Duct-taped puppy's rescuer asks public to stay alert to animal abuse by Katerina Lorenzatos Makris
Last Saturday, the day before National Volunteer Week, started out pretty normally for Christina Peyton. But by the middle of it, she held in her arms a puppy who had been wrapped in duct tape and tossed into the trash.
The little dog she named Brady soon would have died of heat and suffocation, all the while suffering from the pain of a broken leg, if her neighbors hadn’t noticed him there in the dumpster and summoned her to help.
Not a normal day? Or were the events of that day more ordinary than you’d think?
Brady, duct-taped and dumped, needs donations for surgery Photo: Texas Little Cuties
“The public should always be aware of their surroundings and keep an eye out for this type of situation,” Peyton told Animal Policy Examiner. “The sad truth is this happens more than any of us would like to believe. There are sick people out there.”
After Brady’s rescue, Peyton transferred him to Texas Little Cuties, the group now fostering and caring for him. Donations are requested for surgery to repair the puppy’s leg, and may be made through ChipIn or directly to 380 West Animal Hospital.
Peyton, a volunteer with Dallas-area animal rescue groups and no stranger to animal abuse cases said, “Seeing an animal in this condition makes me feel sick and makes me question the kind of people I am sharing air with. I will never understand how someone could treat an animal like garbage and leave it to die alone and scared.”
Three-month-old Brady, nevertheless, seems to have come through the experience with his optimism intact. “Looking into his eyes you could tell that he harbored no resentment,” said Peyton. “He just wanted to be held and loved.”
Peyton herself remains hopeful that vigilant and compassionate volunteers can improve the lot of animals. “If everyone is willing to pitch in we can make a difference,” she believes. “The reward is far greater than the effort!”
No better words than that with which to commemorate National Volunteer Week. Officially that week ends on April 16, but animals will need Good Samaritans like Peyton on their side for a long time to come.
