Denver-the Aussie~Adopted

Sweet Denver is a one year old Aussie! He is HW negative and was already neutered when he came to the shelter. He was rescued from a high kill north GA shelter.

I saw his picture and my heart dropped…he was so beautiful, looked taken care of, and was confident someone would come for him. He looked so much like another dog I had rescued from this same shelter and loved her! I kept asking for a status on him and getting no response. I knew the shelter was filling daily and was terrified he would be put down before I could make arrangements for him.

Poor Denver was another dog among many who had been seized from their owner for not being on a leash. His family did not find his life worthwhile enough to pay the fine to get their dog back. So in order to “prove” to the A.C. that they couldn’t make them pay, they didn’t come get their dog. They had even spent money on him, he was neutered. There are leash laws in Hall Co. so technically, your dog can be in your yard, not restrained by a leash or fence and they can pick them up. Most people are not aware of this law and find it ludicrous that a dog minding his own business in his own yard should get seized by animal control. But they do.

The people are then angry at animal control. As a result, dogs like sweet Denver get left in the shelter to possibly die because their owners won’t pay the fines

Denver, like so many others was sure his family would come for him. But after a few days he became scared and worried. Anxiety started setting in as he realized this was not a normal boarding place. Dogs know when others are being euthanized. They smell and feel the fear of all the dogs there. The sounds of whining and anxious barking as dogs feel they are being kept against their will and worrying no one will come.
At night, they don’t sleep, they can’t. Fear has overtaken them. Denver tried to hide in the back of his kennel. If he was quiet and still maybe they wouldn’t notice him, maybe they would pass him by and he wouldn’t have to go to “the room” The vet techs hate doing it, they curse the owners of these dogs that put them in this situation.

Denver knew he didn’t have long. He knew his family wasn’t coming, he could feel it. Despair was setting in. I was frantic for a sponsor to help pay the fee to get him out. I needed a foster to house him so I could give him a chance at a better life. The pages were silent, there was no one for Denver.

Fearing I was too late after the shelter had been closed for several days, I called Gisele and asked her to pay for him. “Is he still there? she asked” I don’t know, I’m afraid to call, I was afraid to hear a voice on the other end telling me I was too late. I hung up the phone and held my breath, and waited….
finally a text message came in. “Done! He’s paid for!” I started breathing again. I sent his picture to Dawn and Khaz. He’s ours I said, but I need somewhere for him to go. Dawn went and picked him up and took him to her house where she has 2 other fosters and 2 of her own. She could hold him for a few days. Then Khaz would take him after Zepplin was adopted.

Dawn reported how sweet he was, happy, playful, but not as much as you would expect coming out of a shelter. He gets along well with the other dogs and appears to be house trained. A nice well mannered dog, who happened to be with owners who thought he wasn’t worthy of them paying the fine. The fine that was cause by them not being aware of the laws in their county.
Now we need to find Denver a home where he will be cherished and loved, where he will be deemed worthy of their time and money. Denver wants to be a real part of a family, a part that would be missed if he went away.

Are you the family for him? Can you give him the second chance in life that he almost didn’t get, and so desperately deserves?  You can see more photos of Denver on Facebook. 

For more info on Denver contact khaz.thedogliberator@gmail.com and stay tuned for updates on this beautiful boy as he reveals himself in foster!

~Vicki Truelove