"Leave No Dog Behind"

“Leave no dog behind”. The dream right? That bold statement that screams the mission, to leave no dog behind… as we walk away from the thousands we are leaving behind.

If only he could talk. He would have told me that I was walking away without his brother.

If he could talk he would have told me that they were both about to be euthanized because their time was up at the shelter.

If he could talk he would have told me how the shelter worker stapled his paper to Sammy’s to try to sneak him into my transport but how she forgot his brother Charlie’s paperwork too.

If only he could talk he could have helped me understand that someone with a human voice needed to tell me that his brother was in there too.

If only his brother could have talked, I would have understood his screaming at me as I walked away from him. Because I did. I looked each one of those a huskies in the eyes and then walked away into the masses to try to save as many as I could, and hell, I didn’t even know how to choose so I let the shelters choose for me. Choose the ones that need me most. The ones that are not doing well in the shelter. Charlie’s file was marked “normal” so I walked away and chose Willow, who had the caution signs all over his cage. Then I spent the next few days wishing I had chosen him too.

Codys brother, Charlie was euthanized in that shelter just a few days ago and I could have saved him but no one told me.

I damn sure would have taken Charlie had I know he was Cody’s brother.

Last week I went into San Bernardino shelter to save 1. Sammy. Because I had already tagged 12 in other shelters. Cody wasn’t even supposed to be on my list. Someone chose him for me, someone stapled his file to the back of Sammy’s. Someone else saved his life, someone else decided not to leave him behind. I just wish they had chosen Charlie too. I wish I had chosen Charlie. I wish I could have walked out with all of them.

Leave no dog behind. It’s such a powerful, motivating, fucking impossible task that sounds so great when your walking away with your saved dog, yet others are left behind. Thousands. There is no “no dog left behind” truth and there won’t be until people start spaying and neutering and taking better care of their animals.

I left a thousand huskies behind in CA. I am only 1 fucking person. EVERYONE needs to step up and do better. NOONE should be leaving ANY dog or animal behind. NOONE. I want to hide and cry until I can not hurt so much about leaving Charlie behind. But if I do, how many more will die? How many more will be left behind?