Protecting the Children? Seriously?

I got to the shelter early today - it was about 10 minutes to 7:00. No, I'm not a workaholic. Although I am indeed a morning person, I am usually home-based until 9:00. But today I had a morning appearance on WCFN, so I had to get to the shelter, select an animal to bring, and then get across town to the station in time for the live segment at 7:37.

I went into my office to fire up my computer and let the weekend emails pour in while I was gone. I hadn't been there a minute, when I noticed through the window that a woman had pulled into the parking lot. She was already out of her car and walking around with a little dog (looked like a Lhasa Apso to me, but I'm not too good at identifying the little breeds) on leash. She obviously had realized that I was in the building, came to the staff entrance near my office window, and knocked on the door. I checked my watch and wished I could pretend I wasn't there. But I didn't.

At the door, she said they (I assume she was referring to herself and her husband) got the dog from an elderly woman who could no longer keep him. They had thought he would be a companion for their dog, but the two dogs weren't getting along. I explained that we weren't open yet (as if she didn't know that, at 7 in the morning), and asked her to please return later. I explained that I had to leave shortly and that by 8:00 some staff members would be available to do a proper intake, take down pertinent information, examine the dog, etc. She resisted. And resisted. She assured me that she would come back after 8:00 to do the paperwork and provide the dog's vet records, but she really wanted me to take the dog. She said she could not bring him back later. She indicated that this had something to do with her children. She was not entirely coherent, but I realized later that she wanted to off-load the dog while the children were still asleep and planned to tell them that he had gone to live with a family where he would be the only dog. I wasn't really listening when she explained this; I just wanted her to agree to come back later. Why did I care what she told her children? I had someplace to be. And I had to be on time! I wanted the conversation to end. But when she told me that she had planned to leave him tied out in front of the building, I took hold of the leash. I didn't say anything after that; I was done.

Lucky for me, Dr. Stone arrived at about that time, and took care of the dog so that I could round up a kitten and head over to WCFN.

As you probably guessed, the woman never returned to do the paperwork. Our staff brought the dog over to Animal Control because he was not surrendered to us, he was abandoned. I didn't even have the owner's name, let alone her signature on a relinquishment form.

Naturally, as I drove across town (with Peanut, the adorable gray kitten), I thought of all the choicey things I should have said to the woman. I'm very good at caustic retorts when the moment has passed and I've had a few minutes to pull myself together. But it was too late, and probably for the best anyway. No use engaging in hostilities with someone whose mind is made up. Besides, I haven't walked a mile in her shoes. How do I know what was really going on?

As I put the pieces together though, and realized that this whole thing was about protecting the children from the experience of surrendering the dog, I got pretty annoyed. I'll admit right off the bat that I'm not a parent, so perhaps I don't know what I'm talking about. But why is it better to steal the dog away while the children sleep and tell them a lie, than to allow them the opportunity to say a proper good-bye to the dog and explain why surrendering him to a humane facility was the right decision for both the dog and the family? I don't get it.

She robbed her children of closure, as well as the opportunity to learn lessons about consequences and taking responsibility. Instead, her children will learn nothing. Except maybe that sometimes things you love disappear in the middle of the night. Good job, mom.