Thoughts of the holidays take me back to the winter of the old black dog.

By chance or divine intervention, I learned about his plight and wrote about him in my column about six years ago. He lived in a small, fenced, outdoor enclosure behind an old neglected vacant house covered with overgrown bushes and vines. How awful his old bones must have felt as the temperatures dipped below freezing, and the snow and ice pelted his meager shelter.

My dearest wish that the old black dog find a new home and family by Dec. 25 came true, thanks to the intervention of a very dear woman, an animal advocate. Although she never met him, the good soul found a new home for the old black dog. He spent his last Christmas well-fed in warmth, peace and love. Her kindness changed the last months of his life from misery to comfort. It makes me smile to think they spend the holidays together now that she has passed away, too.

In the five years since I wrote about the black dog in my column, the number of black dog cast-outs has risen. Sadly, many pets are relinquished at shelters when families face job losses or take a severe financial hit. These animals are the luckier of the abandoned pets. Sometimes, when families suffer home foreclosures, pets are left behind with the foreclosed property. They face the elements, starvation and danger.

My wish for each black dog to have their "savior" provide food, a warm place to sleep and a pat on the head is partially possible thanks to a very special animal organization, Alley Animals.

The dedicated, big-hearted volunteers of Alley Animals set out at midnight in pairs, six nights a week, every week, to feed and rescue stray animals. Traveling by car, the good people cover more than 385 alleys and feed more than 3,000 stray animals. That's a large number of strays, but there are more that are never seen. By feeding a stray animal, the workers of Alley Animals hope the stray won't roam for food and thus avoid getting hit by a vehicle or become the victim of cruelty. Alley Animals workers try to catch the strays they come across, but they can't take in more strays than shelters can handle. They try to find foster care when the shelters are full. The group also helps pet owners with spaying and neutering.

Alley Animals is a 24-hour-a-day, on-call organization, and they have a wish list. If you would like to help them continue their good work for animals in desperate need, they could use dry and canned dog food, dry and canned cat food, paper towels, laundry detergent, nonclumping kitty litter, and plastic trash bags. Please call 410-823-3319 if you have items to donate.

Monetary donations for supplies or to help defray veterinary expenses are also appreciated. Alley Animals is funded solely by private donations. Checks, payable to Alley Animals, may be sent to Alley Animals, 623 Fairway Ave., Towson, MD 21286. You can check out Alley Animals online by visiting www.alleyanimals.org.

Have a very merry "Old Black Dog" Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!

To share your news or event in the Perry Hall/Kingsville area, call Shelley 410-256-7043 or send e-mail to write2shell@yahoo.com.

user comments (0)