A lesson in responsibility (warning: slightly graphic images of possible animal neglect.)

I'm going to go ahead and just give everyone fair warning here. This is not going to be a happy post... I try to keep this blog as lighthearted, and adorable as I possibly can. But today I just really need to talk about something rather serious and important. Today I want to talk about responsibility...

Some of you may remember Chex, the happy go lucky Corgi mix, from a previous PotW post. Well a few weeks ago Chex was adopted with another dog from the shelter. When I had heard that Chex had been adopted, I was so excited for him! He had been at the shelter for so long, and somehow just kept getting passed over. But now he was in a new home, and with another buddy from the shelter!

Well, earlier last week Chex and the other dog were returned. It seems that whoever adopted Chex and the other dog just hadn't thought the whole thing through and changed their minds after only two weeks... I really wish this was the end of the story... But I'm going to share with you a photo of Chex before he was adopted...

 Chex before his adoption

A happy and healthy boy, anxious to meet new people. This is what most dogs who are adopted from the shelter look like. The shelter where I volunteer has a high standard of making sure that all the dogs and cats we have for adoption are healthy, up to date on shots, and temperament tested. They do not adopt out sick, unaltered, aggressive, or under vaccinated animals. If the dogs and cats are unhealthy and in need of vetting they are not available for adoption to the public. (If a legitimate rescue group comes along and is able to help with vetting, then the animals may be released into their care.)

Now I'm going to show you some pictures of what Chex looked like upon his return to the shelter. Fair warning, these pictures are not pretty. If sad, injured animals upset you, I suggest you click away now...

Chex when he was returned

I saw Chex just a few days before he was adopted. He did not look like this when he left. There is no way the shelter would have let him leave in this condition... I am going to say that I, personally, do not know what happened to Chex while he was gone. I don't know if these are burns, a rash, or some other kind of skin infection. They do not look like bite wounds to me, but I am not a vet.

I really just don't know how and why, this sweet little guy is in this condition. He has been back at the shelter for a little over a week now, and is being treated by the vet there, and is showing improvement. And frankly, I'm glad he and his buddy are back at the shelter (The other dog adopted and returned with Chex seemed to be in an okay condition). I know I do not know the whole story, but I really don't care. Chex is a living, breathing, feeling thing. He does not deserve to be in this condition. At least at the shelter he is receiving proper attention and vet care. 

If you are thinking of adopting an animal, please, PLEASE understand the gravity of being responsible for another living thing. Its not so much the fact that Chex was returned that upsets me, its the condition in which he was returned. Not only is it unfair to Chex to be like this, its unfair to the rest of the animals in the shelter too. If this is some kind of infection, it could spread to the other animals. It is also taking that much more time, attention, and money to get him back to where he was, health wise, before he left.

Fortunately, Chex is being picked up by a rescue group and will be receiving appropriate vet care, may be placed in a foster home, and will eventually be placed in a new forever home. Most rescue groups require a background check and an adoption contract. So this will give Chex a better chance at finding a loving, responsible, forever home that will give him the love and care he needs. 

I really hope that Chex gets dealt a better hand this time around...I will have a regular PotW post later this week, I just really needed to share Chex's story.