Ryn Gargulinski

Creativity on Fire

homeless animals

Tucson abandoned animals face fatal fate if they meet Phoebe

Contrary to what Tucson parents might tell their kids, unwanted goldfish flushed down the toilet don’t end up merrily swimming round Reid Park’s duck pond and small animals let loose in a midtown neighborhood do not live happily ever after.

They are lucky to live at all.

The most recent case of an abandoned pet left to fend for itself was a plump, handsome lizard that somehow ended up in my yard. While he tried his best to blend in with all the wild lizards leaping around the scene, something about him was different.

For starters, he became up trapped in a piece of plastic grass netting that all wild lizards innately avoid. While I was gingerly cutting the rotund reptile out of his trap with a pair of snips, I got a closer look at the beast and realized he was trapped because of the spikes encircling his neck.

The thing was a bearded dragon, promptly nicknamed Trappy, and not the usual sleek, slinky lizard skittering from the sprinkler or doing push-ups on the cinderblock fence. Once Trappy was set free, he didn’t scamper behind the mesquite like all the wild lizards do but rather sat and stared at me for some time before lumbering off into the distance.

Then my dog Phoebe killed him.

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Dumped dogs get second chance

One local guy who dumped his two dogs in a parking lot early Saturday morning evidently didn’t care if they died – and one nearly did.

Bear recovering after being run over by car/Photo Cindy Williams
Bear recovering after being run over by car/Photo Cindy Williams

In fact, the pit bull, now named Bear, would definitely be dead if two animal-loving dog owners had not happened to be on the scene.

Cindy Williams and Cheryl Ottley were out at a local McDonald’s near a Chevron gas station when they saw two pit bulls wandering around the parking lot.

They learned a guy had pulled up in his car, dumped the dogs, and proceeded to drive away.

While the two were figuring out what do to about it – ignoring the situation was not an option – the dogs were going up to cars at the gas station, most likely looking for their owner.

“The driver of a car at a gas pump kicked one of the dogs away from his car, and then drove over the dog’s rear end on his way out,” Williams said.

“The dog got up and staggered away. We were then galvanized into action.”

They got the two dogs into Ottley’s car, luring the uninjured dog with a sandwich, and drove the two pooches to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona. Neither dog growled, was stand-offish or nasty, perhaps a surprise with such a fine owner.

Bear still groggy from surgery/Photo Cindy Williams
Bear still groggy from surgery/Photo Cindy Williams

”The Humane Society agreed to take the uninjured dog but wouldn’t take the other one without euthanizing him,” Williams said.

Again, not an option.

So it was off to a veterinarian, namely the Veterinary Specialty Center of Tucson, 4909 N. La Canada.

“It turns out that both of Bear’s hips were broken and would require surgery at an estimated cost of over $3,000. The vet thinks that one hip will heal fine once it is set, but the other is smashed up pretty badly and will require pins,” Williams said.

The operation would become more complicated – and the cost of surgery increase – the longer the two waited. Bear’s surgery was Monday and he’s recovering well.

Animal dumping is illegal. Williams is trying to get surveillance video from the gas station that will hopefully show the dog dumper in action so the Tucson Police Department can investigate.

Bear was groggy after surgery but still tried to wag his tail/Photo Cindy Williams
Bear was groggy after surgery but still tried to wag his tail/Photo Cindy Williams

Williams and Ottley got a loan from Ottley’s mom to pay the vet, but are still wondering how to repay the mom.

Between Ottley’s $400 and Williams’ $100 (“The best I can do these days”), they are 1/6 of the way there.

The two applied for a rescue lifeline grant from United Animal Nations, posted a message on Facebook’s Tucson Animal Search and Rescue discussion board and are looking for other ideas and/or donations.

Since Williams and Ottley both already have several dogs, they will also be seeking a new owner for Bear. Ottley will foster him in the interim.

Contact Williams at clouwho26@aol.com with ideas, for more info or if you know of a happy home for Bear.

“The staff at the Veterinary Specialty Center of Tucson are in love with him,” Williams said. “They said he is a big cuddler, even when he must have been in great pain. He is so worth saving.”

[tnipoll]

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What do you think?

How far would you go to save an animal?

How far have you gone?

Do you know any other heroic rescue stories?

Should we dump the pit bulls’ owner at a gas station to see how he likes it?

NOTE: The incorrect vet info was initially included in the story. The correct vet info is now in place: Veterinary Specialty Center of Tucson, 4909 N. La Canada, Phone: 795-9955.