Jenny MoxhamBackyard Dog
By Jenny Moxham
An Animal Rights Poem from All-Creatures.org

All of God's creatures have rights, a fact that most people don't seem to recognize. This includes both human and non-human animals, but not all of them can speak for themselves.


Backyard Dog
By Jenny Moxham

Lonely Lucy's locked away,
Longs for company and play.
Locked inside a dreary run,
'Til her human carers come.

Only when their work is done,
Will she get to have some fun.
Sadly, then, another day,
Like the others, locked away.

Was a time they'd let her roam,
In the garden of her home.
Passing children said hello.
She was sad to see them go.

Underneath the fence she squeezed,
Human carers were not pleased.
Knew that she was lonely, blue,
But they wanted one, not two.

Said they had no wish for two,
Double trouble, more to do.
So they opted for a run.
No escaping … no more fun.

Built a well secured place,
In a narrow, cheerless space,
'Tween the house and high brick wall.

Now she can't escape at all.
Now she sees no passers-by,
Only sees the bricks and sky.
Just how many share her fate,
Hidden by a garden gate.

Dogs left for long periods of time without company suffer from boredom and loneliness. Adopting a second dog for companionship will prevent this and should also stop him/her from trying to escape.

If your yard is surrounded by a solid fence and gate, make a 'window' in the gate so that your dog can have the stimulation of seeing other dogs and passers-by.

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