‘Miracle Dog’ Sparks Awareness Campaign

by Maria A. Schulz

His name is Quentin, and he’s one lucky dog.

Not many would have thought so after Quentin, a 30-pound Besenji mix, entered a St. Louis gas chamber which was packed with unwanted dogs.

But when the death chamber doors opened again, Quentin greeted animal-control supervisor Rosemary Ficken with his tail and tongue wagging.

Quentin - named for the San Quentin State Prison - beat the odds, and so Ficken didn’t have the heart to put him back into the gas chamber. Instead, she turned him over to Randy Grimm, the founder of Stray Rescue of St. Louis.

Grimm said that Quentin’s "bad days are behind him for good." And with that thought in mind, Grimm took Quentin’s story public.

"To me, it’s a miracle or divine intervention," Grimm said. "I can’t help but think he’s here to serve a higher purpose."

Grimm felt his thoughts were confirmed when In Defense of Animals, a Mill Valley, California-based organization, asked Grimm if Quentin could be their "spokesdog" in their campaign to educate the public about the plight of millions of dogs facing euthanasia.

About 5 million dogs are euthanized each year because no one is willing to adopt them, In Defense of Animals founder, Elliot Katz, said.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals estimates that between 5 and 9 million companion animals are euthanized each year.

As for Quentin, hundreds of people have been looking to adopt him since his story went public. Two days after his ordeal, Grimm said that Quentin was a little malnourished but "in very good condition."

"You can tell he’s really digging it," Grimm said. "He has a bed, love, food and water."

In Defense of Animals will donate $5,000 to start a fund to eliminate the gas chamber as St. Louis’ primary means of euthanizing stray dogs, Katz said.

© 2003 Animal News Center, Inc.