How To Rescue Chained Dogs and Practice Nonviolence At the Same Time

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/how-rescue-chained-dogs-and-practice-nonviolence-same-time



My friend Amy was walking home from work when she noticed a dog laying in the yard of a house in her neighborhood of West Oakland. The dog, a toffee-colored pit bull mix, was chained to a post in front of the house. Amy stopped and peered through the chain-link fence and the dog lifted her head and wagged her tail. The next day when Amy walked by, the dog was in the same place. She seemed lethargic, though she thumped her tail weakly against the ground when she saw Amy.

On the third day, the dog had not moved since the day before. She didn’t raise her head or wag her tail; she just lay still. Was the dog dead? Amy had to know. She unlatched the gate and walked into the yard to take a closer look. The dog was still alive, but up close Amy could see how sick and emaciated she was. She was so weak she could not stand. Whoever owned this dog was leaving her to die at the end of her chain. Amy did not have to think about it another second. She slipped the dog’s collar off, gathered her up in her arms, and took her straight to a veterinarian.

That was seven years ago. Today Peanut—for that is what Amy named her—is a beloved house dog who likes to sleep on Amy’s bed in a nest of soft pillows. She is playful and happy, though she is still fearful of many things: thunder, fireworks, the sound of a chain.

I hope I would have had the courage to take matters into my own hands the way Amy did when she rescued Peanut. Sometimes, compassion takes a lot of guts. Other people in the neighborhood must have seen Peanut in that yard, getting weaker and sicker day after day. Maybe they were too afraid to speak up, or maybe they believed it wasn’t any of their business. But being a good neighbor means looking out for both our human and our animal neighbors.

[Inkfreak]

1. I love dog rescue stories!!

[xchrom]

3. me too

[seveneyes]

2. A better first step

Call the local animal control or shelter.

[LeftyMom]

20. Assuming the dog was alive when they got there

the vast majority of municipal shelters would euthanize a dog that sick at intake. Why? Because they don't have the resources to nurse them back to health.

[Heidi]

4. Thank you for this, xchrom! Kick!!!

And mornin', my lovely!

[xchrom]

9. HEIDI!11 i'm showing off my new Coiffure today

[Heidi]

13. My lands, you're divine!!!

[hobbit709]

5. How I got my little monster.

This is Marcy. A friend of mine's neighbor got this puppy for their kids( 5 and 7) and left her in a crate in a dark garage all night crying because they didn't want her in the house doing what puppies do-chew up everything. My friend couldn't stand listening to her cry all night long and went over one morning and said "Give me the dog" Since she had just chewed up their cable connection they gave her up. She was 7 months old at the time, had none of her shots or anything. She barely reacted to her name. This is her 2 1/2 years later.

[Bigmack]

7. And those people have kids...???? nt

[xchrom]

10. such a punim!

i love her!

[StarryNite]

27. Marcy is gorgeous!

[Android3.14]

6. Theft is the wrong move among several errors

One, many cities and towns have ordinances requiring an animal to be either within an enclosed space and/or chained. Second, Amy's peanut is stolen. Three, the owner may have been hospitalized or otherwise unavailable. If the owner were an isolated person, then Amy may have taken that person's only companion. Finally, a person who actually cared about the animal, and not just their own need to feel like a trumped-up hero, would have reported the animal to the police or the local animal control officer.
There's a term for stories that sound sweet on the surface, but actually have more sinister memes embedded within them, but I am unable to recall it at this time. This is not just one of those saccharine stories of gee-whiz, ain't that wonderful.
It was a thoughtless crime.

[oneofthe99]

8. theft isn't always wrong

may have been hospitalized or otherwise unavailable





If the person is in a coma from an accident then she saved the dogs life , any other excuse doesn't matter

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

11. Actually, many cities have laws that militate AGAINST having

dogs chained to fixed points either at all, or for prolonged periods.

