Personal Stories. . .

Below are some stories from real people who have experienced first-hand the importance of providing shelter for our dogs.

Nancy's story

I bid you good afternoon and thank you for the opportunity to speak in support of HB 1389. My name is Nancy Cooper. I am the Vice President of Above the Notch Humane Society hailing from Franconia, NH.Above the Notch is the smallest, all volunteer, 501C3 humane society in NH servicing the largest area in the state. We are fortunate to be a member of the NH Federation of Humane Societies, on which I serve as a member of the board and on their legislative committee this year as well as in 2019.

I was asked to speak about this bill and its importance specifically to dogs in jeopardy in the North Country. It gets dangerously cold up our way and animals tragically and unnecessarily do perish during the winter months caused by starvation or lack of water, and most particularly because of inadequate protection from our harsh elements. In the past month, I have received calls concerning 2 dogs who did , in fact, freeze to death. One animal perished while chained to a meth lab trailer. The owner admitted to the original concerned caller’s brother, who had provided a coat for the dog to sleep on, that, "he froze." The owner was subsequently busted on drug charges but no dog was found at the site so the State Police told me nothing could be done by way of pressing charges. The second dog, a puppy, was reported chained under an unoccupied trailer and left unfed and unattended regularly. The caller said she had fed the dog when weather permitted, but when the weather deteriorated, she feared falling on the snow and ice ruts because she suffered from MS. I contacted the State Police and asked that someone check on the dog because the area had no Police presence. The State Police officer I spoke with said he would do so and added that he would feed the puppy because he was a dog lover and had kibble in his patrol car. I asked to be updated on the condition of the puppy but never heard back. The originally concerned caller recently called me back to report she believed the puppy had died from a combination of exposure to freezing temperatures and lack of food.

These two animals did not deserve to die such miserable deaths because of their owner’s inexcusable criminal neglect and indifference. Nor should the other hidden victims I don’t get calls about.. The existing NH laws do nothing to protect these innocents. In my humble opinion, they are toothless. Law enforcement should be able to seize animals in obvious distress on site, know, as a matter of course, who to contact in their area for the rescued animals’ sheltering and be willing and aware that they can press charges for cruelty and neglect with real, immediate consequences.

I have taken countless calls to Above the Notch’s info line to rescue dogs, sheep, rabbits, chickens, kittens, pigs and horses from terrible, life-threatening environments. On very few occasions have we been able to provide happy outcomes. My organization is enormously frustrated by our inability to save and protect just the dogs because of a lack of enforcement ability or blatant apathy from local law enforcement to whom we turn for help.

The day after I was scheduled to originally testify on January 16th, my service region experienced brutally cold temperatures. I know unattended, improperly fed and inadequately sheltered innocent animals certainly died. I subsequently received calls from concerned folks in our vast service area pleading for us to step in to rescue and provide protection for the suffering creatures they called about, I fervently call on this Committee to address this issue with all the seriousness it deserves. There is no conceivable, humane justification to object to passing protective legislation with the full backing of law enforcement as soon as possible.

Gizmo's story

From an animal control officer in Central New Hampshire...

I responded to a complaint from a citizen of my town regarding dog neglect. On the scene I found an 11 week old pitbull puppy tied to a camper without shelter. It was 77 degrees and the sun was hot. This canine was without any shelter and sitting amongst brake fluid containers, propane tanks and various other trash. There was no water available for this animal either. The pup was in obvious heat distress and dehydrated. I took her into protective custody. This was at approximately 3:00 PM and she had been left like that since 5:00 AM. Her name was Gizmo and her owner was charged and found guilty of animal cruelty. He received a slap on the wrist. The judge did not even view the pictures I submitted. The sentence was to pay the fees incurred in protective custory, get the dog a rabies shot and register the dog. All amounted to less than $100.00. I was allowed to check on the dog unannounced for the next two years.

Three months ago the owner called me and stated that he may not be able to keep the dog because she had become aggressive and stated that he believed that it was because of the time she spent in protective custody. He stated tht he did not play aggressively with her. I tried to get him to surrender her to me, He would not. I arranged for behavior training, one free session, as well as my own advice as to how to reduce aggression. He never followed through. Sadly he called me three weeks ago to tell me that Gizmo had hanged herself on her chain. It is pure conjecture that she would still be alive today if the owner was not given the dog back. She would be celebrating her first birthday this month. I cannot own the pain that eats me up in regards to this case and others like it. I can only focus on those I can save.

Buddy's Story

Buddy was left chained to his doghouse when his family abandoned their house in an icestorm about 10 years ago this winter. They lived on the most remote road in the most remote town in the county. Buddy was out there for about a month. They came up once a week or so to give him food. Finally, when the electricity came back on and the roads became passable, the electric meter reader saw Buddy out there and notified our local police. His owners were persuaded to give him up , though he couldn't have been removed involuntarily because he had sufficient shelter, food and water to comply with the current law. When our Animal control Officer went in to get him he was completely covered in his own excrement, because his chain had gotten frozen into the ground and he couldn't move. Still, she said, he wagged his tail and offered his paw when she put him in the truck, as if he knew she was going to help him.

