Why did we have to spot her?
By all accounts the gods know
we have done our best, taking
on one too many before, now
knowing our limits and that
of our yard and sanity;
Yet there she was, and we felt
before seeing, noticed slight
movement and heard a low
warning growl, coal black eyes
and fur to match in the inky
light of evening;
It had been raining, furiously
pouring down, thunder and lightning
and fear may have driven her
to hide under that massive machine,
its labors stilled until better weather,
and it might have driven her straight
into salvation for all we know;
So we fed her, not once but many
times, yet on that first, even
as voracious jaws began working,
she paused to look up and straight
into my eyes and I swear she gave
thanks;
Today she came out for the first time
to expose tiny dark shoulders caved
in surrender, great patches of missing
hair, eyes still imploring, won’t you,
can you please, I will be yours forever
and it breaks our hearts over
and over again that we cannot.
photo credit: Chris Johnson
Those pleading eyes bare into your soul.. I know your helping her has stood her in good stead. Heartfelt words as you give her a chance to survive..
Yes, it was and is tough. She is a wild dog – I don’t think she’s ever been tame. So we shall see what the future holds. I did get some tranquilizers from the vet so we could crate her and take her to the humane society – a no-kill shelter. At least there she would be cared for and wouldn’t have the chance to reproduce, thereby giving birth to others in a similar situation. Chris gave her the meds in her food and she ran around like she’d never gotten anything. So now we double up and go from there. It’s been quite a process! <3
I admire your dedication to rescuing her this way.. And yes, much better to be in shelter and not be at the mercy of the streets etc foraging for food etc and raising unwanted pups to feed..
You are both doing the right thing.. Lets hope her double dose of tranquillisers do the trick 😀
Heartbreaking…. I hope she eventually finds a home. Such a beautiful dog!
Yes, Betty – that’s the hope, though I wonder if she can ever be tamed at this point. (Read my comment to Sue.) Thanks for your thoutfulness. Aloha.
Please keep us posted on her, Bela. So compassionate of you to be helping. In our neighborhood it’s cats – so many stray and feral. Neighbors join together in trapping them and getting them to the vet for neutering and possible socializing (and adoption). It’s hard to believe but some people don’t believe in neutering and spaying! Then they take no responsibility for the results.
Thanks for all you do. ❤️
Will do, Betty. We’re working on a solution to get her to the humane society, but she’s wily and so scared. Chris tries again tomorrow.
Feral cats are a real problem on this island. It’s the biggest road kill here – took some getting used to seeing when first we arrived. There is an organization called Advocats that traps, spays/neuters and clips an ear to mark them, then releases. Daunting task. And don’t even get me started on the neuter/spay issue. I actually heard one guy saying, ‘Well, they’d never do that to me! So I’m not doing it to my dog.” I muttered under my breath, ‘Perhaps they should have.’ And we’ll leave it at that 😉 Aloha and thanks for caring. <3
Good luck with the poor dog. Hope she’s able to be tranquilized.
I’ve heard pet owners say the same thing. Augh! It’s unfathomable. (Idiots!)
Will be hoping for your success. ❤️
Mahalo, Betty. Chris is up super early this morning to attempt the process, once again. Luck will be required! 😘
Hope it went well this time…!?
No. She seemed drugged, but still could not be captured. Went back to the vet today and asked his advice. Now we have stronger meds and if this doesn’t work, we’ve just got to let one more feral dog remain feral. Aloha, Betty – and thanks for caring about this little creature. <3
Sorry to hear it didn’t work – hopefully next attempt. Yes, sometimes we just have to let them remain wild. Thank YOU for doing all you do. 💕
We live in a home filled with rescues — probably one too many. We do what we can, but as much as our heart breaks, we just can’t keep every animal “in need” that crosses our path. These are always hard decisions and it takes great strength to make them. Thank you for the ones you help and your desire to help more. Peace, Paul
Oh, Paul – I feel for you! If we had acreage again like we have in the past, we would no doubt rescue more dogs and horses as well. So much need in this world. Thanks for caring for your own rescue pets. It’s a commitment that’s not for everyone, I guess, but we gladly hire a pet and house sitter when we go away, even for our two dogs, which we’re down to now. Aloha.
