If Only I Could Save Them ALL....

I have purposely waited a few weeks to write this post. I wanted to gain a little distance from the incident in question to avoid filling the screen with ranting and completely miss the greater point.

So, on one lovely Sunday summer afternoon, we set off to meet great friends of ours for a little kayaking adventure on Lake Michigan. Hubby and I rode our bikes to the lakefront and met up with our pals. We noticed a couple of things immediately: 1) it was an exceptionally windy day, even for Chicago and 2) of the few kayakers on the lake (usually there are tons), most were capsizing, fighting the current and getting nowhere and just getting beat up in general by waves that truly do rival most oceans I've seen. We decided to walk to the water's edge to observe up close. Yep - looked like a little more adventure that we'd really been hoping for that day. We made an executive decision to save our first kayaking mission for a less windy day. Not wanting to waste the otherwise beautiful day, we opted for a fun beach walk instead.

Fast forward to the beginning of the incident in question. We were enjoying our walk, chatting with each other, staring in wonder at the kite-surfers, stopping along the way to pet puppies and comment on cute kids...you get the picture. Then we came upon the dog beach. Typically, I love the dog beach and think it is great fun. On this day however, fun was nowhere to be found.

I caught sight of a chocolate brown cocker spaniel digging her claws into the sand as tightly as possible to avoid being pulled into the water by her "owner." Said "owner" was approximately eight years old. Cute little thing. Pink bathing suit. No parents in sight. For some reason, I could not remove my eyes from this dog and I just sensed that this wasn't going to end well...

The little girl proceeded to pick up the dog, struggle to the water's edge (the dog was pretty large for her small frame even though a small dog overall) and promptly toss her into the water. Oblivious to her actions and their potential catastrophic consequences, this little girl jumped in after her dog and started to excitedly wade deeper, all the while tugging on the leash which was attached to a CHOKE COLLAR firmly fastened to the pup's neck.

For the rest of my life, I will never forget that dog's eyes and the sheer panic I saw there. I watched her struggle to keep her head above water and attempt in vain to make her way to the shore only to be tugged backwards again by her screaming, excited child-owner.

What happened next was pure reflex and I am sure will be met with a variety of different opinions and reactions. All I can say for sure is this: I could no more have watched a child be drowned than I could have stood on that beach that day and watched this dog meet a cruel and most unnecessary fate.

I took off toward the edge of the water, I yelled at the top of my lungs for the little girl to please bring the dog to shore. Nothing. No response. She could not hear me. I jumped in fully clothed, waded to this panicked pup, reached beneath the water's surface and pulled her to fresh air where she promptly began panting, sneezing and whining. The little girl watched with a look of shock and followed me as I turned to walk back to the sand and place the dog on firm ground where she happily shook herself off and headed further away from the water. Before she could follow, I knelt to the little girl's level and pleaded with her to not do this again. I explained that a dog cannot keep their head above water like a human and that although she wanted to have fun with her dog, this was actually a really scary event for the pup, etc etc. She looked at me with large brown eyes that were equal parts curious and frightened. She did not say one word, but she nodded her head.

I sometimes wake with a start in the middle of the night remembering that dog and the second one that was also being forced into the water with a leash and choke chain that day. I've begun the frustrating and long process of looking into what, if anything, I can do to prevent this from happening in the future. I've talked with the Chicago Anti-Cruelty Society and Animal Control. I now have the number for the Chicago Park District and am being routed to my third person at that organization and have found the name of yet another who could potentially help. Or point me to someone else who could.

Perhaps I will find a way to make a small dent in this small problem. Or maybe I will not. But I know as sure as I have ever known anything that I owe it to that sweet cocker spaniel pup - and other dogs like her - to try.

I can't help but wonder what might have been had that little girl's parents just been a little more responsible. After all, Lake Michigan is no joke as far as large bodies of water go, and she was completely unsupervised. It is a shame and it breaks my heart to know just how common this behavior really is. I see children all the time hitting, kicking, throwing things at dogs. Often the pups just take it, tentatively wag their tails and offer licks. And when they don't - when they do what is natural to them and defend themselves, they are "put down" to rid the world of yet another dangerous dog. I adore children and I treasure the special bond they can forge with pets as I did when I was young. It is so heart breaking when they don't have the role model at home to show them the right way to treat their furry friends.

These precious creatures are so close to my heart. There is nothing I wouldn't give or do if only I could save every last one.