...Man Gets Dog Back After Stranger Takes Heartbreaking Photo At Animal Shelter

[babylonsister]

Pls. let me know if this has been posted; didn't see it, but it's good news!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/19/dave-thomas_n_2717448.html

Dave Thomas, San Bernardino Man, Gets Dog Back After Stranger Takes Heartbreaking Photo At Animal Shelter (PHOTO, VIDEO)

Posted: 02/19/2013 1:14 pm EST | Updated: 02/19/2013 4:27 pm EST

Video @ link~


snip//




She posted the photo to Facebook, where strangers pledged to help the man.

Since Thomas hadn't left a phone number or a name at the facility, Sanchez needed to identify him before she could reach out.

She made phone calls and posted calls for help online. She drove around town posting flyers. She received a traffic ticket and had her car sideswiped.

All the while, donations poured in. On Monday night, KABC identified Thomas and put him in touch with Sanchez, who told him the cost of getting Buzz back was covered.

"God bless you darling," he said over the phone.

[annabanana]

1. Oh yay!.. Good to hear. . . .n/t

[TDale313]

2. so glad this had a happy ending.

Heard the story when they were trying to track the owner down. Good news indeed.

[Liberal_in_LA]

3. me too.

[Worried senior]

4. Stories like this

show that there are some truly good people in the world. Sadly not nearly enough.

[sasha031]

5. This is such a heartwarming story

The women who reunited David with is beloved dog is Maria Sanchez,
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=604860776207834&set=a.589302234430355.152618.523520627675183&type=1&theater

Tears video DAVE AND BUZZ FINALLY BACK TOGETHER 2/19

[Sekhmets Daughter]

6. So glad you found this update...

$400 is an awfully steep charge, don't you think?

[BainsBane]

26. generally it covers shots, neutering or spaying

and sometimes a microchip.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

29. I forgot about the neutering....

Thanks.

[BainsBane]

33. but I wrote that before I knew this had to do with traffic tickets

so I really don't know what happened in this case. I just know that if you adopt a pet from a shelter, it's going to cost a minimum of $200. The same is true from rescue groups.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

37. I know

This was his dog...but maybe they decided to neuter it?

[BainsBane]

40. someone posted that the cops removed the tags

and declared it a stray, which if true is loathsome.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

41. Yes, that is loathsome.

I think, for the most part, cops are a useless segment of our society. They are never around when you need them, and are frequently there when you don't want them to be. What aggravates me the most, as has been posted many times on different threads, is that they are not obligated to protect citizens, but to apprehend criminals. For every cop who is a decent human being, there is one who isn't, maybe never was.

[Arugula Latte]

32. I can see a $400 "new adoption" fee to cover vet stuff, etc., but

it seems odd to charge someone that much for their own dog.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

35. That's what I was thinking,

perhaps they neutered the dog?

[Arugula Latte]

42. Maybe so.

Well, anyway, glad he got his dog back.

[joeybee12]

7. I'll kick and rec even though this is the Huffington Post

and when I try to click on their links, it messes up my computer!

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

8. I love this story!!!

[lpbk2713]

9. Good to hear, thanks for the info.

The world is a slightly better place today.

[oldandhappy]

10. Thank you, Maria.

This is what is important in life. Now the nonsense in congress, but relationships in life.

[hamsterjill]

11. I love this story, too, but I am disappointed in the people who impounded the dog.

Sometimes, rules are meant to be broken, and this would have been one of THOSE times. Yes, I know, I will get flack for saying that, of course. We all need to obey the rules when we can.

But I, personally, would not have been able to witness these events had I any power at the animal shelter to simply give the dog back to the man.

That said - it is heartwarming and reassuring when strangers take the INITIATIVE and offer assistance.

[life long demo]

12. Thank you, Thank you

I checked on google yesterday and all I could find was the initial picture and the story of why the dog ended up in the shelter, and that he didn't have enough money to get his dog out. I was so worried that they would kill the dog before he could get him. I am so happy this has a happy ending. That's what is important.

