind Colby’s age and give him a home and let him live out his remaining years in the company of a caring human. He is easy to take care and he gives no problems. We will make sure he has a clean bill of health. As is with our usual, we will not simply surrender an animal to just about anyone. That must be a special someone indeed who wants Colby.
