Poor Little Beagle - Part II

Finally, someone willing to call it as it is!!!
(Click here to read Part I)

Letter of the day | Dogs take work and a lot of commitment
Published Wednesday November 7th, 2007
Times and Transcript
Appeared on page D8

To The Editor:

I just read your front-page story about the beagle who can't seem to find a permanent home and find myself a little perplexed.

So let me get this straight: the Spragues couldn't get the particular dog they wanted, threw a public tantrum about it because they wanted him so badly, and then, when they finally got him, changed their minds and sent him packing after 24 hours because he was unruly?

Oh, I see. I guess they mistakenly thought they were getting one of those perfect dogs -- you know, the kind that can safely be left home alone unsupervised and ungated, the kind that sit angelically, tail curled neatly around their paws, waiting patiently for their family to return, the kind that don't chew on furniture or bark or whine or drag the laundry around the house, the kind that don't have any accidents.

I guess their mistake was in looking for one of those dogs at the SPCA.

Perhaps they would have more luck in the stuffed toys section of Toys 'R' Us.

Hey, guess what?

Dogs require work.

They aren't born knowing how to behave according to our standards. They require training and patience and -- most importantly -- commitment.

If you're not willing to supply all three, and maybe do some cursory research into how to raise a well-behaved dog instead of expecting magic, then keep walking past the dog cages and save everyone a lot of trouble and heartache.

The most ironic part about this saga is that the Spragues seem to think their next doggie audition, a beagle puppy, is somehow going to be any less of a handful.

To prevent the (probably inevitable) future return of that little guy, here's a helpful (though painfully obvious) tip: how about not giving your puppy free rein when you leave the house?

And, of course, the SPCA is somehow the bad guy in all of this, never mind that their mandate is to take care of unwanted animals, not to cater to the whims of flighty clients.

That anyone should have sent hate mail or threats their way is shameful.

This whole sorry mess leaves me disgusted.

Kelly Tynan,

Moncton