Imagine you’re a dog, and you have just been dumped on the side of some country road in the middle of no where. You have no idea where you are, all you know is that your human is driving away. You chase after your humans car for as long as you can. Before long their car is long out of your sight.
Eventually, you realize that you are hungry and tired. You wander into a neighborhood you have found and begin to look for something to eat or even a safe place to sleep. You soon learn that this is actually super difficult to do. You are chased away by other dogs, or humans. Humans that are cruel and mean. Rocks are thrown at you. You are hollered at. You even have been kicked a few times. You finally find some small crumbs on the ground around someone’s trashcan, and you find a quite spot to sleep under a oak tree in an alley.
You go on like this for several months. You have become skin and bones. Months of being chased off, being kicked at, or having items thrown at you have made you very timid and scared. Maybe, even a tad aggressive. Only because you are afraid.
One day someone decides they will feed you. Your too skittish to go up to the bowl the first day. A few days later you decide that it is safe to eat from the bowl. As quickly as you approach the bowl to eat, a human jumps out and tries you up. Your legs are bound and your mouth is taped shut. You’re scared, you scream, and try to fight but you can’t. Your yelps are muffled. You look around frantically for an out. Next thing you know you feel yourself being thrown into a pit with more dogs. Much larger, more aggressive dogs. You see them briefly, you can hear them snapping and snarling. You feel sheer pain and agony. Again, you can not fight back. There is nothing you can do to defend yourself.
Hours later, in pain and bloody. You whine quietly to yourself. Once again you have no idea where you are. You have been dumped again. This time in a ditch in some town. You’re still bound by tape. Eventually, a car drives by and catches a glimpse of you. They back up and get you.. staring at you. By this time you are in and out of consciousness. You see them briefly as they approve you.
A couple days later you wake up to loud barking and doors slamming. You notice a cone around your neck. All your wounds have been stitched up and wrapped. You see bowls full of fresh water and food. It is so loud, and cold. You lay in the corner curled up and shaking.
Sometime later, a human enters. They crouch and reach out to you. Speaking to you softly. You glance up, but bury your face farther in your body. Every day morning and evening this human comes and sits with you a while. Speaking to you.. petting you a little more each day.
Finally, just when you start to think that this is the end of the road for you. A man walks up to for kennel door and is in owe my you. You’re covered in scars, still pretty rough looking and scared. Yet this man instantly falls in love with you and wants to adopt you. He enters and sits down next to you, talking gently and slowly rubbing your ears.
Before long you begin to trust this human. You soon heal and being slowly being introduced to other dogs and humans. All in an effort to help rehabilitate you and make you adoptable. Weeks, even months go by as you watch many dogs come and go every single day. You wonder when your forever human will come save you.
You slowly perk up with caution. Finally! You are adopted and headed for a better life in your forever home! You’re still very cautious but your forever human is perfectly fine with allowing you to take your time leanring to trust him. As time goes by you learnt o love your new human and trust him. He takes you for walks, plays fetch with you, takes you camping with him, and even let’s you sleep in bed with him! He gives you a heaping bowl of food every morning and evening, you even have a new name, Rusty! Tonight you are all warm in bed curled up next to your human. You reflect on your past and relax with a sign, feeling safe and happy in your new life. You close your eyes and drift off to sleep peacefully.
Never think for a second that animals forget their past. They feel, and think just like you and I. They experience fear, excitement, sadness just to name a few. In Rustys case, his story ended with a happy ending but in many cases they do not. Everyday, animals are being abandoned or killed. Killed by being used as bait, hit by vehicles, or euthanized in kill shelters. All of which can be absolutely prevented! We may not can prevent all forms of animal cruelty but we sure can take a step in the right direction!
** Story is meant to shed a light on a much larger problem.**
The Cognitive Dog 
Leave a comment