Notes from a ‘dumb’ dog

Allow me to introduce myself: my name is Myles, but my mom calls me Smyles cause I have a permanent grin on my face. Am I a dumb dog? Well, you decide!

You see, my former owners dropped me off at a vet’s office I had never been to before, asking for me to be euthanized. They claimed I was a ‘stupid, dumb dog that can’t be trained’. They wouldn’t even give the vet my name. Fortunately, the guy had quite a bit more sense than to put down a perfectly healthy dog, and contacted a lady from an animal sanctuary (Evo and Eli’s Love Box in PA). This got my tail off the

euthanasia table, and I spent the next two years in the sanctuary waiting for someone to adopt me. Anyhoo, through the marvels of technology my picture circled the net, and my mom (a German living in Canada) saw my mug. Aaah, you can always count on a German to appreciate the awesome dachshund breed!

I not only got myself a great home, but also recruited my mom as a volunteer for Evo and Eli’s Love Box. Not stopping there, I then talked her into adopting my sanctuary buddy Byrd, a victim of animal abuse by his former owner’s children. They beat him and repeatedly threw him out of a second story window while aiming for a trampoline in the backyard. 

These days, Byrd and I are co-administrators of the Love Box’s facebook site, and I, Myles, singlehandedly designed their website! Life is good-just unfortunately not for all pets. Why am I bringing all that up now? Well, it’s February-or as anyone in rescue knows “dog-dumping-month”. This is when people realize that impulse Christmas buy for their kids is actual WORK! Yes, a dog is a fifteen-year-plus commitment, and little Susie/Johnny didn’t quite think this through (at which point their exasperated parents look for a quick way out). So far, the Love Box sanctuary has already been contacted by four such parties, all within last week! What does this show your kids? That pets are disposable. Which is a pretty dumb thing to teach them.