"Well, I...I dunno," the man mumbles in reply. "Ya see, my friend, he was mistreatin' her and kept her out in the backyard and wasn't treatin' her right. So I paid him two BB guns for her. I had to get her outta there, ya know?"
I nod. I do know. I've seen these sort of dogs every week for the past three years. Pit bulls are especially hard hit by bad owners. They're not bad dogs, but they do have a bad rap. I look down at the pup, in her bright new collar-obviously put on her by her new owner- and realize that I can easily see her ribs. And by easily, I mean painfully obviously. I can see every rib bone, each hip bone, not exactly deathly starving, but neglect and abuse just the same.
"So," I ask, "what do you want?"
"Well," replies the man, "I wanted to know if ya'll knew where I could get her spayeded. Ya know, for sorta cheap."
I hesitate only long enough to see him glance fondly down at his pup before I nod and turn away. I return a moment later holding a paper of the SPCA's cheap neuter clinic. I hand it to the guy and carefully explain everything that needs to be done if he decides to go through them.
"Oh wait!" I whirl around to find Suzi IV*. "Do we have the number for the AL pit bull clinic?"
"The one that spays and neuters pits for free?" Suzi Iv asks. I nod. "Well, let me see."
I leave Suzi IV to her work while I return to the pit and her new owner. I explain what I had asked for and told him it would be a few minutes. While we waited, I stared at the pit again.
"Do you have food for her?" I ask on a whim.
"Uh...Ya know, not really. I just got her yesterday," came my reply.
I nod vigorously. "Wait here," I command and trot away. In the hall, I meet Bob III. "Hey," I say, "run out to the trailer and get me the biggest bag of non-Science Diet you can find."
While Bob III dashes away to find his quarry, I return to the front desk in time to hear Suzi IV instructing the man on the procedure of the AL clinic. When she's done I step up to the counter.
"We're going to find some food for her, okay?" I see his face kind of melt in an extremely thankful gesture. "Just be sure that you don't feed her too much at first, or she'll just throw it back up."
He nods, thanks written clearly across his face. "Any other tips for me?"
I shrug. "Not really. Get her spayed and make sure she has fresh water all the time." I see his head start bobbing and I realize that I'm actually, really helping this guy.
At that moment, Bob III returns with the food. I take the bag from him and thank him. I trot around the counter to the lobby area before returning to the pit bull man.
"I left the food right outside the door. It's in a large orange bag."
"Thank you. Thank you guys so much." I watch as he exits the door into the lobby area and attempts to pick up the food. After a short struggle, he manages to haul it up onto his shoulder.
"That's all he wanted?" Suzi II asks. I nod. "Yeah. Then..yeah1 Give him all the food that he needs. Yeah!"
I smile at her enthusiasm, but it's true. No animal shelter wants another permanent resident to walk through those doors, so when we are able to help out anyone who needs it, it's a good feeling for yourself, but w2e also just saved an animal's life.
Another Hopeful Ending
*Names have been changed to protect the innocent
