Thursday, March 26, 2009

We don't have caves but we do have dumpsters

Toronto Police photo
(h/t to redstarcafe for this)

Thankfully, the Gido Washa cave is a world away but someone in North York is making do with a dumpster. Sometime in the last day or two, someone put a Lhasa Apso puppy into a box, dropped it into a plastic bag, tied up the bag and threw it into a dumpster up by Yonge and Finch. Here's the article from The Star: Janitor finds 4-month-old pup in condo dumpster

This little guy has been brought to Toronto Animal Services North and is presently listed here under the Lost section with the name Charlie. TAS reports that he's currently healthy and happy.

I somehow doubt the owner will show up, so after holding Charlie for 7 days, he'll be up for adoption unless the police decide they need TAS to keep Charlie longer for their investigation. I hope this doesn't drag out. Charlie deserves a proper home sooner than later.



Continued here.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Toronto Police Photo"? Somehow that mug shot doesn't look like a hardened criminal.

Anonymous said...

Someone out there deserves the same slow, ugly death they had planned for this sweet little guy. I hope the cops find the perp, and the judge sentences him/her to a lifetime's community service cleaning dumpsters at an abbatoir -- with a tooth brush!

Fred said...

jan, yeah Lhasas are the worst. You can't trust them. One moment they're cute and cuddly and the next moment they're all ... um ... cute and cuddly. Incorrigible.

Anonymous said...

There can be a silver lining to this sad story. Our Himalayan was boxed and dumped by someone who did not want to pay for eye treatment. He, too, was rescued by a sharp-eared cleaner.

Gus-gus has been with us for five years: his eyes are still sensitive and he is not the smartest animal in the house, but he has the most loving heart. He is beloved of The Midnight Posey, and is Alla-din's endlessly patient big brother. The dogs don't scare him at all, so they have given up trying.

Somewhere out there is a home that needs this little guy like we needed Gus-Gus. I hope TAS finds it, so he can share the love he is so clearly ready to give.

Fred said...

Cathrine, you're right. Judging from all the phone calls inquiring about the pup, I suspect this guy will have no troubles finding a home.

DogsDeserveFreedom said...

I saw this on the news this morning. Glad the custodian found the pup.

The thing that bothers me?

Every time a dog gets publicity (newspaper or tv), there is a flurry of people who want to adopt him/her. They don't really want a dog, but after they hear the story, they want to "rescue" a dog. It makes them feel better.

If he goes to the wrong person ... the one that just wants to adopt him because they want to rescue a dog and not because they actually want to share their life with him ... he'll be back at the shelter in a few years. It makes the screening that much more difficult.

It's good that the public knows what is going on instead of living in their little bubble ... but it's frustrating when I see so many other animals not adopted simply because people aren't going out of their way to visit a shelter.

Hope he goes to the right place!

Love your comments about the mug shot.

DogsDeserveFreedom

Fred said...

DDF, yup that's exactly what happens and while it means more applications to filter through, I think (I hope) TAS will do alright by this guy.

Impulse adoptions are a risk with all puppies, though in this case it's not just a puppy, it's an abused puppy so it's guaranteed there will be lots of interest. A lot of people mean well, and that's great, but it's going to be up to TAS to find someone who means well and will be happily responsible for a dog for the next 10 - 15 years.

Anonymous said...

Terrible what happened to this pup and thank goodness he was found.
I`m sure he`ll have no problem finding a good home.

As I read the (Star) comments on this story I was thinking about the posts you have done on Pit Bulls in Ontario.
I was wondering if there would have been the same amount of outrage if Charlie looked like the puppies in your John Goodwin post or like Tara(who was adopted).

I wonder what the comments would have been and what would be Charlie`s fate in that case?

Fred said...

Ian, if the pup had been Pit Bull esque, who knows if there would have even been a press release about it.

Anonymous said...

Isn`t the thought of that absolutely bizarre?
Charlie`s one lucky little hairy fella.
Not only to be found but to have the right look to be allowed to live.