Animal Abuse and Neglect

We all know what animal shelters are and what their purpose is. But what about pet owners who think they run their own shelters? I’m talking about the people who have more animals than they can possibly care for…animals that are too skinny, chained up all the time, and are in very poor health. These poor animals have absolutely no way of crying out for help, and most of them are completely doomed to death by their supposed owners.

Probably everyone across the entire country (maybe even the world) has heard about the Michael Vick case, if you don’t know about it, I’ll keep it short and to the point. On his property, he had dogs that were bred solely for the purpose of dog fighting (this is illegal) and when dogs lost a fight or did not show enough progress, it is alleged that Michael Vick put these dogs to death in a cruel way. Some by shooting them, setting them on fire, and even hanging. Since the story came out, he has been intensely criticized by the public, and there is no doubt he will suffer consequences from his actions.

Sadly, this isn’t the only recent case of animal abuse or neglect. Things like this happen all the time, and to all kinds of people. Some people get too many animals which they are unable to care for as they get older. Others have too big a heart and take on way more than they can handle. Still others are just downright cruel and mean. In today’s blog post, I am going to go over a few recent reports of animal abuse, and what you can do if you suspect any type of neglect.

Over 30 dogs have been seized from a 63 year old man living in New York. This happened today, and it is unknown the length of time the animals had been living in deplorable conditions. The dogs were kept on short chains outside and were found suffering with emaciation and burns on their feet from standing in their own waste. The local humane society has been overwhelmed with this sudden increase in tenants, and is asking for volunteers to help.

In Illinois, it was reported yesterday that after a search of a woman’s home, around 200 dogs and cats were found. The animals were housed outside in crates, chained to trees, in fenced enclosures, and in abandoned cars. A few of the animals were not alive, and the living ones were in very poor health. They had not been feed or given water in quite some time, their hair was matted, and they were living in their own filth. The woman was taken into custody as were the animals. Hopefully this story has a happy ending and I will keep you updated on the animals’ conditions as well as what happens to the accused.

On the 14th of October, an animal cruelty task force raided a home in Los Angeles and found what turns even the strongest stomach. What they found were upwards of 70 cats living in absolutely sickening conditions. Earlier in the week, a few of his cats tested positive for a contagious disease called “panieukopenia (or feline distemper)” which could result in the infection of the entire neighborhood. The owner is charged with felony animal neglect and if he is convicted, could face up to 3 years in prison as well as being banned from owning pets the rest of his life. This man was trying to help kittens either abandoned or neglected and before he knew it, it was out of control.

That same task force has also helped in many other situations this past year. Including helping a woman in her 80’s with over 100 pet rats, a woman with 60 cats, and another woman with over 100 exotic pets. The problem is that people start feeding one cat and before they know it, the problem has tripled in size - this can happen overnight in some cases. Things just get out of hand way too fast, and the owners are not able to keep up.

A ranch owner in Oregon recenlty pled guilty to two counts of animal neglect. This comes after 9 horses at his establishment (catering mostly to tourists) were taken from his seaside ranch in 2006. According to the details released, he will not serve any jail time for his crimes, but the D.A. will be seeking restitution for volunteer worked with the horses to nurse them back to health.

An owner was recently sentenced to 92 days in jail after pleading guilty to animal neglect and possession of a controlled substance. The charge was reduced from dog fighting to animal neglect after consideration by the D.A. which showed that the animal had serious injuries which were overlooked causing the animal to be euthanized.

From what you can see, these cases are incredibly sad….and I am only going back, about 20 days! The punishment for the people who commit these crimes are more often than not just a slap on the wrist. A person who hurts an animal in any way should not be allowed to walk free and justice should be served. It has long been said that serial killers have been known to have mutilated animals in their childhood….yet if people do these things as adults, barely any punishment is given. We must ask ourselves why we are allowing our society to be like this and what we can do to help.

Be tedious about reporting animal abuse, no matter how small you think it is - you could be calling at just the right time. The first place to call is your local police department. They will either handle it themselves, or transfer you to a special division (such as the task force mentioned above). Either way, be sure you talk to someone! Your call could be the difference between life and death for an animal!! As you read this, I beg you to put public pressure on our congressmen and women - get them to have a stricter punishment for animal abusers (especially those with intent to do harm). Together we can make this a better world for our 4-legged friends!!
Thanks for reading! As always your participation in comments and discussions is encouraged and greatly appreciated!!