Neither of two new owners are willing to give a pair of adopted Katrina dogs back to their original family. While one adopter declined to comment, the other states her case emphatically: "I legally fostered and adopted a dying dog who had a serious medical condition that long predated the hurricane. Just like a child that's adopted, I plan on loving him, caring for him and providing care for him for the rest of his life because that's what Noah deserves."
The original family has now driven down to Florida to hold a press conference:
Steven and Dorreen Couture sat before reporters Tuesday, trying to put a child's face on their Hurricane Katrina saga.On their laps sat their 7-year-old granddaughter Cassidy and 4-year-old grandson Steven.
After months of e-mails, phone calls and interviews, the Coutures drove two days from the New Orleans area to plead for their dogs, Master Tank the St. Bernard and Nila the shepherd mix.
"I'm making a plea," Steven Couture said as his grandson twisted and turned in his lap. "Please give me my dogs back."
Both sides have their hackles raised, but under existing laws the Coutures can only rely on the two adopters good will. While I don't see a custody battle happening over this particular case, another case in Pennsylvania looks headed that way.
Though I know they're desperate, a thump on the head to the Coutures for using their grandchildren as props; and though the adopters might be able to provide a better life for the animals, they need to go ahead and give the dogs back.
You could not be more wrong and I'm tempted to use a bunch of four letter words to describe my disdain for the former owners. Heartworm is wholly preventable by an $8 monthly tab. In the south, if you don't do this for your dog, especially an outside dog, it is a death sentence.
Key graph: "Bondi says that the St. Bernard was an outside dog in New Orleans where temperatures can reach well above 100 degrees. Moreover, she contends, the dog was dying of heartworms.
"Had he been properly cared for, I would have been driving him back to New Orleans myself," Bondi said.
If these a-hole rednecks from New Orleans want a dog, go to a rescue outfit and adopt another one. They don't deserve their old dogs back and thank God there was that little windstorm to seperate them from their miscared for dogs and give the dogs a shot to live a healthy happy life.
And hopefully there isn't anyone dumb enough to let them get another dog after they kept the last ones outside and allowed them to get heartworm.
http://labfoster.blogspot.com
Posted by: David Lundeen at June 28, 2006 03:10 PMI'm a dog freak with two dogs adopted from Animal Control. I'm also a redneck. Let's keep it civil.
Posted by: Donnah at June 28, 2006 03:22 PMSorry 'bout the redneck crack, as they say, most of my best friends are rednecks or sailors.
I hope both your dogs are getting their monthly heartworm treatment. Here in Florida too many dogs aren't treated, either because their owners are a.) stupid, b.) claim to be too poor, or c.) don't care. Up north they only need to take their monthly treatments during the summer months, here in paradise (or the swamps for that matter) your pup needs to take his medicine every month.
If a dog gets heartworm you treat it by nearly killing it with chemicals and keeping it immobile for up to 60 days. Treatment runs between $500 to $1,000. Starting it on Heartguard after the fact does nothing. After finally being freed to get excercise your best friend is very weak for the following two to six months.
And how do most people who are a.) stupid or b.) think they're too poor, or c.) don't care treat their dogs when they find out they are heartworm positive? Oh, they take them to shelters where most are put down, but some get rescued by the various rescue groups.
About 50% of the dogs rescued by Mid-Florida Retriever Rescue come into the program heartworm positive. When we adopte them back out we work real hard to not let them go to people who are a.)... you get the picture.
And yes, some of the very best adoptive families we have worked with turned out to be rednecks.
Posted by: David Lundeen at June 28, 2006 03:39 PMYes, my girls get their Heartguard every month.
I understand your position as someone in rescue, and in my heart I would like the dogs to stay in their new, better (at least in the one case) homes. But I still think they're Couture's dogs. There's overt abuse, neglect, and then there's not just treating them as well as you should.