The last cocker I rescued came form an abusive situation. He was 7 months old and was kept in a crate almost 24/7. The owner who surrendered said the neighbors complained because the puppy barked and whined. He also said the puppy soiled his bed, well duh! The man left him home alone in the crate from 6 AM until 10 PM.
He grew to love and trust us, housebroke easily but had food issues so was not a dog I would have felt comfortable placing. He lived with us until he died last Jan. I loved him and miss him still. I have also retired from rescue. Burned out, you can’t save them all and it was seriously affecting my feelings toward people.
I’m glad that you had such a good experience with your cocker. I have a Golden that was found as a stray (so I was told). The young woman who found him could not keep him at her home so she took him to her parents’ house where he was locked into a shed for 6 weeks. Finally somebody persuaded these people to turn him over to a Rescue organization where I adopted him. He was just bonkers when we first got him, bouncing off the wall. But, we have a big place and he settled in nicely here.
He’s a wonderful dog, now, with a few minor quirks. Mostly we have trained those out of him, and we think he’s the most wonderful dog in the world. He still does not like to be in a room where someone shuts the door and leaves him alone, however, and we’ve had him 8 years.
My last “rescue” cocker had been severely abused, had two broken ribs... he was smart — too smart.... and while we kept him until his death, his issues were such I will not rescue again.... having a dog has to be a two-way-street and it is just too painful to care for a mentally damaged dog for 12 years of your life. I have three now, but they were all puppies and loved from day one and are a joy to have in my family.
Thank God for people like you all over the world. You did what you could for him and made his life easier and happier for him. I’m so glad you kept him for yourselves because you knew hiw background and understood him. That’s so important after all he had been through. That kind of abuse is embedded and so the abused animal needs to be understood and treated with gentle kindness and love and you did just that. Am sure you loved him and now miss him. That’s natural. You DID the right thing though.
Am sorry you are no longer in the business. Can see how you can get burned out and can lose faith in humans. You have so much to give and yet can understand how hurtful it is to have to see these kinds of hurts inflicted on beautiful innocent creatures who want nothing more than to love and be loved in return. thank you on behalf of so many for the love and kindness you gave over the years to so many in need.
You will have a special place in heaven that’s for sure.