Fugly...that's his name!

[Pawsitive Thinking]

They've apologised for being offensive - he looks like a bit of a sweetheart to me!

[JenBKR]

I assume that the rest of you who emailed this place get the same "apology" that I got from the volunteer who wrote up the description?

[Kfamr]

Nope, I emailed them with no reply!

[JenBKR]

Well, here is what I got back:


Hello Everyone-

I am the volunteer who wrote the description for Fugly. Someone else named
him, and I thought to myself, "why on Dog's green earth would someone name a
dog that?" Virtually every dog I've ever met has liked me, and I've worked
with thousands of dogs (probably over 5,000 since the early 80's) in the
time I've been volunteering.

I went out to meet this dog, and after more than an hour of sitting with
him, cooing with him, cajoling him with treats, and just hanging out, he
never got any friendlier at all. I try to really get to the heart of every
dog I meet, photograph, and describe, and all I could get from him was mean
and ugly. I agree with you all (it seems clear you probably know each other;
he's been online for a week and no one else has written to compain, and yet
we got 4 complaints within an hour today) that humans probably did something
to turn him into the animal he is today. But I would also tell you that I am
fostering a dog who was SHOT, who decided to trust anyway. I've fostered a
dog who was burned with cigarettes, and he decided to trust anyway. So, even
when mistreated, a dog can still have a good attitude. This dog does not. As
I was trying to decide how to photograph him, and what to say about him, I
decided to go for shock value. If you've been reading our site for quite a
while, you'll see I take many approaches. Some are humorous, some are sappy,
some are downright bizarre, some are designed to bring tears, but they are
all designed to do one thing: ATTRACT ATTENTION!!! I was hoping to shock
someone into caring about this poor creature! I wanted to say something so
outrageous that SOMEONE would write or call, and say, "I"LL TAKE THIS DOG
AND SHOW YOU THAT HE IS NOT A BAD DOG!"

And do you know what? It worked! I don't care what any of you think about me
personally; I volunteer 20-25 hours week for this shelter (and work 50 hours
a week at my real job), I've fostered dozens of dogs, I've worked
round-the-clock to give droppers of food and subcutaneous IVs to a puppy
dying of pneumonia (he didn't die, and has a wonderful home now) and have,
myself, adopted 7 (SEVEN!) hard-to-place, but wonderful dogs. So when you
made personal indictments about me or the shelter, based solely on one entry
in Petfinder, I think you went a little overboard. It would have been more
appropriate to write and say that the entry offended you, make a donation
for the dog (or an offer to adopt), and ask that we change the dog's name
and description.

I do apologize if I offended anyone's sensibilities, but I seriously hope
you understand I was trying to get help for that dog. I would beg ONE of you
to step up to the plate and do it, now that you have been drawn to his
plight. No one else who has read his entry (and Petfinder says there have
been numerous) has cared enough to even write.

Obviously, you all care. Now, PLEASE HELP US HELP THE DOG FORMERLY KNOWN AS
FUGLY.

I'll make you a deal. If any of you want to save this dog, I will personally
drive him to you. I don't care how many states away you are; I will get him
to you if you want to save his life.

Most sincerely, and with love for all creatures, great and small,

Meg

[Flatcoatluver]

She doesn't appear to be in any pain, and if you would like to donate to have her eye treated, I'm sure she would appreciate it. At the present time, we do not have funds for non-life-threatening medical ailments (we recently had a gun-shot dog and a pregnant dog with a prolapsed vagina come in), but if you donate to her, we will make sure the money goes to treat her. If we get more than she needs, we will use it for other animal's medical needs.

I wish I could donate, how would I do it, to I send them money in the mail?? Should I donate?

[Roxyluvsme13]

Poor Fugly, and they're still calling him MRS..

[lute]

God i wish i could foster him, adopt him, something! especailly if she is offering to drive him to the adopter! i don't even know of anyone preasantly looking for a dog. **if someone from PT adopts him i will pay the $105 adoption fee!**

[slleipnir]

The ad is gone now, so I never got to see it...

There was a dog at my HS when I was younger. I think he was a big lab. His name was "Little Dumbo Who Tried" seemed like a dumb name

[lute]

his ad is gone!! he may be dead already! monday is their euth. day! will someone call tomarrow and see if he is still alive?

[Alysser]

No I can't believe he's gone.

[Flatcoatluver]

OMG!!! say it isn't so!!!!

[shihtzulover850]

Oh NOOOOOOO!! HE CAN'T BE GONE!!!!! I WISH I COULD ADOPT HIM BUT I JUST CAN'T.