A tale of two dogs

This blog post is about two loving dogs I have had the luck to meet and their journey from a life of fear and abuse to a life of safety and the hope of lifelong homes filled with love and compassion.

This blog post is not about the complex issue of animal testing. My opinion on animal testing is not easily described in one blog post. For this post, I want to focus on these two loves. In future posts I will write about animal testing. The one point that I do want to make here before I introduce these two is that even though there are undercover investigators throughout the US looking into abuses against lab animals, the abuses continue. They continue in a way that the abuse and cruelty are so horrific some labs, including the one these two were in, have shut their doors. Meanwhile, the cruelty continues. We just can't see it.

To be clear, I am talking about abuse and cruelty that have nothing to do with the testing going on (which in most cases is hardly anything you would want to happen to your companion animal). The horrors are inflicted on these lovely creatures by those charged with their care. Yes, by those who are responsible for caring for the animals being tested on. I have seen the videos of where these two came from and was brought to tears.

So here we go. I would like all of you to meet Buddy and Copper. In the photo, taken by my dear friend Emile Hallez Williams, Buddy is on the left and Copper is on the right. They came from horrific conditions at a lab in North Carolina, were released after an undercover investigation by PETA (one of the very few groups out there that is a steady voice for animals in labs), and are currently living at The Kindness Ranch, a sanctuary in southeast Wyoming for animals of all sizes who have been released from testing facilities. The Kindness Ranch is one of only a few sanctuaries specifically created to give safe haven to animals released from testing labs.

Buddy and Copper are complete loves. I fell in love with them instantly. Buddy was on my lap in an instant, and Copper took his time to come close. Their tails wagged a mile a minute. Buddy, as you can see in the very top photo of him and I, just loves to be loved and cuddled. Copper is still pretty cautious, but as I sat in the middle of an open area for a few minutes he eventually made his way to me and showed me a lot of love. I could have stayed with these two all day.

I would rather remember them as they are, not as how they were treated in the lab. After they heal at The Kindness Ranch, they will be up for adoption. I look forward to the day when I get the news that they have been adopted and will spend the rest of their days being loved and adored, as they deserve to be. And yes, you are correct. If we did not have a full house they would be definitely on their way to our home!

Did I say that they are complete loves? Even after all they have been through at the hands of humans, they are still loving towards humans.

What a lesson.

For more information on The Kindness Ranch and all of the other animals living there, simply click on the top photo of my blog page, the one of Buddy and I.

And as always, thank you so much for reading this blog. The support I have gotten here blows my mind and I am grateful for all of you who read this. I would love your continued feedback.