Ten Years on a Chain (Judith's) Happy Ending

 
 

10 years on a chain. No blanket, toy, or bone. Often no food or water. Animal Advocates Society of BC first saw this abused and neglected dog at night, lying in the frozen mud in her own feces, being snowed and sleeted on. Neighbours said that her owners urinated on her from the porch. Several upset neighbours told AAS that they had phoned the British Columbia SPCA many times, for many years.

The BC SPCA did not seize this dog or charge the owner with cruelty even though it could have used the BC Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act to do so. It also could have used the Humane Treatment of Dogs Bylaws, adopted in this municipality at Animal Advocates' urging, to make the owners take better care of her.

Her owners named her Judas

What the SPCA would do for her was to take $50 to kill her. We were given Judith a day before her owners told us they were going to take Judith to the SPCA and take advantage of its "kill for cash" service, one of its sideline businesses.

At that time, the SPCA ignored hundreds of animals so abused that they were near death. But the SPCA did kill thousands of unwanted pets a year for another one of its lucrative sidelines businesses — pet-disposal contracts with municipalities all over BC. It's a good thing the BC SPCA didn't seize this dog, because they only would have killed her.

Finally Animal Advocates of BC was contacted by a distraught neighbour. We went straight to her; documented her misery and then rescued her out of her indignity and loneliness.

When we got her she was emaciated, dehydrated, and barely able to walk because of painful hips. Her coat was weighed down by clumps of caked mud. Her owners had named her "Judas". We changed her name to Judith.

We cannot tell you this story without also telling you the happy ending that AAS guarantees every one of the dogs it rescues...

We found her a home with two very special people, who loved her dearly, and made her a member of their family, which is what every dog wants more than anything — more than food, water, and shelter. And when her old hips gave out, her family got her a cart and took her everywhere. She went camping, and to the lake, and chased squirrels in her cart. And when she died of old age, after eighteen months, she took with her all her memories of pure love, and warmth, and good food, and fun. And the time before didn't count at all.


Watch Her Video: Judith's Happy Ending After Ten Years on a Chain


Judith's Photos:

Chained for 10 years
Judith chained for ten years.
Standing is painful
Standing is painful.
Judith's leg
Her back foot was malformed after years of cold, arthritis, and hip dysplasia.
As Judas
Her owners named her Judas
Judith barking
Doing her job as a guard dog, barking at the photographer.
Judith's recovery starts
We start by cutting the huge lumps of mud from her tail that she had to drag around.
Judith takes a bath
Laurie and Jen bath her.
It took three washings to get all the mud out.
Cutting mats of fur
Jen and Diane cut out the huge mats.
Judith's welcome home party
Judith's "welcome home" party at Mike and Elyssa's. They renamed her Judith.
Standing is painful
Mike, Elyssa, baby Morgan and Judith.
Judith at Ambleside
Mike and Judith, in her cart at Ambleside.
Judith at the cabin
Judith and Elyssa at the meadow behind the family cabin.

There is much more rescue going on all the time than we ever have time to tell, but Animal Advocates hears their voices saying, "I can't lose faith - I believe that someone will come for me", and we are determined not to break faith with them.

Thank you so much for helping us to keep faith with them.

Can you help pay for our dear rescued animals? If so, please donate here.


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