Life of Dave

Life of Dave

Friday, March 25, 2011

CJ update

On Monday March 14, I received a phone call from the SPCA inspector. He got in touch with CJ’s owner/ family. They had given CJ a bath and a bit of a trim before he got there, and they’ve since taken CJ to the vet for a check-up and to get his teeth cleaned. The SPCA agent also suggested CJ get a professional clip by a dog groomer, and he explained the importance of regularly scheduled grooming of a dog with CJ's hair type.

The family was receptive to the SPCA’s review, and it would appear CJ is more comfortable now.

Friday, March 4, 2011

CJ the Cocker Poodle

I came across a stray dog this afternoon on my noontime walk. Once I realized he wasn’t with any of the people walking in the vicinity I approached the dog, talking softly. He seemed a bit timid at first, but after talking to him for a few minutes and letting him sniff my hand, I slowly reached for his collar to check for a tag. He had a 2010 Burnaby license and a current Rabies vaccination tag.

I then picked him up and walked back to the office. The receptionist phoned Burnaby City with the tag number and we found out the dog’s name is CJ. The clerk phoned the receptionist back a few minutes later to say the dog’s owner had been contacted and would pick up the dog shortly. He phoned right after that to say, “You found my dog? I’ll be right over.”

In the meantime I, and quite a crowd of staff that had gathered, examined the dog more closely. He is a Cocker Spaniel-sized dog with very unkept long, matted hair. The hair on his muzzle is very long and dirty. To that point I hadn’t even identified what breed he was. I stroked him, rubbed his ears and continued to talk to him. By then the smell was starting to get to me and I soon identified why; he had a large cling-on stuck to the long hair under his docked tail. The poor guy couldn’t even sit down.

The staff and I began discussing how long we though this little guy had been wandering around lost. Our office is only a short distance from Burnaby Lake Park, and I assumed CJ had been living in the park for the last few weeks. We offered him water, but he declined. I was thinking that his owner was really going to be excited to get his dog back. I was really anxious to know how long CJ had been gone.

About 15 minutes later CJ’s owner drove up to the front door. By this time I had taken CJ outside onto the front landing as his odor was beginning to fill our reception area. The owner got out of car with a big smile, thanked me, picked up CJ and put him in the back seat of the car. He didn’t ask how CJ was or make any moves to examine his condition. He was ready to get back in his car to leave.

I mentioned to him that CJ seemed OK but he really could benefit from a bath and a trim, especially to get rid of the many mattes. I barely had time to ask him how long CJ had been missing. I couldn’t let him go without knowing that.

“About 15 minutes. We’re getting some roof work done and somebody must have left the gate open.”

Fifteen minutes.

So I guess poor CJ got a ride back home, which is only a few blocks from our office, and got returned to the backyard, where it appears he must live under the back stairs or something. By the way, the owner told me CJ is a Cocker Spaniel crossed with Poodle. I’d say more Cocker than Poodle. I hadn’t firmly identified him as a Spaniel because his eyes are a bit small, plus he’s a mess.

Now I ask myself, "Is there anything I should have done differently about my meeting with CJ?" Judging by his appearance he’s quite neglected. I wouldn’t let a dog that smelled like that into my house either.

The guy didn’t appear to be poor, or unable to provide for the dog, and the dog didn't appear to be under-fed. The owner didn’t seem unfriendly; he just seemed oblivious to CJ’s condition.

I reverse-searched his phone number for his address and managed to view his house via Google’s Streetview. It appears to be a well-kept medium-size house. So why is his dog not well-kept?

To tell you the truth, I felt guilty after the guy left with CJ that we had not contacted the SPCA to pick up the dog, instead of the owner. It would have been a different story I think if a 3rd party had witnessed CJ's condition.

It’s not my intention to interfere if a dog is loved, but I really feel like I should notify some authority regarding the mattes and cling-ons. It may be news to some, but dogs, as well as cats, do groom themselves. They generally like to be clean. Have you ever seen a dog run and jump with glee after a bath? It's a pretty satisfying feeling.

But one thing I can say is that I doubt that CJ is comfortable in his current state. My conscience is telling me to contact the SPCA to have a talk with CJ's owner. Mattes and knots like CJ has tend to pull the dog's skin and cause discomfort. Not to mention the sanitary issue.