Hmmmm

There's a dog in Tennessee that I think about every day. She has even kept me from being able to go to sleep some nights. She got me banned from a message board.

First a disclaimer. I haven't heard an update for a couple of days, so maybe she has been rescued. I'm not counting on it, although if she has I'll be very grateful, but I won't take back anything I'm about to say.

For seven, almost eight years she has lived by an interstate exit. With the exception of a poorly thought out rescue plan a couple of years ago, self-described animal "passive advocates" have decided it's what she wants and she does, after all, have food and water. (I know I'm repeating myself, but indignation causes that.)

It's mind-boggling to me that the same women can feed a dog regularly for years and still not earn the trust to so much as touch her. When an experienced dog rescuer volunteered to help her, after no cooperation from one of the caregiving women and a week before that rescue was to take place, we were told that a local rescue had been set up and was imminent. Maybe today, maybe Monday, maybe Tuesday. That was 17 days ago. Two days ago there was still no news on the rescue. Just be patient, people were told. And, of course, the usual posted platitudes.

It seems to me that the timing was very coincidental (that's my polite way of saying I don't believe a word of it). After almost eight years and our own personal experience in trying to get local rescue groups interested in helping with our rescue, a local woman had everything in place and there was no need for an "out of state" rescue. And still the dog sits there with a heat index of 100.

Maybe St. Francis is taking care of her. Maybe some day I'll once again be able to count on people to do the right thing. Or not.