The black and red stallion of a dog rose up; stretching his muscles and yawning complacently. Last night was much like every other for him...sleeping comfortably on the egg crate mattress meant to cradle his body; protecting him from the tile floor of his kennel. He saunters to the water bucket filled to the brim with water brought in by delivery truck, thereby avoiding any possibility of a gastric upset. The door to his private paddock opens allowing the morning sun to flood his room. His coat glistens with health; the product of years of good food and loving care. He inspects his domain; wandering around the grassy area that was planted especially for him. No stones to injure pads... no mud or sand to dull the coat...The trees provide shade from the warm summer sun outside while air conditions whir non stop; maintaining a comfortable 70 degrees inside. Soon his person would come with the stainless steel pan of food that had been prepared for him. He would be bathed, brushed, exercised and doted on before being returned to the comfort of his kennel home. For he was something that his person called a "SHOW DOG".... tho he did not understand the words. His whole life had been lived among the adulation of the crowds...the photo ops of cameramen eager to catch that one special moment...the miles drifting one into another as he traveled with his person from show to show and ultimately...home. The washed out black and tan dog rose from his fitful sleep under the bus. He had survived yet another night though the temperature had dipped well below freezing. The tips of his ears were numb and black; mange had robbed him of much of the fur that was meant to keep him warm. Memories of the life he once shared with his person all too often came flooding back; the chain he dragged behind him now an ever present reminder of the abuse he suffered. He tries to blend into the scenery around him as he slowly advances toward the trash barrels lined up along the building; hoping for something edible. Perhaps a kindly shop owner would toss him some scraps...helping to ease the ache in his stomach at least for today. The snow is falling, adding insult to injury as it balls up in the pads of his feet and soaks him to the bone. The only available water is the melting snow; and it is mixed with the chemicals of the street...hardly drinkable. A truck groans to a stop at the end of the alley, depositing its driver in his path. A pole appears; a noose at its business end. The uniformed man deftly passes it over the aged dogs head and drags him to the waiting van. He is unceremoniously jammed into a crate that is meant for a much smaller dog and with a slam of the door his fate is sealed. For he is a "stray"...unwanted, forgotten by society and the owner who was meant to protect him. We at Last Hope, Safe Haven Inc. are working to change the ending of this all too often played out story for so many of our German Shepherd Dogs. With your help we are providing funding for vaccinations, HW testing, spay/neuter, medical care and boarding for the most critical of the dogs; those facing the end of their lives in gas chambers throughout the country. Please remember them as you travel to our National show this year....remember Ranger who is in a Veterinary clinic in Kentucky being treated for mange....Mommadog in Elizabethtown, NC; her body showing the results of being discarded without her pups....Chief, the one year old in Seymour Tennessee who registered a strong HW positive with his whole life ahead of him...Without your donations, these dogs endings would have been very different. We need your help to continue our fight for a better life for these dogs. We ARE their LAST HOPE..... Dawn Restuccia, Pres. Last Hope, Safe Haven Donations may be made to: Paypal via windwych@xxxxxxxxx ============================================================================ POST is Copyrighted 2007. All material remains the property of the original author and of GSD Communication, Inc. NO REPRODUCTIONS or FORWARDS of any kind are permitted without prior permission of the original author AND of the Showgsd-l Management. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ALL PERSONS ARE ON NOTICE THAT THE FORWARDING, REPRODUCTION OR USE IN ANY MANNER OF ANY MATERIAL WHICH APPEARS ON SHOWGSD-L WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF ALL PARTIES TO THE POST AND THE LIST MANAGEMENT IS EXPRESSLY FORBIDDEN, AND IS A VIOLATION OF LAW. VIOLATORS OF THIS PROHIBITION WILL BE PROSECUTED. For assistance, please contact the List Management at admin@xxxxxxxxxxxx VISIT OUR WEBSITE - www.showgsd.org ============================================================================