and this was just in the news...Dachshund Left at Shelter with Heartbreaking Note Will Reunite with OwnersBy Pet360 | Pets – 23 hours ago
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Image of Otto and note via Leave No Paws Behind, Inc. Facebook page By: Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell | Pet360.com
An elderly couple who left their 13 ½ year old Dachshund tied outside
of the Baldwin Park Animal Shelter near Los Angeles with a note asking
for him to put to sleep because they could not afford to care for him
will be reunited with the dog.
The heartbreaking note reads, "Our dog is 13 1/2 years old he is sick
starting yesterday with bloody stools, vomiting. Had a skin disease for a
few years. We are both seniors, sick with no money. We cannot pay for
vet bills, or to put him to sleep. He has never been away from us in all
those years, he cannot function without us, please put him to sleep."
Instead, shelter workers called Leave No Paws Behind, Inc., an all
breed, all foster based rescue that specializes in seniors, who picked
up the dog and initially named him Harley. When the dog was taken to a
veterinarian, it was determined he could not only be treated, but most
likely had a "couple of more years" left in him, according to an update
on the organization's Facebook page.
The rescue realized the little dog had been well-cared for and
according to the note, very much loved, so they decided to try to reach
out to the dog's owners.
When the dog owners came forward, they explained they are indeed both
sick and cannot even afford their medical treatments or tires for their
vehicle. They had taken their dog, who is actually named Otto Wolfgang
Maximus, to a veterinarian and were told that they would need to run
costly tests. When they realized they couldn't even afford to have their
dog euthanized by the vet, they were "hysterical" and didn't know what
else to do aside from leaving him at the shelter.
"We just are living week to week," one of the pet parents, who wished
to remain anonymous, told KTLA in an interview. "We can't even go to the
hospital to get our treatment."
Although they had read the judgments people were making about their
decision after the story was made public, they reached out to the rescue
anyway. "I was in tears when I realized that their love for this
darling little man outweighed their fear of what people may say about
them and I knew instantly, our decision to try to reunite Otto with his
humans was the right decision!" reads the post on Leave No Paws Behind.
The organization believes the Otto's owners loves him very much and
just felt they had no other choice. "Ninety eight percent of the rescues
we take in belong with us," said Toby Wisneski, founder of Leave No
Paws Behind. "There are 1-2 percent of owners who love their animals
very much and just believe they have no other option but to surrender
them."
Wisneski has decided to make the couple a permanent foster for Otto and
return the dog to them with the provision they can make regular, weekly
visits to the home. The organization will maintain the cost of Otto's
food and veterinary care for the rest of his life.
The couple lives outside of California and was on a ministry trip when
they dropped Otto at the shelter. They will pick the dog up at the end
of the month when they are able to get enough money to purchase new
tires for their vehicle.
According to Pet Insurance Zone, the average cost of a visit to the vet
has soared to $190 for cats and $360 for dogs. The cost rose 64 percent
between 1998 and 2006.
The cost of having a beloved pet euthanized is not cheap, either. One
veterinarian paper put the total cost between $150-$800, which includes
veterinarian services, drugs and cremation.
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