Megan le Fey Posted December 10, 2006 Share Posted December 10, 2006 There was this puppy at my gate yesterday morning. She looked like a Dane cross and I am Dane dotty but I had an idea where she came from so I took her home. There was nobody there except a Corsa (sp) mastiff, the sorriest specimen of a (probably) pure bred Dane that I have ever seen and some other dogs that I could hear barking in the house. The fence was broken down and the mastiff came out to see me and the puppy. I petted him some, as you do, and a neighbour came out to warn me that he was known to be vicious - well, he was perfectly amical with me. The neighbour said ,I think, ( my French is not good) that the owners had been away overnight but would be back soon and to just leave the puppy. I live within sight of the place so I left the puppy. Of course she followed me home but not wanting to create problems, I shut her outside. I was determined not to feed her and have her think that I was a soft touch. Honestly, I am not a soft touch where dogs are concerned! She cried, and cried. She stayed outside my gate all day and drank from the ditch alongside the wall. My dogs barked themselves silly at her until they got bored and then they ignored her. Then the Dane that I suspect to be her father arrived and just hung around, closeby. Eventually it got dark and there was still no signs of life at her home so I fed and watered her then put her on a double bed sized dog bean bag in the garage. The Dane that may (or may not be) her father, still outside the gate began to cry so I brought him in as well and fed and watered him. The bed was more than big enough for them both. I locked up the garage as I didn't want a dog fight with my own two and went in to finish making dinner. At about ten-ish I went to let them out for a wee etc. and saw that finally there was a light across the fields and heard someone calling. I thought 's*d it, let him worry, but I didn't. I called over that I thought I had his dogs. He came over, I gave them back.You know, it is sometimes really hard to decide what is the right thing to do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugsy Posted December 10, 2006 Share Posted December 10, 2006 I'm with you totally on that. The sad thing is that it simply isn't possible to save all the animals in the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megan le Fey Posted December 10, 2006 Author Share Posted December 10, 2006 [quote user="Bugbear"]I'm with you totally on that. The sad thing is that it simply isn't possible to save all the animals in the world.[/quote]I know, but I could live with it if I could only find a way to save most of them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugsy Posted December 10, 2006 Share Posted December 10, 2006 We have a total of ten animals and thats about as many as we can cope with. Our neighbours are excellent at looking after them if we go away anywhere, and I guess we are pretty lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WJT Posted December 10, 2006 Share Posted December 10, 2006 Anne, I feel for you, I do know what it is like. We have a house up the road that keeps the sweetest, thinnest little terrier you have ever seen, chained up on log a pile 24/7. [:(]Honestly, if only we could start a campaign of spaying and neutering idiots like this in addition to pets. [:@]Perhaps, the next time it happens, could you think about taking them to a rescue centre? I am sure the owner wouldn't be too heartbroken if they went missing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megan le Fey Posted December 10, 2006 Author Share Posted December 10, 2006 Well done, that is fantastic, I really wish we could help more animals ourselves. When we came here from South Africa circumstances dictated that we could no longer afford to buy a home but had to rent. We brought one Dane with us and rescued another here but because we always feel as we are just "camping" we have to always be sure that we can cope if we have to move and be able to keep our "family" intact. Christine and her animals break my heart every day, I want to adopt every one but as you have said, we can't save them all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted December 10, 2006 Share Posted December 10, 2006 WJT - the dogs are still his property, and taking them away is theft. It may be necessary to find another way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megan le Fey Posted December 10, 2006 Author Share Posted December 10, 2006 I suspect that I shouldn't keep replying to every post like this, not good protocol or something but I know how you feel. The owner of these dogs told me that he is leaving soon for New Zealand. I asked what was to happen to the dogs and got the Gallic shrug. I tried to tell him about the Dane rescue people in France from whom I got my Utopie and who would probable take at least the Dane and the X puppy but he wasn't interested. I guess we are talking about the highest bidder. I got something about "big dogs frightening bad people". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted December 10, 2006 Share Posted December 10, 2006 Would he give or sell them to you, if not now, when he goes? Can you get him interested, do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megan le Fey Posted December 10, 2006 Author Share Posted December 10, 2006 Oh, Dick, I really don't know but I could not keep the male, my boy would be unlikely to accept him and a fight between 2 X 70 odd kilo dogs is no fun! Trust me, I have experienced it. Also, I believe that there are at least 4 and possible more dogs there. Having now met the guy I can only hope that I can at least keep a little bit in touch and influence his final choices tho' he is not so close that I sort of - see him every day. I would really like to see a happy outcome for the Corse as well who I don't think is vicious at all, and I wonder what else the guy has in the house. Trouble is, I cannot say they are ill treated despite the fact that every vertebrae and rib is showing on the Dane. I think I have to find out when he is moving. When I was talking to him, it was almost 11 pm and he was in shirt sleeves, he wanted to get home and warm, so I didn't get too much info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megan le Fey Posted February 21, 2007 Author Share Posted February 21, 2007 After I the last post on this thread I continued to see movement at the house where the dogs and their owner lived up until Christmas then the dogs were shut away and it seemed that the owner had gone perhaps on holiday but someone was coming at night, presumable to feed them (but not very much if you go by the photo's). The Dane got out twice and came to see me and of course, right or wrong, I would feed him - that was when I took the pics.[IMG]http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h15/miggimeggi/Ramon/IMGP0298.