Buy a Good Book, Save a Dog!

Sorry to turn serious on you, but I want to talk briefly on an issue near and dear to my heart—animal abuse. Growing up on a farm, I witnessed the results of such abuse by passersby intentionally and unintentionally harming our animals. These experiences are why I support organizations that help abused and homeless animals, particularly dogs. Maybe when you’ve read some of my experiences, you’ll feel the same way I do.

My family lived on a farm right up against the Salt Lake Canal road. Young kids found it entertaining to throw rocks or shoot their BB guns at the animals. They didn’t wait around to see the harm done by these acts. My dad spent many hours trying to heal the wounds. Unfortunately, sometimes the BBs couldn’t be recovered and serious infections ensued, occasionally even death.

Our farm was surrounded by subdivisions on the other three sides and neighbors saw the fields as a dumping ground for their garbage and rocks. What they didn’t see was that their trash broke the equipment we used to harvest the alfalfa and grain, and it caused us to harvest poor quality feed or lose crops. This affected the animals greatly. Also, the cows and horses grazing the pastures often times ended up eating nails, metal or plastics thrown over the fences that ended up injuring or killing them.

I remember helping my dad inject magnets into the cows with a bolus to collect as much iron and steel as possible. This was to prevent punctures in their stomachs. Metal causes Hardware Disease or peritonitis. The magnets would hold the metal in place and cellulous would wrap around it much like a pearl in an oyster. Still, it would’ve been better if people had thrown their trash in the garbage instead of the fields. The magnets weren’t always successful.

Most crushing to my heart were the acts carried out on our dogs. They were shot, poisoned, and even deliberately ran over by people speeding along the canal road.

I’m happy that most states have passed the law that animal abuse is a federal offense. If you live in a state that hasn’t made animal abuse a federal crime, please contact your senators and representatives today and let them know how you feel.

Hazardous Hideaway, my next book which will be released on March 7^th, has a scene pertaining to such animal abuse. Please help launch the book by ordering on March 7^th. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to: No More Homeless Pets in Utah, a program of Best Friends Animal Society, www.utahpets.org.

Here’s part of that scene:

Tom: Hero

Dallas Heroine

Gracie: Collie/Dingo mix

Ina: Gracie’s owner

Setting:  Dairy community in central Utah

Tom swooped Gracie into his arms and ran toward the house. Dallas finally found her legs and raced to open the door for him. The dog flopped limply in his arms. Dallas pushed everything recklessly off the kitchen table, and he gently laid Gracie down. Ina gasped and ran for bandages from the medicine cabinet.

He washed Gracie’s wounds with warm water, checking the seriousness of each cut. Swiftly, they worked together. He doctored and sewed each wound, trying to believe there might be hope for the suffering dog. But, his gut told him different.

Patches of hide had been ripped off her from rolling down the hard asphalt. Her left, front leg had been broken in several places and the metal bumper had ripped her shoulder clean open to the bone. Pretty fair guess she had internal injuries too. Probably wasting supplies, but he didn’t want to disappoint Ina and Dallas. They loved Gracie. He swallowed hard. He did too.

Dallas stroked the dog’s blood-matted face, as Tom gently wrapped her leg. Gracie slowly lifted her head, looked at him and let out a soft whine. He swallowed hard as another lump lodged in his throat. Her head drooped back down on the table, and the last light left the old girl’s soft brown eyes. His hands trembled slightly as he stopped working, and his eyes watered some.

“Oh, Tom, her unborn puppies,” Dallas whispered, tears welling in her eyes.

Silently, they stood like some still-framed snapshot.

Join in the launch.

Order your copy on March 7th.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit homeless pets.

Thank you.

Sweet Romance, Comedy, Suspense…and Dogs!

Cindy A. Christiansen – Sweet Romance Author

Fly into a good book at:  http://www.dragonflyromance.com

  

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