[PyrNet-L] Fw: worth reading (Tear Jerker)

["Barb Bowes, Bo, Molly, Chelsea & Flopsy" <bamb@monmouth.com>]

>
>
>
>I know that many of you belong to other lists and may have read this
already
>but.......
>
>
>>Permission to cross post is granted. Author Unknown.
>>
>>
>>                "My Name is Sam"
>>
>>
>>After I was discharged from the Navy, Jim and I moved back to
Detroit to
>use
>>
>>our GI bill benefits to get some schooling. Jim was going for a
degree in
>>
>>Electronics and I after much debating decided to get mine in
Computer
>>
>>Science. One of the classes that was a requirement was Speech.
>>
>>Like many people I had no fondness for getting up in front of people
for
>any
>>
>>reason let alone to be the center of attention as I stuttered my way
>through
>>
>>some unfamiliar subject, but I couldn't get out of the requirement
and so I
>>
>>found myself in my last semester before graduation with Speech as
one of my
>>
>>classes.
>>
>>
>>
>>On the first day of class our professor explained to us that he was
>>
>>going to leave the subject manner of our talks up to us, but he was
>>
>>going to provide the motivation of the speech. We would be
responsible for
>>
>>six speeches, each with a different motivation. For instance our
first
>>
>>speech's purpose was to inform. He advised us to pick subjects that
we were
>>
>>interested in and knowledgeable about. I decided to center my six
speeches
>>
>>around animals especially dogs.
>>
>>
>>
>>For my first speech to inform, I talked about the equestrian art of
>>
>>dressage. For my speech to demonstrate, I brought my German
Shepherd,
>Bodger
>>
>>to class and demonstrated obedience commands. Finally the semester
was
>>
>>almost over and I had but one more speech to give. This speech was
to take
>>
>>the place of a written final exam and was to count for fifty per
cent of
>our
>>
>>grade.
>>
>>
>>
>>The speeches motivation was to persuade.
>>
>>
>>
>>After agonising over a subject matter, and keeping with my animal
theme, I
>>
>>decided on the topic of spaying and neutering pets. My goal was to
try to
>>
>>persuade my classmates to neuter their pets. So I started
researching the
>>
>>topic. There was plenty of material, articles that told of the
millions of
>>
>>dogs and cats that were euthanised every year, of supposedly beloved
pets
>>
>>that were turned in to various animal control facilities for the
lamest of
>>
>>reason, or worse dropped off far from home, bewildered and scared.
Death
>was
>>
>>usually a blessing. The final speech was looming closer, but I felt
well
>>
>>prepared. My notes were full of facts and statistics that I felt
sure would
>>
>>motivate even the most naive of pet owner to succumb to my plea.
>>
>>
>>
>>A couple of days before our speeches were due, I had the bright idea
of
>>
>>going to the local branch of the Humane Society and borrowing a
puppy to
>use
>>
>>as a sort of a visual aid. I called the Humane Society and explained
what I
>>
>>wanted. They were very happy to accommodate me. I made arrangements
to pick
>>
>>up a puppy the day before my speech.
>>
>>
>>
>>The day before my speech, I went to pick up the puppy. I was feeling
very
>>
>>confident. I could quote all the statistics and numbers without ever
>looking
>>
>>at my notes. The puppy, I felt, would add the final emotional touch.
When I
>>
>>arrived at the Humane Society I was met by a young guy, named Ron.
He
>>
>>explained that he was the public relations person for the Humane
Society.
>He
>>
>>was very excited about my speech and asked if I would like a tour of
the
>>
>>facilities before I picked up the puppy. I enthusiastically agreed.
We
>>
>>started out in the reception area, which was the general public's
initial
>>
>>encounter with the Humane Society. The lobby was full, mostly with
people
>>
>>dropping off various animals that they no longer wanted. Ron
explained to
>me
>>
>>that this branch of the Humane society took in about fifty animal a
day and
>>
>>adopted out twenty.
>>
>>
>>
>>As we stood there I heard snatches of conversation, "I can't
>>
>>keep him, he digs holes in my garden" "There such cute puppies, I
know you
>>
>>will have no trouble finding homes for them." "She is wild , I can't
>control
>>
>>her." I heard one of Humane Society's volunteer explain to the lady
with
>the
>>
>>litter of puppies that the Society was filled with puppies and that
these
>>
>>puppies, being black, would immediately be put to sleep.
