Twas the Night Before Christmas for a Chained Dog

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

With no thought of the dog filling their head.

And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,

Knew he was cold, but didn't care about that.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Figuring the dog was free and into the trash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the luster of midday to objects below,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But Santa Claus - his eyes full of tears.

He unchained the dog, once so lively and quick,

Last years Christmas present, now thin and sick.

More rapid than eagles he called the dog's name.

And the dog ran to him, despite all his pain,
"Now, DASHER! Now, DANCER! Now, PRANCER and VIXEN!

On, COMET! On CUPID! On, DONNER and BLITZEN!

To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!

Let's find this dog a home where he'll be loved by all"

I knew in an instant there would be no gifts this year,

For Santa Claus had made one thing quite clear,

The gift of a dog is not just for the season,

We had gotten the pup for all the wrong reasons.
In our haste to think of giving the kids a gift

There was one important thing that we missed.

A dog should be family, and cared for the same

You don't give a gift, then put it on a chain.
And I heard him exclaim as he rode out of sight,

"You weren't given a gift! You were given a life!"

Webmaster Note: These two pictures are of the same dog. Before he was rescued in Cape Breton his name was Po. Not only did they keep him chained out back, but he was also behind a fence so they did not have to look at him.

Lucky for Po, a very kind woman kept on insisting that something be done about his plight.

Even luckier for Po, after he was rescued, he came under the loving umbrella of ARC , who really walk the walk when it comes to No Kill. ARC never defines treatable by the dollar sign and they keep each pet in their care until the appropriate Forever Home is found.... no matter how long that takes. Po is now Handsome Henry and is living the life he should have had all along : ))))

If you have a chained dog in your neighbourhood... be their Santa and speak up. Now we all know that people who can do this type of thing aren't always the nicest or the easiest to talk to. What a great blessing that at http://www.dogsdeservebetter.com/ you can download printable material to hang on their mailbox and they will even mail the literature to your neighbour if you prefer to remain anonymous. And of course for neglected dogs like Po, here in NS you can call the Nove Scotia SPCA Toll Free Cruelty Line 1-888-703-7722

Henry's story had a happy ending because one woman wouldn't take no for an answer and kept speaking on his behalf until action was taken.

"..it does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brushfires in people's minds."~Samuel Adams