Three sweet dogs

These three dogs never stood a chance.

This Chow Chow girl (A3768333)
was the subject of an email because her photo was taken while she was restrained by the come-along pole covered by the towel in the photo. I knew that she would not be walking out of the Carson shelter when her stray hold period is up when the photo on the Carson website for her never changed. In the past, when an email is sent out, a new photo of the dog would be taken and put up on the website. When her photo remained the same, I knew they would kill her.

This poor dog was impounded on new year's eve. I met her in person on Saturday 1/5. She was very sweet and friendly when I came to her cage. She walked right up to the front with her tail wagging and a smile on her face. I spent some time with her, I told her I am sorry that I couldn't help her get out of there. A3768333 was killed on Tuesday 1/8/08.


This wonderful, sweet boy (A3768163) was also impounded on new year's eve. His sad, worried eyes instantly captured my heart when I first saw this shelter mug of him on Carson's Lost & Found page. I went to meet him on Saturday 1/5, the same day I went to meet the Chow Chow girl. He was kenneled right across from Cooper's cage. He watched me when I was sitting outside Cooper's cage. He wanted to get my attention so he would not stop barking until I came over and sat outside his cage. He pressed his entire body as close to the cage door so I can pet him. His eyes didn't look so sad and worried when I was there with him. He was just happy to get some attention so his tail was wagging non-stop. I fell in love with him right there and then.

He was a great dog. At just a little over a year old, he must have lived somewhere before he ended up at Carson. He looked like he was well-cared for by someone, but for whatever reasons, no one came to look for him at Carson. If my rescue status was not suspended, if my ability to adopt as a private citizen was not illegally and unethically taken away from me - I would have been able to buy this dog some times. Instead, I found myself asking for his forgiveness. I asked him to forgive me for not being able to make a promise to get him out of there. I think he understood, because he sat down and licked my hand through the cage door.

A3768163 was killed on Tuesday 1/8/08 along with the Chow Chow girl.


A3763894 was turned in to the Carson shelter by her family on 12/18/07. She was very sad when I met her on 1/5. It was as if she knew that the chance of being adopted into a good home would not be hers. She was as quiet as her eyes in this shelter photo.

Dogs are wise beings. I read somewhere that "dogs know what we know and they also know what we don't know". It's very true. This darling girl knew I love her; she knew that if I could help her, I would. She knew that I couldn't help her that day, but she was just grateful for the time I spent sitting outside her cage. She knew I would have to leave her there but that I would never forget about her. The bond we formed that day will be with me always.

She too, met her unfortunate ending on Tuesday 1/8/08.

These three dogs' lives were cut short at the Carson shelter. They were not killed for irremediable suffering and definitely not for lack of spaces. There are empty cages at Carson and these three dogs could have been given more time. The reason they were killed? to keep the Carson shelter at a "manageable" level. It is one of the ways administration devised to keep the Carson shelter looking "clean" and "presentable" to the public after the media firestorm that resulted from the tragic death of Zephyr.

The LA County Department of Animal Care and Control is in dire need to acquire the "care" part to support its name. This definitely is not possible under the current leadership.