Laurie Williams - Just Gus: A Rescued Dog and the Woman He Loved

A Rescued Dog
And the Woman He Loved

By Laurie Williams

Photos by Roslyn Banish

Introduction by Jean Donaldson

Text copyright 2005 by Laurie Williams

Photos copyright 2005 by Roslyn Banish

Additional photos by:

Daniel Spirn:

Stephanie Williams:

Marion Spirn:

Nancy Marchetta:

Designed by Kenneth B. Smith

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For Stephanie, who showed us how precious life is.

T he late paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould famously remarked that human brains cant comprehend large numbers. Unless we are mathematicians or astronomers, we tend to blank out once things get into the tens of thousands or above. So stating that several million homeless dogs are killed in shelters every year in the United States will fail to elicit the kind of reaction that an individual saga does. A simple story about one animal is something we can wrap our minds around. It is the inspiration for many of us who work in this field.

Several thousand dogs will be killed in animal shelters todaythe day youre reading this. Every single one of those dogs had a story. They were born, they played, they looked forward to things, and they probably bonded to someone. For most of them, their luck ran out a few monthsmaybe a yearinto their lives, when they got lethal injections at an animal shelter. Even worse, they may never have entered the shelter system and died harrowing deaths.

The story youre about to read is about one dog, Gus. He was born and then, somewhere along the line, he was lost or rejected. His luck started to run out in a big way when he suffered the universal feel-bad clich: he was run over by a truck. What happened afterwards was as close to a miracle as dogs get on this planet. He dropped into the life of Stephanie Williams. Stephanie saved Gus. In return and with the effortless intensity that I think only dogs ever really achieve, Gus was there for Stephanie during a terminal illness.

The connection between human and dog has inspired scientific research, some of our oldest charities, and works such as the one you hold. Perfectly understood by all whove experienced it, it is hard to describe to those whove not. I admit to having a bit of an itch to make the latter group get it. Ive even sometimes thought that there are people who should pretty much just be issued dogs: the elderly who are widowed, people seeking connection with life, retirees with feelings of diminished purpose, people who yearn for a greater link to the natural world. One look at Gus, steadfast with head on Stephanies lap as she worked, is startlingly eloquent in regard to this bond. Dogs pay back in spades.

The good news for abandoned dogs is that their fate has been changing gradually. In some shelters, the save ratethe percentage of animals who enter the system and leave alivehas maxed out. This means that a healthy dog who is not dangerous has a 100% chance of being placed in a home if it has the good fortune to end up in one of these shelters. Furthermore, many dogs with mild to moderate health and behavior problems are rehabilitated and go on to be the apple of someones eye.

There are shelters, such the one I work for, The San Francisco SPCA, that do even more. We go into classrooms to build empathy for animals in the next generation. Our hospital helps last-chance dogs like Gus. My own department is an academy where people train to become dog trainers and behavior counselors, because behavior is one reason people relinquish dogs. Our students come from all walks of life, but perhaps the most interesting are corporate cross-overs, those who might have chased status and money but then one day sat down and decided to pursue a career helping animals.

It is surely a sign of our ethical progress that the weakest and least valued members of our worldanimalsare making headway. My wish is that all who read the story of Stephanie and Gus will be moved to rescue a dog, help out at a shelter, or make a donation.

Jean Donaldson

Founder and Director

The San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers

Just Gus

Forgotten.

Alone.

Hungry and cold.

H e was a young dog roaming the streets of the Bronx in the winter of 2003, dodging the dangers of a big city. Adrift and frightened, he survived as best he could. He was a dog with no name; a mutt, a scavenger, and a stray. And like thousands of other abandoned animals, he was headed toward a sad and anonymous end.

A ny instincts or cunning that might have sustained this dog in a suburban or rural setting failed him in the tangle of New York streets. As bad as it was to be homeless, his fortune would take a turn for the worse before it got better.

Late one afternoon, he was hit by a truck, injured, and left for dead by the side of the road. He could have become just a statistic. This could have been the end of his story.

L uckily for the dog, a good Samaritan found him and, despite the late hour, brought him to a nearby animal hospital. What began as a good deed quickly became more complex. Im sorry, sir, explained the receptionist, but we cant treat this dog unless you agree to pay for his care.

The man began to protest, making a scene in the waiting room. An intern, Jenna (a pseudonym), calmly explained that x-rays were needed to determine the extent of the injuries and that they would cost $160. The room fell silent. Ill pay for the x-rays, murmured a man seated in the corner, a small sick bird in his hands. The other people relaxed and the rescuer, confident that the dog would be treated, headed home.

The x-rays revealed a serious leg fracture that would require the insertion of multiple pins and extensive physical therapy during recovery. Although sympathetic to the dogs situation, no one in the waiting room could afford the expensive surgery.

Thats when Jenna took a gamble.