My own town, for instance, requires that dogs on chains be attached to 'runs', where the chain is allowed to move along something like a laundry line, rather than to things like trees.

But if the person was in the hospital, to the point where their pet was left emaciated and too weak to stand, chances were the animal would have been dead before they got home anyway, since they also apparently weren't coherent enough to even call a friend or relative to take care of the dog for them.

So I wouldn't call this a 'thoughtless crime'. I would call it a rescue, albeit one that could have been handled in a different way. As you point out, calling the police might have resulted in the dog being rescued from a neglectful owner as well, as well as getting the owner arrested for cruelty and neglect. As it stands, the owner got off without any punishment for their neglect. On the other hand, we've seen far too many instances of police simply shooting dogs, so it's sort of a toss-up.

If I had been the owner, I would want someone to rescue my pets if something happened to me that left my pets uncared for and starving. Far better that they be happy with someone else than left to die because people didn't want to get involved.

[chervilant]

14. Amy's Peanut is rescued.

The fact that she is alive and well-fed trumps your "thoughtless crime" scenario.

[Le Taz Hot]

18. One: It is agains the law in California

to LEAVE an animal chained up.
Two: Amy's Peanut is RESCUED.
Three: Then it is the responsibility of the owner to make arrangements for his/her pets. If the pet was a companion, why was the pet outside, chained?
Finally: Animal Control would have taken the dog to a kill shelter where, if it weren't claimed, probably would have been put down.

You would have chosen to let the animal die a slow, lonely death. Amy decided to rescue the animal where she is now in a loving home with someone who cares about her.

It was a THOUGHTFUL HUMANITARIAN GESTURE. It's what good, decent people do.

[LeftyMom]

19. You're literally wrong on every point.

1. Chaining a dog for more than three hours in a twenty four hour period is illegal in California. As is keeping a dog without access to food, water and shade for any period.
2. Peanut is a not a thing.
3. There is no justification for neglect. If you can not be home you make arrangements for your pets, just as you would for your kids.
4. Animal control is overstretched in the best of places, and Oakland is not the best of places. Often their responses are slow. Even where they can invoke emergency rules to take an obviously endangered dog (rather than having to make several trips and give several notices) they would be taking the dog to a municipal shelter. The chances of leaving a municipal shelter for even a healthy, well socialized dog are not great. Sick dogs are usually killed as soon as they enter.

The dog was left for dead and now she's thriving. If you have a problem with that something is fucking wrong with you.

[roody]

30. Peanut says it was a good move.

[magical thyme]

31. if that dog was the person's only companion, then they left their only companion to starve to death.

In that case, they didn't value that "companion" enough to even keep it alive, so I doubt they cared much when their "companion" went missing..

And if that person was hospitalized or otherwise unavailable, then why once they became available did they not search high and low for their dog?

When my neighbors stole my (very well fed and cared for) cat last year, I walked the streets calling for her. I asked neighbors if they'd seen her. I posted signs with pix on our street, at the post office, at the local vets office, and elsewhere. I called the shelter I had adopted her from so they could be on the lookout, and I called the shelter in the opposite direction so they could keep an eye out for her as well.

It took a year (the assholes who stole her moved away and dumped her) but I ultimately got her back and she is safe at home right now.

If the person who had that dog disappear from their yard cared, they could have gotten her back. It clearly states in the article, the rescuer was from the same neighborhood. If you read more of the article, you'll see that she normally works with owners to help them improve the dog's life. This situation was different because it was a different neighbor that was abusing or had abandoned the dog, and so she made a different decision.

I would make the decision to take an abused animal based on the local circumstances. I'm fortunate that I live in an area where animals and life are appreciated and respected, with low-zero tolerance for abuse. So here, I could call animal control and know that they, with police backup, would be all over that "owner," who would be charged with animal cruelty, and that one or another of the local, no kill shelters would be contracted to nurse it back to health if possible, before adopting it out.

