A letter to the person who left the dog behind

A letter to the personwho left the dog behind

I would like the person who dumped the unspeakably sick, yellow dog at the bridge at Palo to read this. I found this animal on the morning of July 28. The dog could not walk because of a basketball-sized tumor that hung midway between his upper leg and hip.

His nails on all four paws were so long they had curled back and retracted into the paws. There was barely an inch of his body not covered with vermin and sores. While sitting out there in the heat and humidity, he had ample opportunity to scratch, with his one good leg, to his heart's content - for all the good it did him. He was all raw skin and weak bones.

I called the Sheriff's Office and sat there with him while we waited. I petted him and gave him what food I had. The sheriff came and he was kind, but, he looked at the dog and shook his head.

We both knew what the score was.

The Cedar Valley Humane Society took this animal in. They are kind and made the pooch as comfortable as they could but this was not going to be a happy ending. He was euthanized July 29. That is probably the best break he has had in a long while.

I do not know this dog's name but I am going to remember him as Doug (he looked a little like the dog in “UP”). I will take the memory of him to my grave.

Ann Treanor

Cedar Rapids