Tales from the Bark Side

By Keith Ross | The Daily Journal

Published Saturday, September 15, 2007

Welcome back to the bark side of life here in Ottertail where the autumn winds begin to blow at night and leaves are hinting that they are preparing to turn colors soon. As the river of time swiftly flows towards the eternal ocean, certain moments stand as islands in the slip stream of life. I'm sitting at my computer at about the same time I did six years ago today. It is the 11th of September, and that day will haunt us all for the rest of our lives.

Being a dog handler, the image of the search and rescue dogs wearing protective foot pads because of the heat at ground zero is emblazoned in my mind. Teams from around the country hurried to New York City to begin what was a massive rescue operation. We remember the courageous firemen (and women, too) and policemen who gave their lives attempting to save the victims of such a heinous and cowardly act.

Seldom is mentioned about the canines that were there after the collapse of the towers and their heroic efforts to give closure to so many grieving family members. I am touched by all the volunteers who selflessly gave of themselves on that day and the agonizing days thereafter. It was a testament to the moral fiber of our country.

Some time ago, I received an e-mail from Julie Rehm of Perham, about a springer spaniel named LuLu, for which she was a foster parent. I spoke of search and rescue dogs that looked for people; here is a story about people who rescue dogs.

I have a sad but important tale to tell of a sweet little English springer spaniel named LuLu that is currently living with us. First off I should tell you that my family and I belong to a fabulous nationwide organization called English Springer Rescue America or ESRA. We have been foster parents for rescued springer spaniels for the past two years. These dogs come to the ESRA for reasons of abandonment or abuse, they are placed in foster homes or shelters for evaluation and then they are posted to the ESRA website for adoption.

Three-year-old LuLu came to our house the end of March 2007, from a shelter located in South Dakota. We do not know much about LuLu's past except for the fact that she was dropped off at the shelter and possibly came from a puppy mill. LuLu's hair was stained yellow and she did not smell very ladylike. She actually spent the first 1 1/2 weeks at our house hiding in a dog crate and it was obvious that she had not been socialized with people. After a trip to the groomer and having the matted hair removed, she seemed to feel much better and a bit happier about her new house and family.

Unfortunately after her trip to the groomer, we began to understand more of LuLu's behavior and the possible reason why she was so terribly afraid of men. You see LuLu has burn scars on her head and ear that are more visible when she is first groomed. These scars are bald spots where the hair will never grow back but they are easily covered when the rest of her hair grows out around them. Since we do not know who LuLu's owner was in South Dakota, we cannot press charges.

So now LuLu has been in our home for more than five months and she has been posted to the adoption website. Unfortunately due to the fact that LuLu came from an abusive home, she will not fit into a typical family household. LuLu is deathly afraid of men and she startles easily. However, she would be a wonderful companion. Lu Lu loves to sit on the couch and watch TV with me at night.

Thank you Julie, for such a touching tale. Readers who want more information on this subject and want to become involved in the rescue of dogs may call Julie Rehm at 218-346-4505, and she will guide you in the right direction.

In this day and age, there is so much emphasis on the individual's wants and needs. I call it the “it's all about me syndrome.” It's refreshing to see that there are still people out there providing love and care for these poor mistreated animals. They are truly angels.

Keith Alan Ross writes from his New York Mills home.