Friday, January 29, 2010

Animal Abuse

Yesterday I posted an article that was passed on through Lakeshore Welsh Corgi Rescue - about an overweight dog frozen to the ground. A portion of a follow-up email concerning the dog can be read below:

If I remember the story correctly the poor guy went outside on one of those days when it was raining/wet and above freezing and the temp was falling like a rock. The owner, an older woman could not get him up or even move the poor guy and he was outside until very late at night or I think it was the next morning. The vet on the news said the fat probably saved the guy as the overnight temps were in something like the single digits.

As you are probably aware, as an animal lover I have posted about animal abuse before, be it the hens in the chicken battery confines or the Raccoon Dogs being raised in China for fur. In the USA, we may be guilty of treating our animals TOO well sometimes, and unthinkingly causing their health issues, such as the Border Collie mix reported on by the news article.

We don't really know why the dog was removed from the home. Perhaps the owner was elderly, wheel chair bound or otherwise impaired, and may have needed care taking herself. I feel badly that the dog had to be removed, but there are so many possible circumstances that are not mentioned. We can only guess, and hope the owner has handled the situation with grace and that she is doing well herself.
Each culture in our world has its own views and perceptions in care-taking of the animal kingdom. Some value all living creatures and treat them with the dignity they deserve. Others follow religious culture, such as the Sacred Cows that are held in such high esteem that even though families are starving, they refuse to slaughter a cow for food. I do not pretend to understand what drives people to do what they do as far as treatment of animals is concerned.

Last January a young fella living in our great state of Michigan was caught for animal abuse when a woman heard noises coming from a woods behind her house - she walked out and discovered a black lab, hanging by its neck from a tree, beaten badly about the body and head. She released the dog and followed the owner, reported him to the police, and he was given a 'slap on the wrist'. The owner said his dog had incurable cancer and putting the dog to sleep cost more than he could afford at the time. A bald faced lie! The public was outraged, and emails went flying! The news media was alerted and the story was well publicized. The slap on the wrist turned to a felony, and the public still believes that owners punishment should have been much stronger.

You can read about it by clicking HERE - but know that Chance survived beating, hanging, and antifreeze poisoning, and now has a loving home.

When we choose to be a caretaker, it is our job to do the best we can for the creatures we own by first becoming informed about their breed and type, their health needs and requirements, and to love them within limits set by the knowledge we have acquired. If they become too much of a burdeon to our budget, our lifestyle and way of life, then the animal should be re-homed to someone who will be a better owner and provide it with what it needs to finish its life story in dignity.

7 comments:

April said...

I cannot bear to hear stories of helpless animals being hurt or abused. It just almost makes me sick to my stomach. I don't understand people sometimes. Animals give us such unconditional love. How could anyone stand to harm them?

Carmen S. said...

AMEN! I saw on the news last night someone had found a dog that had been dumped at a shelter while they were closed and it was emaciated and someone had tried to cut the poor dog's neck! There has to be something very wrong mentally with people who do these things! I believe animals have souls just as humans do and are here to share their hearts, not be abused! Oh....I could go on and on .......

Angela said...

That's just terrible Monica! I just can't imagine finding a dog in the woods. I sure hope that I don't!

Troy said...

Living in the city, and spending my summers on my grandparents dairy farm as a kid gave me a mixed view of animals.

As pets, they were less a posession and more a friend. oddly, although many people see them as family members, I always saw them as friends.

Maybe it's because I have so many family members that I would have no qualms about losing, but I value my friends...

My grandfather had dairy cows and in his gentle way, he taught us that, although the cows were big and smelly, and stubborn, they were the reason he had a home, clothes, food, and everything that he had.

They were never friends, per se, but they were always valued, respected and treated accordingly.

Maybe more people should have spent a summer or two with my grandpa

Nancy at the Farm said...

We agree with you. Cooper was beaten badly in his previous home. They broke his jaw and then didn't even take him to a vet. His jaw healed but not straight. When he came to live with us, Mum and Dad took him to our vet and they fixed Coop's teeth so he could eat without pain. It has taken about 3 years and Coop is not quite so head-shy as he used to be. He used to cry if even a shadow went across his face. Mum says there isn't justice in this life for things like animal abuse, but there is in the hereafter. We hope so. It makes Mum sick.

Love, Dozer

farmlady said...

This was hard to read but if we aren't avocates for animals then who? We have an obligation to protect animals who cannot protect themselves.
Thank you for this post.

ocmist said...

I've seen so many abused dogs... I even found one that had been hung on a fence until he'd died. It was horrible. Since my sister works with a rescue, she sees this type of thing way too often and that is why she really pushes spaying and neutering.

We just finished watching an episode of "Bones" that was about dog fighting and they had Ceasar Milan on it. I love seeing him and the work that he does to try to help train PEOPLE how to understand and handle their dogs better.

I think that training young children to be kind and caring for animals is one thing that would make them into decent adults... The love that they receive from the pets they care for helps them to learn about love... Might be why God gave that as the first job to men, do you think?