A Call to action for Buddy

His name was Buddy. He was a husky mix and today he is dead. He had a large cancerous tumour on his belly that the vet who saw him figured was inoperable, and he bit several people who were trying to help him - so he was euthanized last night - a couple hours after he was rescued.

He had been chained out his whole life - this picture was taken of him yesterday - he had become so withdrawn that when a kind person came to visit him he wouldn't even come out of his dog house.

He lived his life completely alone. His owner had moved away from the house he was living in - moved in with his daughter - so he didn't have anyone living with him at all - no one feeding him or giving him water - kind strangers did that. One man came everyday and fed him for 7 years, no matter what the weather. His owners never did that for him.

The RCMP were called and would come to visit - even yesterday they came - and they could do nothing because Buddy had food, water and shelter. Even though no one was living at the residence, even though underneath his husky fur he was thin - even though his nails were overgrown, even though yesterday he bit the RCMP officer - they could not seize Buddy.

And last night Buddy died.

He never experienced what it was like to live inside, to have a dog bed, to eat in a kitchen, to lay on a couch, to hear a kind word, to be inside from the weather.

To have someone care enough to check to see whether he's sick or in pain.

This is a dog in Nova Scotia, Canada under our current legislation.

This dog lived in Jamie Baillie's riding and he has said "we need to work on changes to end cruel tethering"

We need to start holding our legislators to what they say.

To contact Mr. Baillie - go to http://nslegislature.ca/index.php/people/members/jamie_baillie