[calimary]

13. This is SOOO wonderful! I'm relieved!

Ms. Sanchez is gonna go to Heaven when she dies.

[Raksha]

14. Link to the previous DU thread about this story:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022391668

The OP was posted before Dave Thomas' identity was known. Many of us here at DU helped with the process of locating and identifying him, usually by posting this picture on our own Facebook pages. Then it went viral. Of course it's Maria Sanchez, a local animal rescue activist and a true angel, who deserves most of the credit for this happy ending.

[NaturalHigh]

18. Hats off to everyone who helped.

God bless you all.

[BainsBane]

28. so wonderful of you all

I can't imagine what I would do if my dog were taken from me. I'm so glad they were reunited.

[agracie]

15. Since when does your dog get impounded because you owe a couple of traffic tickets ? Can anyone ...

shed some light on this for me ?

[NaturalHigh]

19. I have no idea.

For the life of me, I don't see the logic here. If the dog was impounded because he had no one to care for him, he still should have been released to his owner immediately after the owner was released.

[Duer 157099]

27. Not sure but can imagine a scenario

guy gets stopped for some random thing, cops run a warrant check, see he has one/some, cuffs him, takes him in, guy happens to have dog with him during this so cops have to take him to animal shelter and voila, there you go.

[Sunlei]

38. when someone is arrested, taken to police station and have a dog- it goes to the pound.

Then the owner has to pay all the fees and such to get their dog back. (if they get out of jail in time) The dog was treated just as if it was the prisoners car impounded.

Here at Houstons animal control there are many dogs marked as 'prisoners dogs' . The owners can't get them back if they don't pay within the 3 -5 days. The dogs go through the system as if they were strays, some adopted most put to sleep.

[BrotherIvan]

16. I would have been hysterical if I knew my pup was in a shelter and I couldn't spring him loose

What a wonderful person Ms. Sanchez is!

[NaturalHigh]

17. Yes, God bless her.

Why would the city want to keep the dog anyway, even if he couldn't afford to pay the impound fee? Did they think they would be better off feeding it for a while and then putting it to sleep? What the hell is wrong with the people who make these kinds of decision?

[distantearlywarning]

20. So glad this story had a happy ending!

My cats are part of my family. I would be absolutely devastated if I were in that poor guy's position.

Also, why does it cost $400 to get a pet out of an animal shelter in California????? Pets get lost all the time. Do most people have that kind of money lying around to bail their lost cat or dog out? Or do they just put the poor animals down because nobody can pay? This sounds like a completely fucked up, unfair situation to me.

[MindPilot]

34. I don't know about San Berdoo...

here in San Diego, my dogs got out a couple years ago when we on vacation and Animal Control picked them up. IIRC it was about 80 bucks for both of them, and that included chipping one. (the younger of the two already had a chip)

Yeah, that $400 is way excessive, even at the top end, and it should be on a sliding scale. Seems like high fees like that would be counter-productive to what the animal shelter is trying to accomplish.

[David Zephyr]

22. babylonsister, you made my day.

Thanks. K&R.

[Mnemosyne]

23. Thank dog they are together again! Thanks Sis! nt

[ProfessionalLeftist]

24. Lots of doggies Maria Sanchez is trying to help or save

Her facebook page is here if you can help her help the rest of them:

http://www.facebook.com/savethesquishies

edit to add this video of Dave and Buzz sharing a smooch. Too cute!

[smirkymonkey]

43. What a wonderful person!

It is so beautiful to see dogs reunited with their owners!

[catbyte]

25. What's despicable is LAPD took the collar off his dog & declared him a stray.

How lazy and mean spirited is THAT?!?

[MindPilot]

31. LAPD officers will never pass up the chance

to make somebody's life a complete hell.

[truebrit71]

36. That is beyond fucked up....

And seriously, don't they have enough REAL crime to worry about rather than going after someone who failed to show for some traffic violations....Oh wait...they would do that if their primary function wasn't being revenue generators for the city...

Fuck the LAPD...

[JDPriestly]

30. Wonderful story. It illustrates our ability

to reach out and help each other. I love it.

[WillyT]

39. K & R !!!