Personally, if I was unexpectedly incapacitated and my companions left to starve as a result, I would be grateful to somebody anybody who rescued them from suffering and possible death.

[Android3.14]

32. Perhaps

But following the law is (almost) always the first path forward when dealing with perceived injustice. What if the owner was homebound and unable to search for their cat? (I've spent my own weeks searching for lost family pets. Part of being an owner is the responsibility of wandering up and down the street hollering a nonsense word at the top of your lungs. I am particularly remembering a cat with the unfortunate name of Tastee Butt)

As for your stolen cat, all I can say is that no one ever sees themselves as the bad guy. I'd bet you $10 that the family that stole your cat felt they had good reason to do so. I'd bet money they felt abandoning your cat later was absolutely justified. I am not saying they actually had good reason. I'm just saying that no one ever sees themselves as the bad person.

The same goes for the stolen dog in the OP. The thief sees themselves as a rescuer. I'm betting the legal owner sees himself or herself as a victim rather than a negligent pet owner.

In your last line, you mention being grateful someone would steal your pet of you were incapacitated. This sounds like a reasonable scenario. After all, anyone could slip in the bathroom and break their neck, or suffer from a blood clot in the brain. Personally, if I was unexpectedly incapacitated and my companion's left to starve to death as a result, I would be grateful if someone called the police or the animal control officer so they would come to my house to check on the pet and rescue me rather than slowly starving to death in my own home after someone stole my most beloved companion.

The best policy is to first attempt to follow the law. If that fails, then decide whether you are willing to take further steps.

[magical thyme]

33. there is "doing things right" and "doing the right thing."

In the case of a clearly abandoned and helpless animal (or child) that is obviously being starved, "doing things right" is not necessary "doing the right thing."

Again, if you actually read the article, the rescuer does not typically do this. She typically works with the owner to educate them on animal care, provides financial assistance when needed, etc. This was an extreme situation where the "owner" clearly did not care about this dog and left it to starve.

I used to board my horse out at a small farm with about 18 or so horses and owners. The home was empty overnight for an extended period, and the tack room was locked up in the evenings. A group of us were discussing what we would do if somebody got badly injured when the tackroom was locked with the house empty.

One boarder expressed consternation at the thought of breaking into the tack room to get to the phone (This was pre-cell phone days) because that would be against the law. She was in favor of "doing things right."

The rest of us agreed the first order of business would be to get an ambulance, and the fastest way to do that would be to break into the tack room. Running up and down the street hoping to find somebody home to borrow a phone, with houses widely separated, would waste valuable time and somebody with a serious injury could die in that time. Breaking the tack room door to get to the phone right there was "doing the right thing." Doors can be replaced. Lives cannot.

Personally, I favor "doing the right thing" and taking my chances. I would gladly pay for a new lock on the door if that's what it took to save a life. YMMV.

I'm just glad the "doing things right" boarder wasn't the one, years later, who foung the new barn owner down and comatose from a terrible, terrible accident, or that young woman would not likely be here today. She barely survived as it was.

[Habibi]

12. In Rochester, NY,

there is a wonderful organization called PAWS: Providing Animal Welfare Services. They go to homes where dogs appear to be kept outside in all conditions, isolated and with inadequate shelter. They get to know the owners, offer assistance, give them sturdy shelters and plenty of straw, educate them, and offer low-cost vet services. They work at building community.

While a dog like Peanut may have been too far gone for anything less than an outright rescue, the PAWS approach is to engage the owners in responsibly caring for their pets. Otherwise, they would just end up at the animal control center, which does NOT need any more unwanted/neglected pets, and put down.

[flvegan]

15. I keep boltcutters in my trunk for a reason.

Never be afraid to end obvious abuse. If saving a life in the face of others doing nothing makes you a thief, then so be it. It also makes you a liberator, which is a tag to be worn with great honor.

Just ask Peanut.

