A Second chance

Well I am not much of a story writer, but I had written this for a competition, hoping to gather attention to the cruel world of dog-fighting.

When he woke up, he had no idea that the world had changed around him. He had no recollection of where he was, and how he got there. He could faintly remember being woken up the day before, fed and bathed by his loving caretaker, who looked visibly upset for some reason. He was then led to a small chamber, barely large enough for him. His caretaker coaxed him inside, although he could see from her wet eyes that she didn’t want him to enter there. There was something strange about that chamber, something strange about its smell- it reeked of death. He had heard his friends talking about something like this, about being taken inside it, never to return again. He never believed those things, never until now. He could see his caretaker’s face and sense something was wrong. He remembered Freya, his sister. She had been taken away two days ago, and never returned. Perhaps the same destiny awaited him. But he knew he could do nothing, atleast he would get to be with his sister after he crossed the rainbow bridge. He licked his caretaker’s face for the last time, she hugged him- and he went inside the gloomy chamber. The last thing he could remember was the door being locked, a feeling of suffocation, a strange emptiness until he could breathe no more….

Rex was just another pit-bull born in a puppy mill in the District of Columbia. He, along with his sister, was one among a litter of 6. He didn’t remember much about his siblings or his mother, for they had been sold few days after birth. But Freya was fortunate enough to be bought by the same owner, so they both lived together. Living would be an overstatement, for they merely survived. They had been sold to Julio, a Mexican immigrant who made a fortune from the lucrative business of dog fighting. Freya was used as a breeder, to breed bait dogs. Rex, due to his solid build, was trained early to be a fighter.

Rex was a great survivor. He was the highest earner for Julio. In a game where defeat means death, there was no room for compassion. Although he hated it, he had to end the life of one of his own brethren every day, so that he could live. There was no choice and it was a game of survival for him.  The more he killed, the richer his owner became. It was by no means a smooth sailing for him. He had some narrow escapes, some of which had left permanent marks-like the clipped tail, the half chewed ear etc. His life revolved around a high protein diet, constant fight for survival and the resulting battle wounds. He was never given the opportunity of having a soul mate.

Freya’s condition was no better. Being artificially impregnated and bearing 3 sets of children an year is not natural for dogs. And being separated from one’s offspring, not being able to nurse them is a terrible feeling for a mother, even if it’s a canine. But she knew that she had little option. This was the price she had to pay for being a pit-bull, for being born into an era where ‘higher’ creatures treated ‘lower’ ones as objects.

The dog fighting industry is a very profit driven industry. Dogs are useful as long as they continue to bring in profit. Old dogs are neither good fighters nor good breeders; they just make good baits for other dogs in the rings. This is how life of most puppy mill born pit-bulls end, being torn apart by other pit-bulls fighting for their own survival. All these for the amusement of a few sick humans. But destiny had other plans for Rex and Freya. Dog fighting, although common, is illegal all over the United States. The FBI has the power to raid suspected complexes, which it does frequently. This time the warrant came out against Julio, whom the FBI had been monitoring for quite some time. While Julio was being handcuffed and taken into custody to be tried in a US Federal court, Rex, Freya and other dogs were being muzzled and taken to the nearest ASPCA shelter.

Medical tests at the shelter revealed Rex and Freya to be siblings. The dogs were looked after well by dedicated volunteers. They were vetted and neutered. But most importantly, it was here that they got something they had never received before, human love. There was a caretaker placed in charge for a group of 3-4 dogs. Rex and Freya had the same caretaker, Tracy. A middle aged woman of Canadian origin, Tracy was a divorcee and had no kids. A victim of domestic abuse she believed that dogs were the only companions she ever had. She volunteered daily at the shelter, feeding the dogs, taking them out for walks and showering affection on them. The scars on Rex’s body showed that he had been through a lot, and he became special for Tracy. But Tracy knew one truth which Rex didn’t; that their companionship was going to be very short lived. Since ASPCA shelters usually remain over-crowded, all the rescued dogs had been put on the URGENT LIST, which meant they had merely fourteen days either to be adopted in another county or be put to sleep.

With several breed-specific legislations against pit-bulls going on in the US, it was difficult to find an adopter for Rex and Freya. Tracy enjoyed her days with Rex and Freya, but she knew that each day she spent with them meant another day closer to the gas chamber for both of them. After twelve days of being rescued, Freya was taken away. Rex had been through much in life, but being away from Freya was unbearable. Tracy could sense his emotions, but she was helpless. None can replace a sister after all. She continued spending time with Rex, time which was slowly nearing its end.

Finally after 14 days of being rescued, it was time for Rex. Tracy came to bid him a final goodbye even if she didn’t want it. She slowly led him to the gas chamber, and let the animal control officers do the rest.  The door was locked, and carbon monoxide pumped in…

When the door was opened after the customary 17 minutes, the officers expected nothing new- just a lifeless body of one of man’s best friend. They were not surprised by what they saw, a limp body inside the chamber, with its eyes closed and no apparent sign of life. But something was not usual; the body was not as cold as it should have been. On confirmation, a feeble pulse was discovered. This was unbelievable! Never before had anybody seen something like this- a dog surviving being gassed for 17 minutes. Rex was alive, but critical. He was immediately attended to by an EMR team and then sent to the best vet around.

Rex was under sedation when he was adopted. Consequently he was dropped off straight to his new home. It was here that he woke up from his sleep…

Everything seemed quite new- the indoor kennel, the other dogs around, the food bowl. But Rex could identify two familiar scents. Yes, how could he forget the scent of Freya and Tracy, the only two beings who loved him, and whom he had ever loved. He had been adopted by a millionaire philanthropist and animal lover who wanted to give him a second chance. He had contacted the ASPCA shelter and found about Tracy and Freya. He hired Tracy to look after Rex and his other dogs, and bought Freya from her foster family; she hadn’t been sent to the gas chamber after all.

Rex could finally spend his winter years in the ambience of love and care. His world had indeed changed since he woke up. But without his knowledge Rex also had a profound impact on the world around him too. While Rex was under sedation during his recovery, he had become a celebrity in the international media. He was the poster boy against dog fighting, puppy mills and gassing in animal shelters. With growing public pressure, there were large scale crackdowns against puppy mills and dog fighters, both by government agencies and organizations like Animal Liberation Front (ALF). Large scale and high profile arrests were made. Thousands of dogs were rescued, filling shelters across the nation. Animal shelters appealed people to stop buying dogs from puppy mills, and adopt them from shelters instead. This way gassing could be stopped. This was accepted by the public and within a few weeks, many shelters declared themselves to be “No-kill shelters”. Breed specific legislations against the ownership of pit-bulls were declared as discriminatory and were revoked in many counties, making it much easier to adopt pit-bulls.

Not only Rex’s world had changed, but also the world around him. The world had just become a much better place for his brethren. They now had a chance to be treated like living beings and not like mere objects. And it was the survivor pit-bull Rex at the centre of all these changes.

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The above story is a work of fiction, but inspired by the real story of Daniel, a beagle who survived gassing and was subsequently adopted.

A puppy mill, sometimes known as a puppy farm, is a commercial dog breeding facility that is operated with an emphasis upon profits above animal welfare and is often in substandard conditions. Dog fighting is a form of blood sport in which game dogs (mostly pit-bulls) are made to fight, often to death. It is illegal in most developed countries. Dog fighting is used for entertainment and may also generate revenue from stud fees, admission fees and gambling.

ASPCA: American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals