Sunday, October 22, 2006

Dero Dog

I set off yesterday to the Tempe Tip, otherwise known as the huge Salvation Army op-shop off the Princes Highway, planning to do a "Shop of the Week". But the daughter called as I arrived saying that she'd found a sick-looking stray dog on Illawarra Rd., so this is the blog you're getting instead.















The dog was a medium sized German Shepherd, very grizzled, thin, wolfish. He didn't look vicious but we kept our distance just in case, following him from the Liquorland down Warren Rd for a few blocks. A nice woman from Dulwich Hill & her young daughter came with us. Ruby then enticed him with a hastily purchased muffin & I slipped a lead over his neck. I thought it might be hard to get him in the car, but as soon as the back door opened he heaved himself in enthusiastically, then curled up and went to sleep!



His ears were all encrusted, his mouth raw with ulcers, his haunches covered in sores.


We drove to the RSPCA in Yagoona, only about a 20 minute trip, and signed him in. He was pretty reluctant to leave the car, poor old fella. He wasn't microchipped and the people at the desk said he looked like he'd been "out on his own" for quite a while. I rang this morning & he's still being assessed... it's likely he'll be put down, especially if he has some degenerative thing that Shepherds get where their back half slowly becomes paralysed. If he isn't euthanised, am I thinking of bringing him home to sleep out his old age? Yes. Is this sensible, financially or practically? No.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Meredith,
What a good story. I like the reference to Liquorland and the nice woman from Dulwich Hill and I really like the image of the old dog resting against the rip in the upholstery of your back seat- somehow a good fit. Fingers crossed for a good happy outcome.
Julia

Zoe said...

Sensible isn't the only consideration, is it?

What a sad old face. How tired he must have been.

Anonymous said...

Of course it is neither sensible or practical, but is is the only thing to do. So.

Betty

Gill said...

He looks like a lovely dog that will love you and you will love. I hope he and his probable hip dysplasia don't cost too much.

Gill said...

I do hope you have taken him in - but if he has hip dysplasia you may have to face soon the issue of putting him down or paying a lot to keep him going. But he looks like a lovely dog who deserves your love. Or anyway someone's love.