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Left behind, an ode to stopping animal cruelty

It was a rainy, cold night. On the back pasture fence of old David Callahan's ranch, a plump, female mourning dove slept, hardly bothered by the rain. In the distance, Callahan's dog, the guard to the ranch, bayed mournfully to the faintly visible moon. A loud clap of thunder awoke the dove abruptly, she leapt to her feet and shook her feathers dry, and noticed something on the adjascent fence post. A parakeet cage, it's golden bars shining brightly even in the darkness. Inside the cage was a thin, white dove, a black ring grooving around it's neck. The bird was facing away from the Mourning dove, it's head low, and it's feathers wet, as were the cage bars. The Mourning dove puffed up her feathers and sat back down on her feet, studying the dove in the cage.

Finally, the Mourning dove spoke, "Who are you?" she asked, the white dove turned it's head slightly, "It doesn't matter who I am.." the dove said in a gentle male voice, "Well, I suppose it doesn't but what I'd really like to know is, why are you out here in a cage?" the Mourning dove said. "Because nobody wants me, that's why!" the dove finally spat out, "My owner had a new baby, and I was forgotten! She forgot to feed and water me, she didn't hold me, and she didn't change my cage. She came to the conclusion that I would be a 'health hazard' to the baby, and she left me here, on the coldest night she possibly could have..." the dove said, breathless. "Humans are careless, that's why no animal trusts them" the Mourning dove said, the male sneezed, as water dripped into his cage, soaking him to the skin. "I can't believe she'd abandon me all for a baby, a stupid little, pink bag of skin that does nothing but cry and scream! I serenaded my owner every morning with my sweet coo, I always perched on her when she wanted me to, I did everything! She had me for 13 years, and now it's all for nothing!" the dove raged on. The Mourning dove shook her head and fought away a tear, she wished she could have freed the dove, but she didn't know how. The dove sat down in his cage, which was now more like a puddle, and tried to sleep, but the cold made it impossible. The Mourning dove took the hint, and pulled her head closer to her body and closed her eyes. She went to sleep quickly, but the male dove stayed awake, wheezing, coughing and sneezing through the night.

By morning, the dove was barely alive, the night was so cold that his back was coated in frost, and his feet were burning and numb from the cold. He looked over to the fence post, the Mourning dove was GONE! The male sighed, and began to cry, he was completely alone in the world, all because of a baby. He tried to get up and warm his feet, but he was too weak, it took too much from him to breathe. Later that morning, the Mourning dove returned to the fence post after her daily trip to the corn fields for breakfast. She noticed the cage on the ground, split open, and the dove was no longer inside. The Mourning dove looked around, but only saw feathers; tons of them to be exact. She saw the guard dog approaching, a vicious pit bull, tough as nails with nothing on his mind but to kill things. In his mouth was a white object, a DOVE! The dove was bloody and limp. The Mourning dove flew to a high perch before the pit bull noticed her, and watched as the dog shook the dove around like a toy. She suddenly saw a flash of a black ring, and the Mourning dove then knew it was the abandoned male, another victim of animal cruelty, and the carelessness of humans...

****NEVER release a pet into the wild, whether it is caged or not caged! The mortality (death) rate for pet birds is very high in the wild, they do not know how to fend for themselves, and many are brightly colored and are very easy targets for predators, including domestic dogs and cats. The world is a dangerous place for a small dove, even if it is naturally wild. Please, if you can no longer take care of your beloved pet, find someone who will, or take it to a shelter or your local Humane Society. Don't make this story yours, or your pet's.

Rain brush from 's rain tutorial

Description

Left behind, an ode to stopping animal cruelty

It was a rainy, cold night. On the back pasture fence of old David Callahan's ranch, a plump, female mourning dove slept, hardly bothered by the rain. In the distance, Callahan's dog, the guard to the ranch, bayed mournfully to the faintly visible moon. A loud clap of thunder awoke the dove abruptly, she leapt to her feet and shook her feathers dry, and noticed something on the adjascent fence post. A parakeet cage, it's golden bars shining brightly even in the darkness. Inside the cage was a thin, white dove, a black ring grooving around it's neck. The bird was facing away from the Mourning dove, it's head low, and it's feathers wet, as were the cage bars. The Mourning dove puffed up her feathers and sat back down on her feet, studying the dove in the cage.

Finally, the Mourning dove spoke, "Who are you?" she asked, the white dove turned it's head slightly, "It doesn't matter who I am.." the dove said in a gentle male voice, "Well, I suppose it doesn't but what I'd really like to know is, why are you out here in a cage?" the Mourning dove said. "Because nobody wants me, that's why!" the dove finally spat out, "My owner had a new baby, and I was forgotten! She forgot to feed and water me, she didn't hold me, and she didn't change my cage. She came to the conclusion that I would be a 'health hazard' to the baby, and she left me here, on the coldest night she possibly could have..." the dove said, breathless. "Humans are careless, that's why no animal trusts them" the Mourning dove said, the male sneezed, as water dripped into his cage, soaking him to the skin. "I can't believe she'd abandon me all for a baby, a stupid little, pink bag of skin that does nothing but cry and scream! I serenaded my owner every morning with my sweet coo, I always perched on her when she wanted me to, I did everything! She had me for 13 years, and now it's all for nothing!" the dove raged on. The Mourning dove shook her head and fought away a tear, she wished she could have freed the dove, but she didn't know how. The dove sat down in his cage, which was now more like a puddle, and tried to sleep, but the cold made it impossible. The Mourning dove took the hint, and pulled her head closer to her body and closed her eyes. She went to sleep quickly, but the male dove stayed awake, wheezing, coughing and sneezing through the night.

By morning, the dove was barely alive, the night was so cold that his back was coated in frost, and his feet were burning and numb from the cold. He looked over to the fence post, the Mourning dove was GONE! The male sighed, and began to cry, he was completely alone in the world, all because of a baby. He tried to get up and warm his feet, but he was too weak, it took too much from him to breathe. Later that morning, the Mourning dove returned to the fence post after her daily trip to the corn fields for breakfast. She noticed the cage on the ground, split open, and the dove was no longer inside. The Mourning dove looked around, but only saw feathers; tons of them to be exact. She saw the guard dog approaching, a vicious pit bull, tough as nails with nothing on his mind but to kill things. In his mouth was a white object, a DOVE! The dove was bloody and limp. The Mourning dove flew to a high perch before the pit bull noticed her, and watched as the dog shook the dove around like a toy. She suddenly saw a flash of a black ring, and the Mourning dove then knew it was the abandoned male, another victim of animal cruelty, and the carelessness of humans...

****NEVER release a pet into the wild, whether it is caged or not caged! The mortality (death) rate for pet birds is very high in the wild, they do not know how to fend for themselves, and many are brightly colored and are very easy targets for predators, including domestic dogs and cats. The world is a dangerous place for a small dove, even if it is naturally wild. Please, if you can no longer take care of your beloved pet, find someone who will, or take it to a shelter or your local Humane Society. Don't make this story yours, or your pet's.

Rain brush from 's rain tutorial