From the back, Nicholas seems undeniably jolly, if not downright ecstatic. His tail wags with such rhythm and force, I almost fear he’ll take out a chunk of the kennel wall with each swing. He rushes to the door to greet me, exuberant.
And then I notice his wounds. Nicholas was found by Animal Control with a cable, probably meant as a collar, embedded in his neck. A ring of exposed flesh now forms an unsightly ribbon where the collar was removed by shelter veterinarians.
In all likelihood, he’d been collared and chained as a puppy — and then virtually ignored. Anyone who’d been paying attention would’ve noticed the cable growing tighter and tighter around his neck, forcing the flesh to bubble above it, nowhere else to grow.
The clinic staff monitors his situation, administering pain and anti-inflammatory medication as necessary. Nicholas will recover — fully and beautifully — but he should never have had to suffer.
Please don’t tether your dog.
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