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h15/miggimeggi/Ramon/IMGP0295.jpg[/IMG]By New Year I had decided that I must go and speak to the man but unfortunately I left it too late and I just never saw him or the dogs again and I stopped hearing the dogs barking. I assumed that he had moved and either taken the dogs with him or re-homed them. Yesterday, I had reason to seek out one of his neighbours who live across the fields from us and I asked her what had happened to him. She told me, rather angrily, that he and his wife had absconded without paying his rent, services etc. I asked her if he had gone to New Zealand as he had told me he planned to but she replied to the effect that he had never had the money to go anywhere. She said that he was somewhere in Bordeaux. I asked her what he had done with the dogs and she said that he had taken them into the yard and shot them! I am devastated. I had told him in English which he understood fairly well, and also in my poor French that I could arrange for the Dane at least to go to Dane Rescue and that I was willing to do my best to find shelters for the others and I know he understood me. Even if they had had to go to the SPA and were not re-homed, they could have been decently euthanized but that s**ding barbarian shot them. I feel so sick, Ramon, the Dane was such a gentle boy, he didn't deserve that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerise Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 Dear AnneI feel for you - but try not to feel to guilty. It is awful that these poor dogs have been shot, but at least it is an end and they have not been left somewhere to suffer even more. I know you probably don't feel that is a consolation at the moment, but death is kinder than long suffering. You did try to do something for them - please try to let that be a comfort. It is so hard seeing all these animals suffer. People keep telling me it is simply 'a different culture' but I can't get used to it myself. Keep reminding yourself that you did the best you could.loveMaggi xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llwyncelyn Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 WJT as to dogs and chained dogs at that and here please look at www.Dogsdeservebetter.com. They are looking for volunteers and my wife is one and has stickers in French to stick in the back of one's car that sort of thing. We have already rescued some dogs on chains and we are thought locally of as being somewhat mixed up! However when Linda develops a passion for something she will not stop! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llwyncelyn Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 I respect the law for without it (and yes at times it is an stupid old thing...........) but here if I saw anyone mistreating an animal then I am afraid that things could well get out of hand. I have had dogs since I was young and there is no excuse whatsoever for treating them badly. Of course France is an exception! It is common place here and for maltreatment read chained up for 24/7. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 megan le feyi have nothing to add; just feel so sad and i want you to know that i think of you and can guess at how dreadful you must feel.the pictures are truly heart-breaking. you did your best for the animals and you could not have anticipated what that sub-human creature was going to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WJT Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 Anne, I don't know what to add to this either. As been said I can only imagine how you must feel, I know how appalled and disgusted I am reading about it from a distance. Perhaps the woman you spoke to has it wrong, it seems odd that she new what happened and did nothing to stop it so in my book not much better, or maybe she new this would upset you and get you just as angry as her, because he left without payment. In any case, if she knows where he moved to in Bordeaux perhaps contacting the authorities or the SPA and informing them of what you have been told so that someone can contact him. Surely, if this is not illegal at least he should be stopped from owning pets in the future. I cannot say here what I think should happen to him, [:@] not to mention anyone that says this is the French culture. [6]Llwynecelyn, the neighbours that have the little dog I mentioned appear to be similar to this man. We have had problems with them, they are not nice people and the situation with the dog is heartbreaking. I have contacted the SPA but they say that this is very common here and there is nothing they can do.[:(]Anne, one consolation, if what you have been told is true, as been said, they are out of their misery and at least they received some kindness and gentleness from a lovely English woman before the end of their short lives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Animal Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 Oh Anne! I don't know what to post. I have just managed to stop three out of four dogs being put down at Niort today, unfortunately we cannot save them all.But this type of barbaric attitude should be punished. There is a law against it. If he shot the dogs, what did he do with them ? Rescue Dog should take action and it should be in the newspapers. This goes on all the time and is not brought out into the open enough. The person who owns the house must have his name. Des atteintes volontaires à la vie d'un animal (Article R.655-1 du Code pénal)"Le fait sans nécessité, publiquement ou non, de donner volontairement la mort à un animal domestique ou apprivoisé ou tenu en captivité est puni de l'amende prévue pour les contravention de la 5ème classe (1500 €).La récidive de la contravention prévue au présent article est réprimée conformément à l'article 132-11.Les dispositions du présent article ne sont pas applicables aux courses de taureaux lorsqu'une tradition locale ininterrompue peut être invoquée. Elles ne sont pas non plus applicables aux combats de coqs dans les localités où une tradition ininterrompue peut être établie". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megan le Fey Posted February 22, 2007 Author Share Posted February 22, 2007 Thank you everybody for your kind thoughts. I knew you would all understand how sick and angry I am at this unnecessary butchery. Christine, I know that we should try to report this guy and we are still discussing it. Unfortunately, we are extremely isolated here. Of the half dozen houses on our little country road, only ours and two others are occupied and the other two are not really within yelling distance. We are no longer young and feel rather vulnerable (especially for our dogs) to any possible reprisals. As WJT says, at least they are at peace now and no longer suffering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WJT Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 Anne, I am in a very similar situation so I can certainly understand. Perhaps if there was a way you could report him without him knowing, but I know it is difficult because chances are he is aware that no one else even cares about these poor dogs or any future dogs he may have. As I said, I am facing the same situation because no one here seems to bat an eyelid. [:(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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