Buddy was one of those tall, lanky, black-with-white-paws dogs. He was smart, affectionate, gentle, but always somewhat melancholy, as if he just could not quite forget what he had experienced out there alone in the cold, dark woods. When he first came to live with me he didn't know how to walk up and down the stairs because he'd never been inside a house before. He didn't know how to get up on the bed, and any show of affection made him collapse into a submissive puddle.

His special friend was my little cat, Columbine, also rescued from the woods in my town. They had exactly the same coloring and used to eat out of the same bowl together. I always suspected they were related, though I understand that notion defies scientific logic!

I regret that I had only four years with Buddy to try to make him understand love and affection and being part of a family. He died from non-specific internal bleeding. Who knows if it was related to the neglect he suffered during his first 10 years.

This website is for Buddy and all the other dogs like him. If it is the last thing I ever do in my lifetime I will see reform of New Hampshire's dog shelter requirements, so no other dogs will experience what my Buddy did.
-- Jean

Lady's Cry for Change

I live in "smalltown New England." The downside to this is that everyone knows everyone else's business, the upside is that neighbors help neighbors -- or neighbors' dogs in this case.

Many years ago I lived across the road from a young couple and their dog, Lady. Lady was a young, beautiful yellow lab mix. I say beautiful not only in the sense of looks, but in personality -- she was a love. Soon after they got Lady, they began leaving her tied out for long periods of time. I became aware of this when she began to bark incessantly, and I started to keep a close eye on her to make sure she was OK. In time, she was not only suffering from loneliness, but often suffering due to lack of water and getting tangled on her makeshift run. Her owners just didn't seem to have the time to be bothered with Lady and her needs. My husband made them aware of the barking and that he had come to her aide many times when she was tangled, but they dismissed his and others' concerns. I had another plan in mind...

I approached them saying that I loved dogs and walking, and asked if I could take Lady with me on my walks. They gladly gave me permission and I began walking her three to four times a week. It was tough going in the beginning because she was so starved for attention, was frustrated, had pent up energy and had no clue what a leash was all about. As the weeks went by, I was able to begin the basic training that she lacked. And I began to fall in love with her.

My goals, beyond immediately enhancing her life, was to gain her people's trust, strike up a rapport and offer my guidance and assistance -- all the while having close access to Lady to ensure her well-being. I was also hoping that they would begin to see her in a new light; if someone else was showing her love and giving her attention, maybe that would spark some interest on their part. Sadly, this was not the case.

Over a period of months they didn't seem to give her any extra attention, continued to leave her on the tie-out for hours on end, and her barking persisted. They became infuriated about the complaints from neighbors and one cold fall day they informed me that no one had to worry about her barking anymore. A few weeks later she was found dead in the woods. My heart was broken. I couldn't have imagined that Lady's story would end in such a horrible way.

I know that the then-ACO, if she had more legal backing, would have done more -- but her hands were tied.

As of 2005, in my town there is a "more than adequate" dog shelter/care ordinance. Among important terms requiring that dogs have more than "adequate" shelter and access to fresh water, and providing alternative, safer shelter in severe weather, there is a term defining appropriate tie-outs/runs. It states that the tie-out area needs to be waste/debris free, the tie-out itself needs to be fitted to individual dogs and, most importantly, tangle-free. All the terms are important for a dog's physical well-being, but the one I personally championed has more to do with a dog's emotional & mental well-being--it states that "Dogs shall not be kept on a tether for more than 16 cumulative hours in any 24 hour period." This incredibly social species needs to have companionship to thrive and survive.

Lady's story compelled compassionate people in my town to begin to make the changes necessary to ensure that every dog in our community has a better than "adequate" life. Her death was not in vain. Thank you Lady -- you made a difference.

Max

He barked for hours, to deaf ears
Standing at the end of his chain in the rainstorm
We banged on the door and said, "Let him in!"

We got him an old doghouse
He lay in a puddle on the cold, wet floor
Rain dripping through the roof, soaking his matted fur

He didn't bark or even whimper
His stoic brown eyes looking out
It was better than before

We shingled his roof
We made him a bed of hay

He had nothing to drink, on the hottest of days
We gave him water
We gave him food

We bathed him when they weren't home
To remove the fleas and filth

We petted him, scratched his ears, gave hugs and kisses, threw the ball
He ran after it, tied to his falling-down run
Over piles of his own feces

The dog officer came many times, unable or unwilling, not sure which,
He said there was nothing he could do
"Dog looks ok, healthy enough, bare minimum's all that's required"

They said they would feed him
They said they would give him water
They said they would take him to the vet
Promises never kept
There was nothing we could do

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