I am breaking my blog silence because something important, more important than my stupid sadness, has occurred - even though more terrible things have happened since my last post. But the thing is - friends, Romans, countrymen, animal lovers everywhere - I need your help.

Yesterday one of my BFFs, Anne, sent me a picture. A friend of hers, George, was at the dog park (Lenora Dog Park, Snellville, if you're local and/or curious) and a sweet little Chihuahua boy had been abandoned. Dumped. Lost. Forgotten. George wrote that someone had called Gwinnett County Animal Control to have him...uh, impounded. I messaged back a frantic "Noooooooooooooooooo!" and asked her to beg George to nab him; I was willing to take him to my vet and foster him until we could find a forever home.

George tried, he really did. At one point, six or seven people were trying to catch the little fellow, but he was speedy. They couldn't corral him but eventually animal control got him. Thank you very fucking much, a-hole.

This morning I called Gwinnett County Animal Control, told them the above and asked if they in fact had him, and if so, could I come to claim him. Yes, they had him, but I couldn't just come and get him because he had been flagged as "unfriendly - not adoptable". He was apparently "snippy". Well, yes, I guess so, after being abandoned, unable to find his parents, loose among unfamiliar dogs, chased through the dog park by numerous (albeit well-meaning) people, and then captured, penned up among unfamiliar dogs, smells, sounds and folks - I'd be snippy too!

They would hold him for 5 days and if no one claimed him, euthanize.

No. Just NO.

So earlier today I drove up to the facility in Lawrenceville, told the above story, pled for them to re-evaluate and added that I was familiar with the breed, I'd owned them for years, I had a vet who'd attest that my dogs were impeccably well-cared for, and I wanted to take that little guy home. They wouldn't let me have him.

He had a big orange 'not for adoption' sticker on his pen.

I threw a tantrum. (My mom and my brother are cringing, having seen a Helly tantrum first-hand.)

It wasn't pretty. For them.

Things are now...okay-ish, as okay as they can be. He is not paroled, but is off of death row. Because I showed up there, in person, ready to take him, instead of 5-days-unclaimed = death, they are assigning a trainer to work with him, to try to make him nice-ish, and if he is not hostile when I interact with him, I can take him home. Even better, there is also a brightly colored "DO NOT EUTHANIZE!" sticker on his pen. When I threw the aforementioned tantrum, I (might have quite politely mentioned) that I wanted such a thing in his file. The senior lady in charge asked me if I'd feel better if I saw them put such a sticker on his pen as well as his computer file. Why yes...yes I would.

Alan doesn't want another dog, and that's okay, he can live elsewhere as long as I can save him. Please, you guys, send me thoughts, good vibes, prayers to your deity of choice and let that sweet little fellow come home to me!!!! Pwease. Pwease and thank you.