Members of the Association for Animal Assistance rescued a female dog in the village of Zebrzydowa. The sick and exhausted animal did not wake from anesthesia after surgery to remove a tumor that accounted for 20 percent of her body weight. The dog’s owner was aware of the female dog’s suffering but did not consider it important to relieve her pain.
In an email to our editorial office, Mr. Sławomir (who took part in the rescue operation) described what happened, emphasizing that although the story of the female dog from Zebrzydowa is one of many, it made such a strong impression on the rescuers that they are still emotionally affected by it in one way or another.
As a member of the Association’s board, [Pomocy Zwierzętom]I took part in the operation to take the dog away from her irresponsible owner. The case took place in the village of Zebrzydowa. We had previously received information that an elderly woman was keeping a female dog that had given birth in April and had been suffering ever since from a tumor growing beneath her abdomen. Indeed, the dog had a growth beneath her abdomen that accounted for 20 percent of her total body weight. Without hesitation, we insisted that the dog be surrendered and took her to [weterynarza]Dr. Klasa. He agreed to operate on the dog, although he pointed out that the chances of success were small because he had never seen a tumor like it before. The female dog had something beneath her abdomen that had probably resulted from inflammation of the mammary glands. When we first saw her, she was in a terrible condition, and the growth looked very bad. It was huge, dark and cracked.
I will omit here the dramatic effort to raise money for the operation (the dog’s owner did not intend to pay anything) and the search for a temporary home for the dog. I will only say that despite our efforts, the female dog died after the operation without even waking from anesthesia.
In the rest of his email, Mr. Sławomir raises the important issue of some owners’ complete indifference to animals’ suffering.
Since the beginning of [Stowarzyszenia Pomocy Zwierzętom]our work, we have struggled with the problem of keeping dogs chained, the lack of basic care, starving animals and treating them as objects—especially dogs. Unfortunately, the case described is one of many. Previously, we dealt with two dogs kept on chains. One was fed potato peelings and had not had its claws trimmed for years; the other was wasting away from hunger in a poorly assembled kennel. In such situations, it is always the same: the owners keep the animal but would not dream of spending money on it. The usual explanation is that the owner has no more for themselves.
The owner of the female dog from Zebrzydowa was aware that her dog was suffering, had a fever and must have been experiencing severe pain, but she did not consider it necessary to relieve the animal’s suffering. Her main argument was that she did not want to spend money on the dog. There are still no institutions in the municipality and county that could provide effective assistance in such drastic situations.
(information by Grażyna Hanaf)