World Dog Day
"May the dog accompany us forever and light up the world for us!"
The dog, man’s best friend, is often a symbol of loyalty, courage and unconditional love. It is considered to be man’s first real pet and has played an immense role in their lives over the last few centuries. Martin Rütter, dog trainer and animal psychologist, once said in a programme: “The dog is the only animal that is able to see a stranger as a fully-fledged social partner. He always knows that you are not a dog, but that you can be just as important.”
“Be my dog’s friend and you’ll be mine too!”
We see every day just how important this bond can become. It’s not unusual for proud dog owners to tell us how their dog got them out of a serious crisis. We often hear that the dog even saved its owner’s life. We entrust many things to a dog and they often comfort us in difficult times.
It is often all the more incomprehensible to us when people simply turn their backs on their faithful friend. It’s the often flippant excuses people make that break our hearts: “The dog is old now and I can’t look after it any more”, “I have to move house and can’t take the dog with me”, “It’s too much work” or “The dog isn’t doing what it’s supposed to”.
It is becoming increasingly common for people to choose their pets based on their appearance. The new pet owner is all the more surprised by the breed-specific characteristics and needs. All too often this is ignored; the dog has to work. At this point, we can leave it to the reader’s imagination what happens if the animal does not comply.
"A dog's loyalty is like the universe. It is limitless!"
These loyal animals are left behind and usually no longer understand the world – and we, the Gut Aiderbichl team, staff at the animal shelters, all animal lovers who work to protect the animals, are unable to explain this to the animals. And if the animal owner were to return after a long time – the dog would still be happy.
However, the dogs of the 21st century have many other problems. In many parts of the world, they live on the streets and fight for their survival every day. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, humans are also threatening them. They are caught off the streets and taken to killing centres. It is not uncommon for them to be decimated with poison while still on the street. This begs the question: where is man’s loyalty to the dog?
With all the suffering we encounter every day, sometimes you want to give up and turn your back on animal welfare. Then we receive pictures of animals in need and people come forward who are determined to make a difference for the animals. It is these moments and ultimately the animals that urgently need help that give us the strength to keep going.
One of many fates and no less touching: Medusa and Candy
Fates like that of Medusa and Candy that won’t let us go. These wonderful dogs were handed in to a friendly animal welfare organisation as emergencies. They lost their homes and suddenly found themselves on the street. Sissy Lippitz and her family, who specialise in keeping and rehoming so-called guard dogs, first took the dogs in. But they quickly realised that these wonderful and highly intelligent dogs would not find a suitable home with them.
So they turned to us with their request. Medusa and Candy are now Aiderbichlers and currently live at Gut Aiderbichl Carinthia. We are now looking for a new home for both of them and people who will do them justice – people who appreciate their loyalty and will do everything for them.
