Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Airport Puppy!
#1
A woman fleeing domestic violence left her puppy behind in an airport bathroom. He had a note on him explaining the situation and asking someone to care for him. He was taken to a shelter and is being treated for injuries caused by the man the woman was fleeing. He is a 4 pound puppy. Whoever the abuser is, he is a nasty person. For safety reasons the puppy's location is being kept secret.
That hasn't stopped 1000 people from applying to adopt him. Chewy is adorable and he will make some family very happy.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/puppy-abando...hing-note/

This story really highlights the problems of pets in domestic abuse situations. The abuser hurt the dog when he was hurting the woman. When she left she had to take the dog with her to protect it. She was unable to take the puppy on the plane so she had to leave him. Sadly some women stay in abusive situations so they can protect their pets.

Animal shelters are starting to be aware of the problem and will take animals to protect them from abuse. Some women's shelters will let people bring their pets.  Chewy may only weigh 4 pounds, but he is sending out a big message about domestic abuse and its many victims.
I hope in future we will be more aware of situations like the one that led to a puppy being left in an airport washroom.
If you thought a friend or neighbour might be in trouble you could quietly offer to take their pets in if they even needed to go away for some reason. That might be all it takes for someone to be able to leave a dangerous situation before it is too late.

I think leaving Chewy was an act of desperation and an act of love. It took real courage and I hope thing work out for her where ever she is.
[Image: IMG_9091.JPG]
Catherine

Reply
#2
That is a heartbreaking decision the woman had to make. I am glad the shelter is going to wait 4 weeks before having Chewy adopted, in case the woman can claim him.
However....if the problem was that she couldn't afford to take him on her flight, then she may not have the money to give him the life she knows he needs. How sad really. Chewy is a lovely little pup. I hope the woman will be able to go back for him....


Yes he is highlighting the problem of pets involved in domestic abuse. Two/three years ago I knew a woman who lived in a domestic abuse situation, and she had four dogs. She did not trust her husband with the dogs either. It was a difficult problem for her. Now that has resolved. To cut a long story short, she has managed to file for divorce and lives with her dogsin a lovely rural setting. Her dream come true at last.
I couldn't help in a practical sense because she lives in the USA.
I got a clear picture of what it was like for her, and for her dogs. It was very worrying.

But that is good advice Catherine, to offer to help and foster the animals for someone who is being abused. If they know their animals are safe that can often give them the courage to leave.
Reply
#3
It is unlikely she will be able to reclaim Chewy, but you never know. She had to get to safety and leave Chewy where good people could  find him. Maybe once she is settled she would be able to send for him. That would be a happy ending for both of them. If not, she knows he will be loved and cared for.

Women caught in abuse situations are sometimes trapped because they want to protect their pets. It seemed to me the best way to help was to offer to protect the pets. If you were not sure there is abuse going on, it would be easy to make a general offer to look after the pet(s) if the woman ever needs to be away. As you say, it might be enough help to get someone motivated to leave the abuse.

I am glad things worked out for your friend.
[Image: IMG_9091.JPG]
Catherine

Reply
#4
(07-09-2017, 06:29 PM)Catherine Wrote:  If you were not sure there is abuse going on, it would be easy to make a general offer to look after the pet(s) if the woman ever needs to be away.

Yes that would be an ideal way to approach it. It is also diplomatic, but the person would know there was temporary safety offered for the animals.

One has to be so careful not to upset a victim of domestic abuse. It is a volatile situation.
When I was about 20 and lived in London, I heard a terrible screaming coming from a neighbour's ground floor flat. A Caribbean family lived there. The door was open so I went in carefully. The husband had beaten his wife then gone out. She was crying and hurt. Her little boy (about two years old) was standing shaking all over with fear. I calmed him down and got him into another room, and turned on the TV. Fortunately there were cartoons playing. He relaxed and sat to watch it.
Then I went back to the woman, who was so grateful for someone coming to help. I was very gentle with her but suggested she found some safe place to go right there and then, and get a doctor to see her. Then she turned on me quite viciously, and screamed at me to get out and leave her and her family alone.
There really was nothing more I could do. I told her where her little boy was, and that he was a bit better now. Then I had to go.
Reply
#5
That reaction is quite common. The police hate domestic abuse cases. Even when they are helping the victim they have to be careful because the victim can turn on them like the neighbour turned on you.

I would expect that a person would want to leave. It seems that they often don't want out. They still want to stay with the person. I guess they feel safer with the abuse that they know than the unknown of leaving.

When an animal is involved it complicates things. Will they stay to protect the pet or leave to protect the pet. If you add children to this situation it is to complex to predict. For that woman to leave and take her puppy to safety is a very unusual thing. I hope her story inspires others to be safe. I hope it give others the incentive to offer help. If they turn us down, at least we tried to help.
[Image: IMG_9091.JPG]
Catherine

Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)
Created by Zyggy's Web Design