Hobo

A month or so ago what looks like a Great Pyrenees (a large white mountain dog) showed up at the lake. (People tend to drop off unwanted pets there. I guess the a**holes think they are being kind by dumping their animals by a water source.) The dog is very wary of humans, which is most likely the result of how it was treated by its former owners. When Rick is home, he runs over to the lake almost every night to check on our itty-bitty house and to feed the dog. Our friends and neighbors bring food to the dog when Rick is out of town. Rick calls the dog Hobo.

On Monday, Rick found Hobo in the Quonset hut. We live about a 1/4 mile from the lake and for whatever reason, the animals dumped at the lake always meander over here. There are houses that are closer, but I guess they can smell our compassion a mile, or in this case, a 1/4 mile away. Recently, something attacked Hobo and he is missing a large patch of skin/fur on his back. We are thinking perhaps it was a cougar. Not knowing if Hobo has rabies and the fact that the dog will not let you get closer than 4', we cannot get him into the trailer to take him to the vet. Monday night was the Bag o' Snakes night so when Rick was shooting rattlers, Hobo got scared and took off. Last night Hobo returned. He is in our shop and Rick is feeding and watering him. I am going to check today if our vet will do a house call and if the vet could tranquilize him so the wound on his back can be tended to.

My heart just breaks when I think about Hobo. I have not seen the dog yet because the tears start forming in my eyes just thinking about the life that Hobo has had. Rick thinks that the dog might be deaf and it is not a stretch to say the dog probably lost his hearing from being beat in the head. What is wrong with people? What did that dog do to merit such treatment from people? If he is a vicious dog and not retrainable, then put the dog down. Of course euthanizing a dog costs money, at least the cost of two cases of beer, but letting the dog fend for and fight for its life is so damn cruel. I just don't understand people and I pray that I will never understand the absolute cruelty that some display to animals. I firmly believe that if someone is cruel to animals, they are cruel to children also.

I'll keep you posted on Hobo.