Did you see the story yesterday about the shar-pei dog that was abandoned at a train station in Scotland? Look at this:
This headline and photo do me in. Oh man, it hits me right in the heart.
For three reasons.
1. Of course, it is sad that a dog was abandoned.
2. The phrase “his belongings” and the fact that he has a suitcase with a toy, blanket, bowl, and food packed inside….How cute is that? Dogs don’t really have belongings. So it is adorable that he has his own little rolling suitcase.
3. Ok, the most important part. Now, many people are furious that someone could be so heartless as to abandon a dog. And maybe the person who abandoned him IS a heartless a-hole, who knows! But when I saw this story, I instantly created a whole scenario in my brain. Would a non-caring person pack up all the dog’s things and put them in a roller bag? I imagine an elderly person who could no longer care for him, or someone else in very dire straits (financially or health-wise) that loved him but just couldn’t care for him anymore. They didn’t know what else to do but abandon him, but can you imagine how sad they must have been as they packed up his things? The packing up of the dog’s belongings kills me. It is a detail, that to me, shows so much care. Dang, I’m tearing up over it all over again.
Look, I could be 100% wrong. Maybe the person who abandoned him is a total jerk. But when I saw this story, the photo along with the suitcase hit me perfectly right in the heart.
As I relayed the story to my husband Jim, he chuckled as he saw how I was tearing up ever so slightly. I could tell it was one of those moments where being highly sensitive and empathetic was rearing its head.
UPDATE: If this update is true, it turns out that I’m wrong. The person who abandoned him isn’t so nice after all.
Hi I’m new here but just reading some of your HSP blogs. This one about the dog in the news last week really resonated with me. I thought exactly the same as you did! I know everybody thinks the person that left him was a jerk but I really don’t think so. I don’t think they would have taken such care to pack his things up. I cried when I first read it last week and am still tearing up. I just wanted to thank you for bringing the “other side” to this sad story. Of course we could be wrong but I’m a HSP and unfortunately I always feel empathy towards everything and everybody. I think the person could have just left him on the street with nothing. They really had to be in a bad way to do that….I know all too well.
I am happy to see someone agrees with me!! 😀 Thanks for your comment.
I think there will be prosecutions connected with this so the SSPCA do not seem to be making more comments other than he has had an eye op. and will be found a good home.
I’m sad about the idea of prosecutions. I’m sure this wasn’t an easy decision to make for the person that left him there. Maybe they didn’t want to take him to a shelter where he would very likely be put to sleep. Maybe they hoped that in doing it this way, he would find a good home. It worked, didn’t it? We don’t know the circumstances of the person’s life that brought them to this decision. I don’t think legal punishment is the answer. I think compassion is.
Hi Brandy, I agreed completely…….but the story about what happened was revealed and it’s not so good. 🙁 It was basically an odd tale of someone who went to buy a dog they saw for sale online, then they didn’t want the dog, but the owner ditched the dog with the buyer who didn’t want it! So this person was left with a dog they didn’t want, so they left it at the train station. Just a weird situation, right?!