Why are people so heartless?

EDIT: May be a bit long; but I assure you will have a nice read on at least one level. Please take the time to read it. Pics a couple posts down!

First of all to start this off I believe if you buy, raise, and feed an animal you are COMMITTED to this animals LIFE. Especially if you consider yourself a MAN. What you are about to read is by far the most cowardly thing I have ever fucking experienced, or seen.

Last night me and a buddy had a nice sesh, and headed to the burrito shop. We get back about 10:30 and right outside of his neighborhood (the last one before farm fields) this dog was walking up and down the sidewalk, walking towards busier traffic so we decided to rescue it and see what we could do, see as our town has an EXTREME over population of animals, and all the shelters (not rescues) are high kill here. (I'm talking 100s if not a thousand a day, the statistics were in the paper but I'm not sure I did the math right.)

After coercing him for a good 10 minutes driving in circles up and down this street; blocking a lane of traffic, we finally got him to jump up into the truck bed. Drove around trying to find his house he could have gotten out of, sign of a fence or something we stopped and checked out his collar. Shining the light on him, he had a collar with just his name an a number. This was when we discovered a wound a half circle around his eye that was gashed open, and same on his nose, and it was so swollen he could barely sniff out of it. This is a full bred; 75lb + German Shepherd. This guy is a big boy.

We proceeded to contact the owner, and after 3 hours we reached the conclusion that the phone number had been de-activated or changed. I took him to a family friend that is a vet to get him checked out, not knowing whether he needed immediate medical attention or not. Turns out he was probably thumped by a car pretty close to us catching him, the wounds were DAMN fresh.

This is where it gets interesting: After the vet; we did some research; tracked down the number on a local racing forum and pinned the guy to having two accounts. There was another number on the other account this guy had on that forum, which showed up on a reverse phone look up for the old number after we had got his name. So we had two numbers for him; called the second and no return. Paid MORE to run this guys name to get his dog back to him; found out his arrest record online, got pictures, his hobbys, his address, kids, etc from another profile I found about him on a racing website. He was a nascar type guy I figured he would want his dog back....

So I get this address after getting no return call this morning (the dog stayed overnight at a buddies to rest from his wounds). After pretty much going through 3 different locations and getting pointed that this guy had moved, we found out where at took his dog to him. I know it's his dog 1. Because his favorite Nascar driver he labeled on that forum, and his profile on the racing site, was also the dogs collar (not the tag, the collar), and 2. I know he had the number on the tag because it reversed look-up to his name, as well he posted that it was his number on this forum in late 2010; phone companies don't give out a number that soon, especially give it out and have it dis-activated again. So this number couldn't have been anyone but his; and this led me to believe he had financial trouble.

Anyway; I get to his house and talked to a neighbor that confirmed that it was him; as well as he did. I left the dog in the back of the truck, he was looking out the window. The man was working on a car with his boy (maybe another I wasn't sure), which also led me to believe it was the same guy I had tracked down. Long story short; he looked at me like I was crazy; almost like he wanted to fight, or that he was amazing this dog wasn't dead and that I had tracked him down like I did or something. He straight up denied ownership to this fucking dogs face, right in front of his boys. Long story short I left with the dog. He lived 20+ miles away from where I found him; therefore the only conclusion I can come to is that he dropped this dog off out in the fields (the dude is from a real nasty part of town, I couldn't even believe the guy wasted the gas to go out there and do this) and he was trying to find his way back home which led him to the street we found him on.

He's an amazing fully-grown (and I mean BIG BOY) German Shepherd male, neutered. Not registered with the city from what I can see; no micro-chip. He is the most loyal (their breed is extensively this way), gentle, playful and lovable dog I've had the pleasure to be around from what I've ever seen and what I can tell (and I've had everything from Dalmations to Labs and Terriers.)
He wasn't taken care of at all; dirt ridden and for being in 100+ degree weather his fur was beaten to shit. He probably never got a bath or combed all that nasty undercoat out. The big guy tends to bond to me already; loves having me at his side and getting a pet (he was obviously neglected of either attention, or something). I've never seen a dog so happy to have me on the floor next to him, he was licking my face uncontrollably, and he listens extremely well especially for being in the shock that he was in. The guy actually called me back (from the number I called and got no answer, but the one that worked) awhile after I left his house; almost in a mocking manner. I just shrugged it off and hung up. Gave the dog two baths and combed him all nice and neat; looks like a true GSD now. Beautiful beautiful dog.

