Dumpling's Story - A Second Chance
DUMPLING’S STORY
A SECOND CHANCE
Written by our Shelter Manager & Special Constable Susan Deir
Animals are always being abandoned by their owners when they are no longer wanted or when it becomes inconvenient to keep them. The lucky ones are left at shelters but not all are that fortunate. For some reason people think these animals will survive if they drop them off on the highway, in the woods or at the community dump. Anyone who has ever been to a garbage dump knows all too well the number of cats that live there searching for food and shelter.
Recently at our shelter there was an eight week old tabby and white kitten who was rescued from the Robin Hood Bay dump in St. John’s. We affectionately named him “Dumpling”. We don’t know how he ended up on the dump in the first place but we are assuming someone dropped him off there, either alone or with kittens, though no more were to be seen the day Dumpling was rescued. He wasn’t born on the dump as he was not feral and purred so loud when you stroked him. The day Dumpling came to the shelter could well have been the day he died.
You see, this little guy was sitting on the top of a bag of garbage in an old car wreck that was being loaded into “The Crusher”. In a matter of minutes this old car wreck would have been completely flattened, along with the kitten. Luckily just before this happened one of the workers at the dump saw this tiny kitten peeping out of the window, probably wondering what was happening. The car was lowered back to the ground where the kitten was removed and brought to the SPCA.
Dumpling was very dirty and scared and had an eye injury, but when you held him and encouraged him to drink some warm milk he just looked at you with those eyes and your heart melted. That night it was more than just shelter staff who were thinking about this little darling kitten.
The gentle man who rescued him couldn’t get him out of his mind either. By lunch time the next day the man was on our doorstep once again, this time to say he and his fiancé had spoken about the kitten and decided they still had room in their home and hearts for one more pet. Dumpling probably doesn’t realize how lucky he was the day he was rescued but I’m sure these wonderful people will spend the next 15years showing him. We are happy to say Dumpling went home two days later.
Note: Dumpling is one of the lucky ones. He now has a second chance at a long and happy carefree life spent catnapping and ruling’ the house (as most house cats do). Not all are this lucky.
If you can no longer keep your pet for whatever reason, please contact your local SPCA for advice.
Remember, abandonment is not only cruel… It is against the law!
