This is the story of many of America's Dogs:

 thank you Joanna Harkin, Wash DC
http://4asap.org

I AM WRITING THIS LETTER TO YOU FROM DEATH ROW, THE LAST DAY OF MY LIFE.

YES, IN JUST A FEW SHORT HOURS, I WILL WALK DOWN THAT LONG CORRIDOR, TO THE
GAS CHAMBER. NO PRIEST WILL ESCORT ME, GIVING ME COMFORT OR PRAYERS FOR MY
SOUL. NO FAMILY WILL VISIT ME OR EVEN MISS ME WHEN I AM GONE.

MY "FAMILY" ABANDONED ME LONG AGO. AS A MATTER OF FACT, I DOUBT ANYONE WILL
EVER GIVE ME OR MY DEATH EVEN A PASSING THOUGHT AFTER TODAY.

THE SADDEST FACT IN THIS WHOLE MATTER IS THAT I AM INNOCENT. I HAVE DONE NO
CRIME, YET TODAY, I WILL DIE IN THE GAS CHAMBER. I KNOW THAT OTHERS HAVE
SAID "I AM INNOCENT", ALL THE WAY TO THEIR DEATHS, BUT IN MY CASE, IT IS THE
TRUTH.

LET ME TAKE YOU BACK THROUGH MY LIFE, TELL YOU MY STORY, PLEASE TAKE THE
TIME TO READ IT, THEN YOU DECIDE FOR YOURSELF WHETHER OR NOT I DESERVE TO
DIE.

I DO NOT KNOW MY PARENTS. I DOUBT THAT THEY EVEN REMEMBER ME. I DO NOT THINK
THAT MY PARENTS KNEW EACH OTHER FOR VERY LONG. MY BIRTH WAS JUST A TRAGIC
BEGINNING OF A TORMENTED LIFE, CONCEIVED BY STRANGERS.

I KNOW THAT MY FATHER WAS NOT AROUND FOR MY BIRTH, AND MY MOTHER DID NOT
STICK AROUND FOR VERY LONG AFTER. I GUESS I CANNOT REALLY BLAME MY MOTHER,
SHE JUST "COULD NOT TAKE CARE OF ME. AS A YOUNGSTER, I SEEMED TO JUST "FALL
THROUGH THE CRACKS" OF THE SYSTEM.

I WANDERED AROUND AIMLESSLY LOOKING FOR FOOD AND SHELTER ANYWHERE I COULD
FIND IT. EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE A KIND PERSON WOULD TRY TO HELP ME OUT, BUT IT
WAS ALWAYS TEMPORARY SYMPATHY, AND THEN THEY WOULD BE ON THEIR WAY, LEAVING
ME JUST ALONE AS EVER.

AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT, I WOUND UP PREGNANT. IT WAS A HARD PREGNANCY. I NEVER
SEEMED TO GET ENOUGH TO EAT, AND HAVING NO PERMANENT HOME, I WAS ALWAYS
EXPOSED TO THE WEATHER. I ACTUALLY SLEPT OUTSIDE THROUGHOUT MY ENTIRE
PREGNANCY.

NO MEDICAL CARE WAS AVAILABLE TO ME, MY FIRST PREGNANCY PRODUCED TWO
BEAUTIFUL BABIES, BUT LIKE MY OWN MOTHER, I COULD NOT CARE FOR THEM. I DO
NOT KNOW WHAT EVENTUALLY BECAME OF MY BABIES. AS A MATTER OF FACT, I HAVE
GIVEN BIRTH ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS AND I DO NOT KNOW WHERE ANY OF MY
BABIES ARE NOW.

SHORTLY AFTER MY THIRD PREGNANCY, MY HEALTH WAS SUFFERING BADLY. I DID NOT
KNOW HOW TO GET MEDICAL ATTENTION AND NOBODY OFFERED TO HELP ME. I WAS VERY
MALNOURISHED AND EXTREMELY WEAK.

ONE PARTICULARLY BAD DAY, I WAS STUMBLING AROUND THE STREETS, VERY TIRED,
VERY HUNGRY, AND VERY WEAK. I GUESS I JUST WAS NOT PAYING ATTENTION, I
STEPPED OUT INTO THE STREET. AN ONCOMING CAR TRIED TO STOP BUT IT WAS TOO
LATE. I WAS KNOCKED DOWN AND I FELT A TERRIBLE PAIN IN MY LEG. I WAS SURE IT
WAS BROKEN. THE CAR KEPT GOING AND ONCE AGAIN I WAS IN TERRIBLE TROUBLE.

I KNEW I HAD TO GET OUT OF THE STREET, SO I DRAGGED MYSELF TO THE CURB. ONCE
AGAIN, I NEEDED MEDICAL TREATMENT, BUT IT SEEMED THAT ONCE AGAIN, NOT ONE
PERSON WAS WILLING TO HELP ME.

TIME MARCHED ON AND I CONTINUED TO STRUGGLE ALONG. I WAS HANGING OUT ON THE
STREETS ONE NIGHT AND I WAS PICKED UP BY A MAN. HE SEEMED NICE ENOUGH AT
FIRST, HE TOOK ME HOME WITH HIM, OFFERED ME FOOD AND SHELTER SO I DECIDED TO
HANG AROUND FOR AWHILE.

I AM NOT REALLY SURE WHAT I DID WRONG, BUT AFTER AWHILE HE SAID HE WAS TIRED
OF ME AND COULD NOT AFFORD TO HAVE ME AROUND AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO GO.

WE GOT INTO HIS CAR, DROVE OUT TO AN OLD DESERTED ROAD AND HE PUT ME OUT.
HE JUST LEFT ME THERE. I WAS ALONE AGAIN.

AFTER SEVERAL LONG DAYS, I FOUND MY WAY TO THE NEAREST CITY. I THOUGHT
SURELY I WOULD FIND SOMEBODY TO HELP ME OUT OF THIS "HELL ON EARTH" THAT I
FOUND MYSELF LIVING IN.

EVENTUALLY, THE POLICE, WHO HAD SEEN ME HANGING OUT ON THE STREETS FOR
SEVERAL DAYS PICKED ME UP AND TOOK ME TO THIS PLACE FOR THE HOMELESS.

I HAVE BEEN HERE ABOUT A WEEK AND NOBODY HAS TOLD ME WHAT WRONG I HAVE
COMMITTED.

I SLEEP, EAT, AND RELIEVE MYSELF IN MY LITTLE CELL. THE SMELL IS HORRIBLE
AND IT IS SO VERY NOISY HERE.

ALL THE OTHER PRISONERS CRY AND CALL OUT ENDLESSLY. IT SEEMS THAT I AM BEING
PUNISHED FOR SIMPLY BEING BORN. HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN IN SUCH A "CIVILIZED"
WORLD?

SO, NOW THAT YOU HAVE READ MY STORY, WHAT DO YOU THINK? DO YOU THINK THAT I
MUST BE VIOLENT, THAT MAYBE I AM A BANK ROBBER, OR DRUG DEALER, OR MAYBE
EVEN A MURDERER?

WHATEVER YOU THINK, DO NOT FEEL SORRY FOR ME...

MAYBE I WILL FIND THE PEACE IN DEATH, THAT I HAVE NEVER FOUND IN LIFE.

BY THE WAY, I AM NOT A BANK ROBBER, DRUG DEALER, OR MURDERER. I AM NOT EVEN
HUMAN...I AM A DOG.