I went and bought him some food, a new collar, leash, etc. and he is currently resting back to full health at a buddies house until I can decide whether or not he is a compatible match with my current dog, and if they will work out (for me, and both of the dogs). If not he will be turned into a German Shepherd non-kill rescue shelter that requires a home screen before being released; and if the family ever wants to sell him or give him away he must be returned by law to the rescue.

This has just bugged me that people can do shit like this; it has probably stressed me out more than the dog. I know that he will have a good and enjoyable life from now on; but this is just heartless. Animal cruelty can't be claimed because there is no proof of ownership. How can you consider yourself a MAN after some shit like that? I mean it'd cost me 60 more dollars a month to feed him TOP OF THE LINE food, with bones and treats. This is NOTHING compared to the reward that this dog already seems to give. How he is acting alone is almost proof that he has never had an loyal owner and he was happy to be inside the A/C today snoozing on the carpet.

Anyway; there's a little story and rant. For those interested will keep updated with information about him and what's going on, and can post pictures. For those interested as well, his name is Rocko. Please keep him in your prayers (even if you aren't religious as I) because all dogs need hope; luckily this guy now has someone to make sure he now has an amazing life.

 

Yes, yes they are. Excuse me for this line because I am not violent and do not wish anything on anyone in the slightest way; but people like that deserve to die, and cruelly too. Completely worthless, and that's why the guy was who he was. He was nothing but a dirtbag.

Thank you for the read and post mate, good to know people feel the same as I. I'm sure he will do fine, the vet said he had minor lacerations, nothing internal and his lungs were good; now it's just a matter of keeping his life happy.

 

Thanks for the kind words blades; really appreciate it. Can't explain how much I alone am stressed out over it, much less him. His name will be changed as to I want him to have nothing to due with his old life, and the baggage, or that fucked up guy. Haven't thought of one yet and I am open to suggestions. Something big and masculine.

Cosmo
Magnus - Great in Greek
Titus - Giant in Greek
Engel which is German for Angel
Leonard which is Germanic for Bold Lion
and Gunther which is Old Norse for Warrior


Nice to know people feel the same, and that there are some of us out there with respect still. The first picture is him before I washed him up and combed out all that shit hair, and the second is him all nice and fresh. He loved the damn water. If you check his nose you can see it's swollen and the scab / scar tissue starting to form. His eye is a bit harder to see.

 

Nope I'm talking about Bears, Deer, you know, shit that people hunt and kill?

Nah that's on another topic, for another day; but yes I am pretty sure he is referring to domesticated animals. We domesticated this beautiful dogs and such as humans for working and loyalty purposes. Then this guy just goes and does this; it makes me sick to my stomach. I mean he could have posted him in the newspaper or on craigslist, NO ONE would have a hard time picking up this beautiful guy, he is truly remarkable. Part of me things that he may not even belong to the guy and to another family that lost him over the holidays, but I've found no ad, thus no avail.

Thanks for the kind words blades; they are needed in a situation like this.

 

Bud and Buddy are definitely in consideration! I think everyone would appreciate this.

He's currently doing ok. Took him on a walk he wasn't ready for; it kind of upset him physically and mentally, especially when I tried to work on him pulling. I have a feeling he hasn't been walked much. He has no clue how to play, I bought him a big rope and bone and he doesn't chew on them much, barely gums it and I have to be holding / playing with it as well for him too. I don't know if he has learned how to play. I also noticed that he is extremely happy and loves to be outside chasing flys on the patio which leads me to think he may have been locked up outside, or something similar where he made use of his time like that.

He won't eat much, about 2 cups today, and I had to hand feed him and stand by him to get him to eat that. He got hungry later and ate another one or so, but overall he doesn't have much of an appetite.

 

Possibly going to keep; he has a couple more days left on the nose heal, and probably a couple more before he can be introduced to my other dog. I don't want to start the problems off on the wrong foot, especially his nose being hurt, and get a reaction that might otherwise not happen or be able to be prevented.

I think he came to me for a reason; and I knew from the second he jumped in the truck that he was homeless. I don't know why, and I've never been so sure of something in my life. I talked about adopting him from the second we picked him up. I don't know how, but I knew that dirtbag wouldn't claim him. So chances are he will probably stick with me. A little hefty bill comes with that, big dogs are expensive as fuck compared to my little one, but he is well worth it.