Peanut

Part 1

This is a story with two parts. This first part is not particularly good, but don’t be disheartened; the second part is wonderful.

It starts with Petunia arriving at the Delta animal shelter in Michigan, USA.

She had two broken legs, several broken ribs and had been so starved that she had a stomach full of carpet. Yes, I know what you are thinking: how can anyone treat an animal this way? What sort of upbringing do these individuals get? Where is the education? Where is the deterrent? How do we stop this from happening again?

Do I have the answer? Well, I certainly know what I would do, but the civil liberties brigade will have apoplexy. I’m not a religious man, but how about the “eye for an eye and the tooth for a tooth” bit? How about the perpetrator has the same inflicted on them. In this instance, two broken legs, broken ribs and made to eat carpet. It wouldn’t solve the problem or be a deterrent, but I would probably consider it justice. I don’t doubt that there would be no shortage of volunteers willing to deliver. Sadly, it isn’t going to happen, anyway, I digress.

Part 2

Petunia is now Peanut, and having been nursed back to health by the people at the Delta animal shelter, she was rehomed to a caring, loving family who are devoted to her.

It was March 2017, mid-morning, and all was well in the Peanut household, just another uneventful day, when, without warning, Peanut decided to exhibit extremely odd behaviour. She started whining and barking and started racing around the house in true zoomie style. The gentleman of the house was in his garage working on a project when he heard the commotion. Eventually, he decided to investigate the noise, whereupon he found Peanut desperate to go outside. This was somewhat unusual as Peanut had been out earlier in the day. Assuming that his dog needed to relieve herself urgently, he let her out. To his surprise, Peanut went hurtling off towards a neighbouring field, showing no intent to take a toilet break. He followed as quickly as he could and imagined his horror when he found a naked three-year-old girl curled up in a ball. The man removed his shirt, wrapped the child up, and proceeded to return home, whereupon he contacted the police and ambulance. He stated that the only words uttered by the child were “doggie.”

The owners of Peanut wrote to the Delta animal shelter to let them know what had happened and to thank them again for the work that they do, and to inform them that their work on saving Peanut had, on this occasion, led to the discovery of the child above.

Little did they know that Peanut had not only saved a child’s life, but there was more to come.

Further adventures

When reporting this sort of event, it is necessary to have at least one source. There are so many dog stories that cannot be used because there is no verification.

On this occasion, the verification came from a very reliable source. The following statement was released at 11.15 on the 20^th March by the Delta County Sheriff’s Department.

“Deputies from the Delta County Sheriff’s Department responded to the Rapid River area for the report of a three-year-old child found lying naked in a ditch. The temperature at the time was 32 degrees. A citizen was alerted to the girl’s presence by his dog. The citizen located the girl, then wrapped her in his shirt and rushed back to his residence to warm the child.

Luckily, the little girl was unharmed and was transported to St Frances Hospital by UP Health Systems.

The parents were located, and further investigation revealed that the property was unsafe with unsanitary living conditions. Child Protective Services was contacted, and the little girl and another young female living at the property were removed from the premises.”

So, Peanut was not only responsible for saving a three-year-old girl, but also started a chain of events that saved another young female from a potentially harmful situation. Both youngsters were placed in foster care, and at the time, the prosecutor was reviewing the case with a consideration of bringing charges.

Conclusion

I must admit I have a particular liking for stories that involve rescue dogs and seniors.

It is difficult at the best of times to truly understand the thought process of a canine. It has been accepted that animals in general have natural empathy for other animals, but dogs have taken this to new heights. Their association with humans have given them a unique understanding of body language and the detection of chemical changes alongside their acute hearing and incredible sense of smell.

Are animals that have endured abuse more attuned to the suffering of others?

There is ample evidence that they do, which probably explains why abused animals make excellent emotional support animals and help sufferers heal more quickly.

Rehabilitated dogs appear to have no difficulty finding a symbiotic connection to those who have suffered trauma.

A prime example being Peanut.