When there's compassion

Earlier this week the news reported on an animal abuse case. I refused to listen to the newscast and avoided the newspaper stories. Not that I wish to remain ignorant to animal abuse cases, but I just knew my heart couldn't take hearing about what happened to the pups.

Sometimes the stories have happy endings. Even so, I find it so difficult to think of what the animals endured.

(Photo of Jiffy, above, from USA Today)

Another story is (arguably) not so much a case of abuse, although the dog involved did suffer. Thankfully, there is a happy ending. A recent Dogster blog shared the story of Jiffy, and 11 year old border collie who had become so obese, it could barely move. One frigid night in December 2008, he couldn't get off the sidewalk. His owner called 911 for help, but unfortunately had to leave the dog outside--it had frozen to the sidewalk. That makes me so sad.

But here's the happy ending. The dog was saved, the owner ticketed and forced to give him up, and now, after more than a year, he has lost weight and is 76 pounds. Still overweight, but much healthier.

It's hard to hear about animals suffering. But it helps a bit when people step in and do the right thing, when animals are shown love and compassion, and when there are happy endings.