Give A Dog A Bone

Dear City Official,

I am composing this email on behalf of my darling dog, Sailor. He's a
two year old mix of something cute and something adorable, mixed with
one part chicken. My family and I were graced with his presence
approximately one week before Halloween, this past Autumn. He is a
giant, red, furry monster who cowers at the sight of a rotating
ceiling fan and our cat(who is one 20th of his size), but who loves
getting his tummy rubbed and sitting in your lap like he's a
Chihuahua. (I guarantee you, no part of him is Chihuahua!)

He loves going to the dog park, and you can truly see his canine
spirit as he races along with other dogs, chasing after tennis balls,
and diving into a pond or lake or puddle, or any form of water that's
dirty enough to cause me to, once again, clean out the back seat of
the car. He is fiercely loyal to our family, never straying from our
side, and always returning when we call his name. He loves liver
treats and will sit, shake, and do the laundry just to get one. He
sleeps in my daughter's bed every night and is so polite that he
actually shares the edge of the queen sized bed with her! What a
prince!

He is a well behaved gentleman when we have guests, never jumping on
them, licking their faces, chewing their shoes, or sneaking sips of
their beer. He does not bark or go doggy insane when the mailman comes
to the door, and he is never aggressive with anyone(Go ahead and take
their flat screen t.v., burglar, but can you leave me a liver treat on
your way out?).

In short, he is a glorious dog and should have a street named after
him. (I'm looking at you, Mayor!) And do you know who we have to thank
for him? A wonderful, unselfish, dedicated, passionate, and
responsible organization by the name of Chain of Hope.

This place is run by some of the most big-hearted people you could
ever hope to meet. They are consumed with the protection of helpless
animals, going out into the worst type of weather to feed and water
thin, neglected dogs. They run charity drives to raise money for hay
to fill dog houses, food to fill bellies, and blankets to fill beds.
They are super heroes in puffy coats and knit hats! They are the type
of humans I want my kids to become.

Recently they had a little snafu with Animal Control that seems to be
threatening all of the hard work they're doing. You can read about it
here : http://networkedblogs.com/rL18S.

I would very much like to see them receive a bit more support,
considering that they're on the same team as you. They want to do
nothing but provide help and love for an animal that may not have been
shown anything but cruelty in their lives. I know my dog was abused
and neglected prior to his rescue, and it has scarred him so terribly
that he can't fully relax in our(his) home. It's been months, and we
still have to encourage him to eat without fear. It's a sad thing to
see him cower away from a stuffed penguin. A stuffed penguin! What did
his horrendous previous owners do to him? I don't know, but if it
weren't for Chain of Hope, he wouldn't be with us, the people who love
him so much, we will never spend another day of his life away from
him.

If you can see fit, please look into this situation and realize they
are one of the good guys. Shut them down, and you're shutting down the
lives of homeless, cold, innocent animals, who just need a bit of
compassion and food, and the chance to find a family as ridiculously
over-the-moon about them as we are for Sailor. You wouldn't tell
Batman to hang up his utility belt, would you? WOULD you?

Thank you for any assistance you can provide!

Sincerely,
Gwen Farley and Sailor the Red Monster

p.s.- I've attached a photo for your enjoyment. If his unbearable
cuteness spurs you into action, then so be it.