>>
>>Black puppies, she explained, had little chance of being adopted.
The
>>
>>woman who brought the puppies in just shrugged, "I can't help it"
she
>whined
>>
>>" They are getting too big, I don't have room for them."
>>
>>
>>
>>We left the reception area, Ron lead me into the staging area where
all the
>>
>>incoming animal were evaluated for adoptability. Over half never
even made
>>
>>it to the adoption centre. There were just too many. Not only were
people
>>
>>bringing in their own animal, but strays were also dropped off. By
law the
>>
>>humane society had to hold a stray for three days. If the animal was
not
>>
>>claimed by then it was euthanised, since there was no background
>information
>>
>>on the animal. There were already too many animals that had a known
history
>>
>>eagerly provided by their soon to be x owners. As we went through
the
>>
>>different areas, I felt more and more depressed. No amount of
statistics,
>>
>>could take the place of seeing the reality of what this throw away
attitude
>>
>>did to the living breathing animal. It was over overwhelming.
>>
>>
>>
>>Finally Ron stopped in front of a closed door. "That's it." He said.
>"Except
>>
>>for this." I read the sign on the door. "Euthanization Area." "Do
you want
>>
>>to see one.? He asked.
>>
>>
>>
>>Before I could decline, he interjected, "You really should, you
can't
>>
>>tell the whole story unless you experience the end." I reluctantly
>>
>>agreed. "Good." He said " I already cleared it and Peggy is
expecting you."
>>
>>He knocked firmly on the door. It was opened immediately by a middle
aged
>>
>>woman, in a white lab coat. "Here's the girl I was telling you
about." Ron
>>
>>explained. Peggy looked me over. "Well I'll leave you here with
Peggy and
>>
>>meet you in the reception area in about fifteen minutes. I'll have
the
>puppy
>>
>>ready." With that Ron departed, leaving me standing in front of the
stern
>>
>>looking Peggy.
>>
>>
>>
>>Peggy motioned me in. As I walked into the room, I gave a audible
gasp. The
>>
>>room was small and sparten. There were a couple of cages on the wall
and a
>>
>>cabinet with syringes and vials of a clear liquid. In the middle of
the
>room
>>
>>was a examining table with a rubber mat on top. There were two doors
other
>>
>>then the one I had entered. Both were closed, one said to
incinerator room,
>>
>>and the other had no sign, but I could hear various animals noises
coming
>>
>>for behind the closed door. In the back of the room, near the door
that was
>>
>>marked incinerator, were the objects that caused my distress. two
wheel
>>
>>barrels, filled with the bodies of dead
>>
>>kittens and puppies. I stared in horror. Nothing had prepared me for
this,
>I
>>
>>felt my legs grow weak and my breathing become rapid and shallow. I
wanted
>>
>>to run from that room, screaming. Peggy seemed not to notice my
state of
>>
>>shock. She started talking about the euthanizaton process, but I
wasn't
>>
>>hearing her. I could not tear my gaze away from the wheel barrels
and those
>>
>>dozens of pathetic little bodies. Finally, Peggy seemed to noticed
that I
>>
>>was not paying attention to her. "Are you listening?" She asked
irritably.
>>
>>"I'm only going to go through this once. I tore my gaze from the
back of
>the
>>
>>room and looked at her. I opened my mouth to say something, but
nothing
>>
>>would come out, so I nodded. She told me that behind the unmarked
door were
>>
>>the animals that were scheduled for euthanasia that day. She picked
up the
>a
>>
>>chart that was hanging from the wall. "One fifty three is next." She
said
>as
>>
>>she looked at the chart. "I'll go get him." She laid down the chart
on the
>>
>>examining table and started for the unmarked door. Before she got to
the
>>
>>door she stopped and turned around. "You aren't going to get
hysterical are
>>
>>you?" She asked " Because that will only upset the animals." I shook
my
>>
>>head. I had not said a word since I walked into that room. I still
felt
>>
>>unsure if I would be able to without breaking down into tears.