Awww… too many lost souls. 🙁
Eliza, you’ve said a lot in a few words. I agree. Too, too many. Have a lovely day! Aloha <3
Bela, I like your new blog page! Nice change.
Love your concern for those lovely imploring eyes…she knows how kind you are! If you could pen such a beautiful poem for her, you know how much you care for such friends! Hope she finds a home.
Thanks, Balroop! I thought it was time for the theme change, though I did like that the colors would change with every post in the old one. Still, this theme is crisp and clear and I like the font 😉
Yes, we do love our dogs – and this sweet girl’s future is shaky (read my comments to Sue), but we will continue doing our level best for her. I would love to see her find a forever home, but I despair that she can ever be tamed. We do pray for a miracle! <3
Her ears remind me of Grommet (of Wallace & Grommet). Hopefully you will be successful in getting her to the humane society. Dogs are very resilient and she may end up making someone very happy. Even with training, Maggie can act like a wild dog at times.
Haha, yes, you’re right on the ears 😝 And I hope she is adoptable. I don’t think she’s ever been domesticated. Here in Hawaii it’s easy for feral animals to exist year-round in the forests and gulches. Anyhow, we’re hoping today’s the day. Wish us luck! 🤗
Wonderfully written and perhaps…just perhaps, it was meant to be. I look forward to hearing more. I wish for you all the best.
Catching up with you Bela… and hoping that she finds a place of safety and love soon. It would break my heart too.
Mahalo, Val. Hoping this is the morning we capture her. She’s feral, so even the vet’s drugs gave been useless so far. Trying new ones he gave us this morning. And though I hate using them, the alternative remains pretty bleak. ❤️
Great theme, Bela. The blog looks more Hawaiian now (from a clarity perspective). Hope this beautiful dog finds a home soon. Love this line: “she paused to look up and straight into my eyes and I swear she gave thanks” – please keep us posted. Best wishes.
Thanks, Mahesh! Went to the vet twice for tranquilizers, didn’t work. Both of us prayed for the best for all concerned. So she remains wild, I guess. And Chris continues feeding her on his way to work. I guess what we thought might be the best outcome was not, in fact. So life goes on! ❤️
love this! You are such a good soul Bela!
🙏🏽❤️
Oh, that is such a sad tale, but beautiful that you have been doing your best to help her.
Perhaps try some mind pictures to her… It is difficult to explain what I mean, but animal communication works very often. Look up Anna Breytenbach on the internet and YouTube… You’ll see what I mean. She has a lovely video about the transformation of Diabolo, an aggressive black panther that was eventually renamed Spirit.
Those eyes say it all. She wants to trust you, but she has had bad experiences and just wants to be left alone. She will be so grateful for your food gifts though. 😊
Aloha Colette! Yes, this dog is wild, never has been tamed. Feral. Both my husband and I communicate in pictures with all sentient life. It’s the universal unspoken language. (fyi: my longtime career: http://www.johnsonintuitive.com)
Chris has been the one feeding Little Dog (our name for her) since he’s out and about more than I. And she now allows him to pet her head, but always, always wary. She’s benefitting from the flea purge, worming, and regular heartworm meds we include in her feed, along with coconut and fish oils as well. Not as desperate to attack her food, coat is slowly improving. We don’t know if she’ll ever be tamed, but she seems to like living on that lovely estate in her own private world. And we will continue feeding her, because she’s unlikely to be adopted from any humane society – they would very likely euthanize her straightaway. Thus we are supporting her chosen lifestyle at this point, and are open to things changing in future.
Thanks so much for your caring self. ❤️
Oh that is such a lovely thing to do for ‘Little Dog.’ Your kindness has likely given her a life and a measure of health that has been missing for a long time. I shall go visit your website.😊💖