The Story of Max

Max just didn’t know what to do.  Sometime during the afternoon he had fallen asleep close to the beach only to find that when he awoke he was all by himself.  He stood up feeling a little stiff and he stretched his legs to force his muscles to work, the blood to pump around his body. He glanced around; noticed how the beach looked deserted. A shiver of uncertainty ran down his spine. He took a step forward having decided to head off in the direction of the pier and was shocked when he was almost jolted off his feet. Something thick and coarse had tightened around his neck.

The snap of the rope squeezed his throat and a sudden pain around his windpipe causesd him to yelp. He glanced up to see he was tethered to the railings. He took a step back to slacken the rope and then sat down, unsure what to do next.  He  waited there for quite awhile until he spotted someone approaching and he sniffed the air, his little golden eyes lighting up with expectation and he instantly wagged his tail. 

His tail soon drooped, curled inwards when he realised that the approaching man was a stranger. They didn’t even give him a second glance as they walk on by. He barked repeatedly to tell them he needed help but the stranger simply carried on walking and never looked back. Confused and a little afraid, Max lay down on the pavement and waited for his master’s swift return. 

The night soon smothered him in black and Max shivered when a bitter wind penetrated through his thinning coat.  He lay there all night, trying to huddle against the small stonewall in an attempt to keep away from the raw elements brought on by the sea. The night was bitter, the cold burning his eyes, but Max has no choice, he couldn’t move. 

By the time dawn broke, he felt extremely hungry and very, very frightened.  He simply couldn’t understand why no one had returned for him. He cast his mind back to when he was sitting with his master. Billy had been smoking a cigarette and then Max decided he must have fallen asleep because when he opened his eyes, his master was gone. His memory isn’t what it once was but he can remember how his master was often angry with him for always getting in the way. He was slow on his feet and Billy’s patience wore thin … however, surely he wouldn’t leave him out here all alone just because he was old? 

Max had no choice but to lie there while the hours tick slowly by, feeling only the cold seeping deeper into his bones.  He whimpered when he could no longer feel his legs, his arthritis having become almost unbearable.  He heard a noise and his ears pricked up.  He struggled to his feet in the hope of seeing a familiar face but instead he saw a young teenager, heading straight towards him. He wagged his tail half heartedly, believing she will do what everyone else has done and ignore him. 

 ‘Hello old boy,’ said the young girl, walking over and patting him kindly on the head. She looked him over, stroked the curve of his back and her mittened hands move ddown his legs and touch his frozen feet. She shook her head and patted him once again. ‘Come on old boy,’ she insisted, untying the rope. ‘I think I know just the place to take you.’    

 The Story Doesn’t Stop There …

Did you know 325 dogs are abandoned everyday in the UK? In a survey revealed by the Dogs Trust out of the 118,932 stray dogs that were picked up by local authorities in the last year, a significant proportion were found in London and other urban areas alongside breeds which are deemed as so called ‘status dogs’.

I often wonder why on earth people actually get a dog.  Do they really think they are getting an Andrex puppy?  To think these poor animals that rely on us for everything they need are treated in such a harrowing and despicable way.  I personally have had dog’s all my life and I could never in a million years abandon one.  I do however, understand how people’s circumstances change whether it’s because they have to go into sheltered accommodation or perhaps because the owner has died.  These are situations which cannot be helped but for those owners who simply get rid of an animal because it’s an inconvenience or because it appears to be too much like hard work then I say to you … WHAT PLANET WERE YOU ON IN THE FIRST PLACE!

Did you know that the Dogs Trust is the UK’s largest dog welfare charity and cares for over 16,000 dogs a year? They look after these animals through its network of 18 rehoming centres in the UK and one in Ireland. Dogs Trust has a non destruction policy and they will never destroy a healthy dog. What would these poor animals do without places such as these? It’s a growing concern and without continual support they would never be able to help so many animals.

This got me wondering if perhaps you would be interested in sponsoring a dog?

Show your love for just £1 a week

You can sponsor any of the dogs found in the Dog Trust gallery. When you sponsor a dog, your donations are used to help all the dogs in their care. So why not go and have a look at the pictures of those animals that need your help and read their profiles and perhaps you might just find one little animal you would like to sponsor!

For more information or just for a browse please follow the links below and I really hope you can find it in your heart to help.

Best wishes,

Lynette

Dog’s Trust Link: http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/sponsor/default.aspx

The Ark Animals Link: http://www.arkanimalrescue.co.uk/

Jerry Greens Link: http://www.jerrygreendogs.org.uk/