Deaf Dog Reunited -- and the Aftermath

The sad story of Harmony the deaf pit bull troubled everyone in the Beach city communities of Manhattan and Hermosa Beach.

It was a depressing turn of events two days after Christmas, when the Thomasson family discovered that their special needs puppy had been kidnapped. They posted flyers throughout the region, asking for any leads, promising to pay $4,000 to anyone who could return the puppy, no questions asked.

When Harmony was returned to her owners, they discovered that she was covered in wounds and bruises. The poor creature had been abused as a bait dog for fighting dogs. Reformed football star Michael Vick was convicted of running such a dog fighting ring a few years. This detestable practice pits animals against each other in heinous and cruel competitions. According the Easy Reader News, the puppy's deafness worked to Harmony's advantage, since she did not have to endure the menacing growls of attack dogs. After a short transition, in which Harmony demonstrated an initial unexpected hostility to the Thomassons' other rescue god, the deaf American pitbull is recovering nicely.

Aside from the heartwarming account of an animal rescued twice, first from a shelter for special needs animals, and then from the clutches of barbaric animal abusers, the time and energy spent on locating this animal is disconcerting. There is also a measure of sadness reading that the family endured an obsessive emptiness in the interim searching for Harmony. Animals are dear creatures, and we are all thankful for pets, but families must establish their priorities on something more profound than the life and well-being of a pet. Children deserve to learn about respecting and caring for animals, but they should not be induced to treat them so highly, like a member of the family. Grandma is more important than a pet, for example; and the financial well-being of a family is more important than prolonging the life of a cat or a dog.

I am grateful and glad that the Thomasson family found Harmony, but I hope that they base their life's harmony on something more than the life and longevity of a pet.