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T1: Amy
Remote User:
Date: Wednesday June 11, 2003
Time: 03:33 PM
Hello,
I recently adopted a dog from the SPCA and one of my specifications was that he/she be good with children. I've been watching shows like The Pet Psychic and Animal Precinct and felt that I wanted to help a rescue dog, so I adopted one that had been previously abused and was very timid. A couple of days after I got him we were on a walk and he barked and then growled at a neighbor with his head down, and I think it was because she had gloves on her hands. When she took them off he calmed down, but it made me nervous. A couple of days after that I took him to the vet for a health exam, and the vet said that he was a potential fear biter and should not be around young children. My sister and some of my friends have small children, which is why I had wanted a dog that would be good with them. I was torn on what to do, but after he had a couple more incidents of growling at my mom and some neighbors I decided that I needed to return him to the SPCA. I felt that I could not risk the safety of other people, especially children, even though I had not actually seem him try to bite.
After I returned him, thinking that they would label him as not a good match for children and put him back up for adoption (okay, probably naive), I found out that they would not be giving him another chance. I was terribly upset and argued with a member of the SPCA about it, but did not get anywhere. I did not stop it from happening, and now I feel a terrible guilt that I did not give the dog more of a chance. I believe in the spirit world and I am hoping that the dog is happy to be free of the fearful and sad life that he was living (he also could not stand to be alone for any length of time). I want to have someone (Vicki?) try to contact him and see how he is doing, but I'm afraid that the answer will be even worse than not knowing. Sorry for writing a book, but this is tearing me up and I'm hoping for some advice? (Unless you're going to tell me what a rotten person I am, and then you can please keep that to yourself as I can't feel much worse than I already do.)
Thanks, Amy
