The car stopped. Someone pushed her out onto the road. What’s happening? Are we going for a walk? But her collar was gone and she was alone. She tried to work it out but couldn’t. They were driving away! Hey! Hey! I’m here! Don’t leave me! She ran after the vehicle. Ran, and ran, and ran. Her mind screamed,Wait for me! Mom! Dad! I’m here! Don’t you see me? But the car never stopped. It wasn’t a mistake: she was an abandoned dog. Sage had been discarded by the people she trusted to protect her, she just didn’t know it yet.
How an unwanted, abandoned dog became Sage
Last June, a couple walked into the Adoption Center and threw their black bully’s papers on the desk. The woman declared there was some rent issue with her landlord and that she couldn’t end up living in her car with three dogs, so she was leaving this one with us. Office Manager Rachel Frazao explained that she was sympathetic to her situation and was happy to help her explore her options, but that there was a process. They couldn’t just drop off their pet. They stormed out with the dog.
Outside, observers watched as a departing vehicle halted just outside the gate and then drove off. The couple had dumped their dog after removing her collar. Their callousness was difficult to stomach. Indeed, an incensed delivery driver who witnessed the event was vocal in his disgust.
Meanwhile, the confused animal chased after the car. She ran down the road towards Oberlin, the nearby highway. She wanted her people; they never looked back.
Sanctuary Operations Manager Laura Finley was onsite. She called out “Loose dog!” and the entire team rallied. The frightened pup swerved into the field across from the Ranch. Team members rushed to block access to Oberlin with bodies and vehicles. Karen Topping and her twelve-year-old daughter, Meghan, were among them.
Meghan stepped toward the dog. The others hung back, watchful. Leash in hand, she crouched in the sage and waited for the skittish but curious canine to approach her. Karen recorded the scene. Sure enough, both soon emerged together, safe and sound. The scent imparted to the dog’s coat by the tall grass suggested her new name: Sage. Meghan has a special affinity with dogs and has done this before. Read about it on the Meghan’s House, Facebook page.
Sage found saftey, love, and her people
I introduced Sage in a June update on the Sanctuary. From the start, she showed up as a gentle, charming, companionable dog who enjoys other dogs and loves people. When I visited, she and Jasper were getting along like gangbusters. And she loved staff member, Sydney Palmer.
Her happy demeanor and easy grin further suggested, to me at least, a sense of humor just waiting to blossom. Once she was ready for adoption, she moved to the Adoption Center and soon found her new family!
We’re so happy for Sage. New beginnings and leaving a cruel past behind is what it’s all about.
Cruelty is never the right choice, an abandoned dog is never safe
We get multiple surrender requests every day. When Sage arrived that day in June, Rescue Ranch was housing a total 187 dogs. Unfortunately, that number is no longer exceptional.We do our best to help owners think through the options, but we have to work together to find the best solution for the dog. Dumping or deliberately placing a pet in a life-threatening situation to provoke a response is cruel and dangerous. It’s never the right choice.
