Time for another entry in Friday Fictioneers challenge, courtesy of Rochelle Wissof-Fields. If you want to give it a try, check the info on her blog. 100 words more or less, here we go….
Copyright – Erin Leary
I am screaming, trying to get back to the house, but they wont let us take her.
“Ma’am, we are just doing our jobs here. You need to evacuate, the water is rising fast.”
“I can’t leave her.”, I whisper to my dad, “You take care of them.”
He knows me, I am my father’s daughter. “I’ll come back for you, as soon as I get them to dry land.”
I turn around and make my way to the house. She is wagging her tail, jumping around.
A soldier yells after me: “It’s only a dog.”
Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia are hit with the worst flood in recent history. Cities and villages are under water, people are being evacuated, leaving everything behind…The priority is human life, so most of the animals are left behind. It is a hard choice, some left their animals behind, some refused to leave. There is no right or wrong, we must live with our choices.
There are stories….an old man refusing to leave his dog and 5 puppies until they agreed to take them all. Volunteers coming back and rescuing dogs and cats, pigs, sheep, cows…Many soldiers and policemen helping out, others refusing to let people go back…All people are safe for now, why can’t we give our best and try to save every life.
Great tragedies give birth to great compassion, the outpour of help is tremendous. The entire region is working together, and that says a lot. We were fighting in a bloody war not long ago, today we are helping each other. That is a great news for humanity.
I wish we could extend that courtesy to our animal friends.
Snow's Fissures and Fractures 
Dear Loré,
I’m afraid I’d be one to go back for the dog, too. It would be a tough choice. Nicely done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Yes, I can’t imagine I could leave her behind. But you never know what life choices lie in your path. It’s important not to judge others and to help whenever you can.
Thank you so much, Rochelle.
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What, only a dog.. I can fully understand a choice like that.. fully.
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Some people just don’t understand it….they are our family, too.
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Dear Loré,
A wonderfully poignant story. The animals matter as much as we do, perhaps more. Well done.
Aloha,
Doug
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Thank you, Doug. In situations like these, I am baffled by human stupidity. Even if they don’t recognize their value , they should think about health hazard with all those dead animals.
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Good and heartbreaking story based on fact. You’re right. Animals should be saved after humans are safe. Human life comes first but a lot of dead pets and other animals is really sad and a definite health hazard. Well written. Thank you for the additional information. —Susan
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You are welcome. And thank you for your kind words.
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Lots of pet rescues going on in other places, I see. Necessary not only to reunite them with their owners but to prevent diseases from feral animals and dead carcasses, too. We had many after several hurricanes and tornados. Some even found their owners again. Good take this week.
Your photo is truly wonderful, too! Thanks for sharing it with us.
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I hope all family members, human and other, reunite soon. Thank you.
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Znaš moj odgovor, inače dobra priča kao i uvijek.
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PS Zagreb is such a beautiful, exciting city. I have wonderful memories of Croatia. I went many times. I was the only foreigner in Dubrovnik a while, early 1990s. I conducted some training in Opatija, and Osijek, and Vukovar. In fact I know all the country very well.with multiple visits for 10 years.I took my wife there for my honeymoon – to Rab, the naturist beach, which shocked her. Anyway, very special memories.
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That is so wonderful to hear. I am so happy you liked my country so much.
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Great take on the prompt, and thank you for adding the article afterwards. I couldn’t leave our cat behind, She is truly the glue that binds. Thanks!
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Thank you for your kind words.
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As Susan said, once humans are safe, go for the animals. The only crime would be saving an animal at the expense of a human life. I think you can’t expect those who have never had pets to understand the closeness; I mean really understand it, as they haven’t experienced it. It’s not necessarily that they mean to be cruel, they don’t know. And that applies to other gaps in understanding as well, I think. Good one, Snow!
janet
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I don’t expect they understand, but do expect they don’t judge. I was talking to my neighbor yesterday about people making comments when they see us walking with our dogs. She said one man told her it would be better if she was walking with a child, and I was struck by her observation. She said: “He doesn’t even know how his words might have hurt me – maybe I lost my child or maybe I can’t have children.” That made me think how quickly we judge others without making an effort to know more about them.
Thank you for stopping by.
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Heartwrenching story, and informative. Thank you for shedding light on the situation!
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Luckily, the situation in Croatia is much better then in Bosnia. And for the last three days, people are working all around the clock to save every single animal they can, great combined effort of so many people – soldiers, Red Cross, professional rescuers, volunteers, local residents. After all this is settled, there will be so much work to do, so many families lost everything but the clothes on their back. I just hope we don’t forget them after couple of months.
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Tough times over there. Choices to be made. None are ever right, none are wrong.
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True words. Thank you for stopping by.
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It’s never ‘only a dog’. A great story, to highlight such misery. Well done.
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Thank you, I appreciate your kind words.
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Brought tears to my eyes. I loved your story. Thanks!
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Thank you so much!
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What a heart warming story and I agree,sometimes we are torn between tough choices but then whatever choices we make,we have to live with them.A wonderful story 🙂
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Thank you for your kind words.
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🙂
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I’m with the animals. As ever. A touching story.
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We use them and abuse them, and they deserve so much more. Thank you.
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Beautifully told story and aptly titled. It raises many questions about the choices we make regarding animals. The human race has domesticated them and made them part of our everyday days so we have a duty to care for them properly. I hope I would have gone back too.
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Right choices can make our life easier, wrong choices can make our lives a living hell. There’s always hope we make a right choice.
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Touching & powerful.
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Thank you for reading my story.
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This is a tough one. When we had a carbon monoxide issue in our home this winter, my spouse was able to get one of the cats, but the other hidden too well. Fortunately, cats, unlike dogs, have nine lives, and our big tom is only on his second or third. For me, with animals, the issue of rescue is much the same as it is with humans: I’ll do all I can to save as many as possible without putting myself and others in more danger than necessary. In other words, I work to do as much good as possible while keeping in mind that it does no good for the healer/rescuer to succumb to danger.
Thanks for the beautiful story along with the current events information.
All my best,
Marie Gail
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I couldn’t agree more. Glad your cat made it, cats are really special creatures. 😀 Thank you for your lovely comment.
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Fine and moving story, good link with actual events… and even better development in the comments.
My first reaction would have been to take care of all in the house, human and non-human people… but is is true that circumstances are sometimes out of our control, and in the end we do just the best we can… that is not always as much as we want or need.
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True words. Thank you for stopping by.
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