Abandoned Animals

 

A few weeks ago, I got a text from a friend who had just picked up a puppy front the side of the road.

Someone had abandoned it.

She sent me a  picture. 

I immediately oohed and ahed at how cute he was

And then quickly began to wonder who would abandon such a cute little thing. 

Thankfully, my friend was able to adopt the puppy into her pack, 

and so Puppy, now known as Eddie,

Has a safe and loving home.

 

Last night, on my way home from game night, I stopped for gas.

As I was cleaning the trash out of my car,

A beautiful black pitbull mix with cute white socks came prancing up to me.

I looked to see if he had an owner, but he didn’t.

Then I noticed that he had a companion who was a little more shy.

She stayed back. 

I immediately knew that someone had dropped them at the gas station.

 

My heart sank. 

As much as my dad would love a dog,

We are not able to have a dog right now, 

Much less two,

And so I knew there was nothing I could do to help. 

 

As I drove away with tears in my eyes,

I heard the dogs crying.

They didn’t know what was going on,

Why they had been abandoned,

Or where their people were.

I could only pray that someone would pick them up and take them to be part of their pack.

I could only pray that they would have a happy ending.

 

I don’t understand how people can do it.

I don’t understand how someone can abandon a pet and go home and live with themselves.

I suppose it could be food insecurity.

I suppose there could be health issues.

I suppose there could be a crisis and they feel like they can’t take care of anything else.

But to just abandon the animal.

To just leave it behind.

To just throw it out the car door so callously.

I can’t fathom it.

Surrendering an animal is hard.

But throwing it away?

I will never understand.

 

God calls us to be good stewards of our time, resources, and the animals of the Earth.

God is not in abandoning animals on the side of the road or at a gas station. 

 

I am sad. 

I am mad. 

And I am more thankful than ever that when 

Annie Mae was abandoned with her babies and 

Siggy Ray was abandoned with two broken legs,

They both made their way to my house so that we could give them good lives. 

 

God, forgive humanity

For screwing so much up. 

And thank you for those who are fighting to fix what’s been broken. 

 

Amen.