[Android3.14]

16. The word is "glurge"

Glurge - Sickeningly sweet stories with a moral, often hiding slightly sinister undertones.
The OP is glurge, plain and simple.
In this case, the sinister undertone is that it is okay to steal as long as a person thinks they are defending an animal. It's a saccharine stand-your-ground-style of an excuse to justify theft.

The person should have called the police or the animal control officer.

[hobbit709]

17. What a load of taurine metabolic byproducts.

So in your eyes obeying the law is more important than saving a life?

[Android3.14]

21. Nope

That would be an unfortunate attitude to promote.
Following the law should be the first path before choosing to commit a crime.
In your eyes, does stealing food trump first seeking assistance if you are hungry?

[distantearlywarning]

24. Possibly.

It depends on whether the hungry individual in question has a reasonable expectation that he/she will receive adequate assistance upon seeking it. If the answer is "No", or even worse, that the hungry person might even be punished in some way for attempting to seek assistance (e.g., locked up for vagrancy), then stealing might be an acceptable response (vs. the alternative of punishment or starvation).

I suspect that many posters in this thread do not trust the authorities to take morally appropriate action on behalf of a dying animal. If this mistrust is warranted, then the true problem lies with how the authorities deal with these types of cases vs. how the general public would LIKE them to deal with these types of cases, not the actions of would-be rescuers.

[Android3.14]

22. Please don't misunderstand

In the past I've become concerned about animals in people's yards myself. The first thing I have done is to call the police. This has worked to relieve the animal's distress every time.
The police know that an animal left out a few days may be a sign of an injured resident who is unable to call for help or an unattended death. They will follow up on your complaint.
Theft is rarely the only solution.

[hunter]

25. I'd take the dog, and then I'd call the police.

Or maybe I'd go back without the dog later and bang on the door.

There are only a few sorts of things I ever involve the police in. Outcomes are generally better that way.

This dog probably wouldn't have survived police involvement.

Chaining a dog is illegal in California, but it's very low on the list of calls the police will respond to, especially in place like Oakland, or my community.

The only thing that assures a quick police response in my city is a gunfight or a drive-by shooting with people down. They won't even respond to minor stuff, they'll ask you to fill out a report on their web page, or to come down to the station to tell your story to a community relations officer.

Visiting the police station and waiting your turn is fascinating, in an Alice's Restaurant Group W Bench kind of way, some of them wearing only underwear too.

[CrispyQ]

28. This:

There are only a few sorts of things I ever involve the police in. Outcomes are generally better that way.

[distantearlywarning]

23. I do feel theft is generally wrong and a detrimental action within a civilized society.

However, I also feel that leaving an animal to die at the end of a chain is also wrong and a detrimental action within a civilized society. When I compare the moral value of "saving a life" vs. "not being a thief", I have to go with the former. Obviously, you have chosen differently. what you view as "sinister", or "an excuse to justify theft", I and others view as "prioritizing one's values correctly".

[KittyWampus]

26. I have no doubt you'd have the courage to rescue a dog. No doubt in my mind.

Neither would I.

Often on DU, there are stories where I wonder if I'd be able to have the guts to do the right thing.

This one is an absolute.

[catbyte]

29. My husband & I would surrepticiously capture & have our neighbor's cats spayed &

neutered because they were breeding with siblings. It was an awful situation. At first we told them about the local low-cost spay/neutering program. They ignored us. Then we offered to pay for the procedures. Nothing. Then we took matters into our own hands. The cats hung at our place more than their own. We finally ended up going into their house & rescuing 10 cats after the neighbors were evicted & abandoned their cats in the house to starve. Bastards. Luckily we had a big, 2 story, 3 bedroom house at the time so there was plenty of room. Even though they were mistreated by both adults & kids next door, they were an absolutely awesome, loving family of cats. They were close to us & each other. We lost the last cat, Junior, on New Years Eve 3 years ago at the age of 23. He passed away in the middle of the night, between us.

Bless the woman who rescued dear Peanut. People who abuse & neglect animals don't deserve to breathe free air.