''Every Dog Deserves to be Saved'': Oreo's Story Part II

It will be a very long time before I stop wondering about Oreo; the beautiful dog who was cruelly abused and tortured by her owner, only to be rescued by the ASPCA, treated intensively to heal her painful injuries, but then mysteriously and abruptly euthanized with what I consider to be an apparently flimsy excuse. I am haunted with questions about such a senseless death. In reality could this courageous young dog have been saved? I am a huge fan of "Dogtown", a most informative, compelling and heartwarming TV show. I follow the series, eagerly awaiting each new episode. Dogtown, located in Southern Utah is part of Best Friends Animal Society Sanctuary. I marvel at the loving care the staff gives these dogs, many of whom are considered "vicious," aggressive and not suitable for rehoming. I am deeply touched by the compassionate, patient care the staff gives these dogs, holding a positive vision for these dogs' rehabilitation to have the opportunity to find a forever loving home. Oreo, Minutes before euthanization So I got to asking myself, "Are there dogs that are really not candidates for rehabilitation?" I felt compelled to learn more about it and contacted Pets Alive, the No Kill sanctuary, located about 90 minutes from New York City, in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains Additionally Pets Alive is modeled on and works closely with Best Friends. This facility generously and caringly made an offer to the ASPCA prior to Oreo being euthanized, to take her and keep her forever, to work with her to restore her to sanity. I spoke with Matt DeAngelis, the Executive Co- Director of the facility. I asked him my haunting question, "Are there really dogs for which rehabilitation is impossible?" He replied, "That is an excellent question." He elaborated, telling me that in the 25 years he has been working with dogs, there was only one he encountered that could not be rehabilitated, most likely due to the dog's medical condition. This particular dog was held at a "Kill" shelter and had a seizure disorder. While ten years have elapsed since he met that dog, he continues to wonder if there was something he could have done to save the dog's life. He quoted Kerry Clair, the Co-Executive Director's words, "We are all they have." His passionate philosophy is that a homeless and needy dog must never be killed when a humane solution exists. And he truly believes these solutions are possible, if someone takes the time and makes the effort to find them. Pets Alive's website clearly shows that they made several outreach attempts to the ASPCA in order to spare Oreo's life but these offers were repeatedly rebuked. Even though Ed Sayers, the President of the ASPCA described Oreo as vicious and claimed that their rigorous attempts to rehabilitate her were fruitless, DeAngelis and the entire Pets Alive staff were eager to offer her a permanent and caring home to get the opportunity for patient rehabilitation. DeAngelis added that it would be almost impossible to work with Oreo while she was recovering from her injuries and still suffering from her severe pain, both physically and emotionally, following the brutal trauma that she experienced at the hands of her former owner. It takes a very long time for a dog like Oreo to regain trust of humans. At Pets Alive she would have had that opportunity. Since the ASPCA never visited Pets Alive Sanctuary, although Sayers was invited to tour the facility but declined, Sayers' claims that "Due to the extreme emotional and physical strain Oreo suffered, her living conditions at a sanctuary would have been anything but natural, and her quality of life would have been poor at best. She would be forced to live a life of isolation, with extremely limited contact..." How could he know this if he never investigated the offer? A dog run at Pets Alive According to DeAngelis, at Pets Alive Sanctuary, this is far from the truth. "Every single one of our dogs have people that interact with them. Even our "red" dogs are taken out on day trips - for ice cream and overnight stays by volunteers. There are always people here that can work with all our dogs." Preparations to house Oreo were carefully made assuring her comfort, giving her their "Senior Room" and an outdoor run where she could see other dogs, and receive the caring slow process of rehabilitation in secure surroundings. But Pets Alive's hopes of being able to help this tortured dog were dashed upon the rocks of rejection by the ASPCA. However, Oreo's tragic death was not totally in vain. As a result, legislation will be introduced that closes loopholes to save the lives of thousands of injured and abused animals in New York State. Modeled on an existing law in California, the bill will be named "Oreo's Law" in her memory. For more information about Oreo and the Pets Alive facility, visit: http://www.petsalive.com/ We would love to hear your reactions to this story. Share your thoughts by leaving a comment. Photos courtesy of Pets Alive