An actual phone call taken by the Dane Outreach Intake Co-ordinator....
The phone message goes like this.
Hello, I'm desperate, just desperate
and I need your help right away. I run two business and my husband is disabled
and I just can't take this anymore. I'm going to have a heart attack or stroke
because of the stress from this dog. (At this point I am not
laughing).
She goes on to tell me that she has the most beautiful dog
I've ever seen (not likely) and that her name is Sue and that she is so lovely and gorgeous and I will be amazed at how
beautiful she is. She wants to know when she can bring her over and she lives
in Spokane, but where am I ? so she can make arrangements to get this wonderful
dog to me. Her little gift is only 8.5months old and a harl. The puppy has a
little problem when the owner leaves at finding appropriate things to do. I'm
still not laughing.
Her precious wonder has "show pet ears" (don't know what
that is) and she again tells me that I must call right away and leaves me two
phone numbers to reach her at. She tells me she is desperate, just desperate
and I must call because the owner's health is at risk.
Apparently, they
just landscaped their yard. Little Elipson didn't care for the look and dug out
every shrub in their back yard and around the side of the house. She chewed the
root balls off the plants so they are dead. Furthermore, she tore up the
sprinkler system and then chewed all the parts so they can't be re-used. The
turf was pulled out of the ground in chunks and laying all over the yard. Two
weeks ago, she ate all the owner's designer pillows. Before that, they went to
dinner and came home and only one cushion of their coach remained. The rest of
the coach, including the frame had been destroyed. Wood pieces were all over
their living room. And, the last complaint about her 8mo old harl is that (and
this is where the owner gets choked up and starts to cry), she only has one pair
of shoes left. Her little Elipson has chewed up all her shoes. She leaves me
her phone number with a plea to call and then tells me that she will be out of
town for the next two days, but to call her cell phone because she is going to
have a stroke or heart attack if she can't give me her dog.
Hmmm. what
will they write in her eulogy? Death by dog? I've certainly had dogs stress
me out, especially harls. My dear devoted Dutchess was the most stressful dog
I've ever had (a harl), so I have empathy with the owner, but for cryin out
loud!
HAS SHE EVER THOUGHT TO NOT GIVE THE DOG THE CHANCE TO DESTROY HER
HOME? HOW ABOUT A CRATE? WHO THE HECK IS WATCHING A PUPPY THAT WOULD LEAVE HER
UNATTENDED LONG ENOUGH TO CREATE SUCH HAVOC?
I want to know what idiot
let her have the dog to begin with. So many questions and ultimately, there is
little I can do. I will call, give her some options of other groups in E.
Washington, but not give her my address! Anyone going to Spokane?
By the
way, "What are show pet ears?"
What happened to this dog? The owner could no longer deal with her destruction, so gave her away to "a good home in the country". Chances are pretty good that dog will soon need another home as the only criteria for placement was getting the dog out of the current home quickly. The moral of the story? Use a crate! More young Danes find themselves needing new homes because the owners where unwilling to make proper use of a crate as a training tool.
See additional information on crates.