>>
>>
>>
>>As Peggy open the unmarked door I peered into the room beyond. It
was a
>>
>>small room, but the walls were lined and stacked with cages. It
looked like
>>
>>they were all occupied. Peggy opened the door of one of the lower
cages and
>>
>>removed the occupant. From what I could see it looked like a medium
size
>>
>>dog. She attached a leash and ushered the dog into the room in which
I
>>
>>stood. As Peggy brought the dog into the room I could see that the
dog was
>>
>>no more than a puppy maybe five or six months old. The pup looked to
be a
>>
>>cross between a Lab and a German shepherd. He was mostly black, with
a
>small
>>
>>amount of tan above his eyes and on his feet.
>>
>>
>>
>>He was very excited and bouncing up and down, trying to sniff
everything in
>>
>>this new environment. Peggy lifted the pup onto the table. She had a
card
>in
>>
>>her hand. which she laid on the table next to me. I read the card.
It said
>>
>>that number one fifty three was a mixed Shepherd, 6 months old. He
was
>>
>>surrendered two days ago by a family. Reason of surrender was given
as
>jumps
>>
>>on children. At the bottom was a note that said Name: Sam.
>>
>>
>>
>>Peggy was quick and efficient , from lots of practice, I guessed.
>>
>>She laid one fifty three down on his side and tied a rubber
tourniquet
>>
>>around his front leg. She turned to fill the syringe from the vial
of clear
>>
>>liquid. All this time I was standing at the head of the table. I
could see
>>
>>the moment that one fifty three went from a curious puppy to a
terrified
>>
>>puppy. He did not like being held down and he started to struggle.
It was
>>
>>then that I finally found my voice. I bent over the struggling puppy
and
>>
>>whispered "Sam." " Your name is Sam." At the sound of his name Sam
quit
>>
>>struggling. He wagged his tail tentatively and his soft pink tongue
darted
>>
>>out and licked my hand And that is how he spent his last moment. I
watched
>>
>>his eyes fade from hopefulness to nothingness. It was over very
quickly. I
>>
>>had never even seen Peggy give the lethal shot. The tears could not
be
>>
>>contained any longer. I kept my head down so as not to embarrass
myself in
>>
>>front of the stoic Peggy. My tears fell onto the still body on the
table.
>>
>>
>>
>>"Now you know." Peggy said softly. Then she turned away. "Ron will
be
>>
>>waiting for you."
>>
>>
>>
>>I left the room. Although it seem like it had been hours, only
fifteen
>>
>>minutes had gone by since Ron had left me at the door. I made my way
back
>to
>>
>>the reception area. True to his word, Ron had the puppy already to
go.
>After
>>
>>giving me some instructions about what to feed the puppy , he handed
the
>>
>>carrying cage over to me and wished me good luck on my speech That
night I
>>
>>went home and spent many hours playing with the orphan puppy. I went
to bed
>>
>>that night but I could not sleep. After awhile I got up and looked
at my
>>
>>speech notes with their numbers and statistics. Without second
thought I
>>
>>tore them up and threw them away. I went back to bed. Sometime
during the
>>
>>night I finally fell asleep.
>>
>>
>>
>>The next morning I arrived at my Speech class with Puppy Doe. When
my turn
>>
>>came to give my speech. I walked up to the front the class with the
puppy
>in
>>
>>my arms. I took a deep breath, and I told the class about the life
and
>death
>>
>>of Sam. When I finished my speech I became aware that I was crying.
I
>>
>>apologized to the class and took my seat. After class the teacher
handed
>out
>>
>>a critique with our grades. I had got a "A". His comments said "Very
moving
>>
>>and persuasive." Two days latter, on the last day of class, one of
my
>>
>>classmates came up to me. She was a older lady that I had never
spoken to
>in
>>
>>class. She stopped me on our way out of
>>
>>the class room. "I want you to know that I adopted the puppy you
brought to
>>
>>class." She said. "His name is Sam."
>>
>
Barb Bowes, NJ down at the shore!
Bo, Molly, Chelsea & Flopsy the Pyr Shep
The more people I meet, the more I like my dog!
bamb@monmouth.com