Cheers To Friends Of Animals

There’s been much in the news lately about those poor dogs found in a puppy mill near Newport, Wash. I thought it might be good to share a story that shows how some people do care about animals.

My son was out jogging one day near Spokane when he found a female German shepherd tied to an old, broken-down fence with a logging chain around her neck. She was whimpering and had the most pitiful look in her eyes. My son took the dog home, where he and his wife fed the dog and gave her the love and confidence she truly needed.

The next morning, they took her to their veterinarian for further treatment and advice. He encouraged them to keep the dog for a while. As days came and went, the dog began to take on the sense of a pregnant mother.

She took shoes out of the closet and started building a nest - a sure sign of pending birth. Next morning, one baby puppy was born, and with the help of the family, over a period of eight hours, nine more puppies were born.

One died and was buried. My son and his wife prepared nursing bottles and special milk to help the mother dog feed her litter since she had only six teats and looked to be a young mother.

They didn’t get much sleep for weeks; it was like taking care of nine human babies. They made a pen in the yard where the puppies stayed during the warmer days. They brought them inside each night. Soon, the pups were weaned and wonderful homes were sought and found for each puppy. Some went to family members.

They checked out each home before - and after - letting the puppies go. It tore their hearts apart to let the puppies go, and they even had names for them - Rose, Blacky, Bert, Spunky, Precious, Sis, Pitchhead, Moose and Carl.

My son and his wife kept the mother dog for their own, adding her to their household, which already included two other dogs, Gus and Clarence.

I know that my son and his wife are not that unusual. There are many people in our society who love animals and who see caring for them as a moral obligation.

Let’s not forget these good people who are making the lives of animals better. It is great comfort to us all morally, because animals give us much more than we can ever give them.

MEMO: “Your turn” is a feature of the Wednesday and Saturday Opinion pages. To submit a “Your turn” column for consideration, contact Rebecca Nappi at 459-5496 or Doug Floyd at 459-5466 or write “Your turn,” The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane 99210-1615.