Home » Archives for April 2010

Positive Action Attracts Positive Results

April 30th, 2010

Magnum's case helped secure a felony animal cruelty law in Kansas

Last week, I examined a case of taking our passion for animals too far. Thank you all for your input and comments.

As Roxanne pointed out in her comment, I think most of us has pondered the fate of the monsters who abuse and neglect innocent animals.

The first time I can remember being so outraged was a 1997 case in Kansas when four young men videotaped the horrific torture of a Yorkshire Terrier named Scruffy. When I saw portions of the tape on the news for the first time, I became physically ill. Of course, my shock turned to anger and I spent many nights hoping those four men would see a justice fitting the torture they inflicted on that poor dog.

However, if the Scruffy case taught me one thing, it’s that positive action by people who are passionate about animal welfare can lead to great changes. Positive action by those outraged at the Scruffy case led to felony convictions although Kansas did not yet have a felony animal cruelty statute. Thousands of letters poured into the prosecutor’s office demanding justice. It was, in part, due to those letters, the prosecutor pushed for a conviction of arson, using the state’s ruling that animals are “property” against the four accused.

Nine years later, largely due to a one-woman activist who lobbied nearly full-time every legislative session for “Scruffy’s Law,” Kansas finally did pass a felony animal cruelty law. The law was also named for Magnum, pictured above, a puppy that did not survive another atrocious act of abuse.

I also learned from an investigative piece I wrote on Kansas puppy mills back in 1999 that negative action from animal welfare activists can have just as negative an impact. I spoke to one rural prosecutor who had contempt for the whole animal welfare movement due to the extremist actions of some. Due to this negative perception, he refused to prosecute a notorious puppy mill that has moved on to open operations in other states. It’s a balancing act conveying our passions while not going too far, but here’s some ideas on how you can help in animal abuse, neglect and rescue cases.

If you are a rescue involved first hand in a case:

• It’s great to set up a Facebook page, Twitter account and publicize the case on YouTube. However, be careful to keep the message positive. If an animal is recovering in your care, write about the animal’s progress. It’s ok to write updates on the case itself and to express outrage, but be careful not to do anything that might spark a mob reaction, such as posting the address or photos of the suspect’s home. While you’re sure no one in your circle might take violent action, you have no control over who might see your message when it goes viral on the Internet. Remember, the main message should be to advocate against animal cruelty. If your message is construed as “extremist,” it could hurt that message. I actually was asked by a national magazine to look into the case I blogged about last week to possibly write a feature for the publication. When I advised the editor that the group was publicizing the address and posting photos of the suspects home on their Facebook page, the editor withdrew the assignment. It’s sad, as the message against animal cruelty that article could have gotten across was muddied with a negative perception of the rescue involved.
• Urge the fans on your social media sites to write firm, but respectful letters to the prosecutors office asking them to pursue the case to the full extent of the law. Tell them NOT to call the prosecutor’s office. These offices are typically understaffed and overworked. You don’t want to do anything to annoy the prosecutor. If you like, you can designate one person in your group to be a liaison with the office, checking every couple of weeks on the case.
• Research the law and make sure the punishment is befitting the crime. If your state does not have a felony animal cruelty law, find out why and what has been done to get one. Lobby your legislators and ask your fans on social media to do the same by asking them to write letters and sign petitions.
• Organize peaceful candlelight vigils in public parks or other public places to bring awareness to the case and animal cruelty in the immediate community. Check your local ordinances, as permits may be necessary.
• Appoint someone in your rescue to handle media interviews. If you don’t have anyone in your group skilled in public relations, put a call out for a volunteer on your social media sites. Make sure to check them out and make sure your board devises a united message.

If you are an animal lover and not a rescue:

• If there’s a rescue involved in the effort, ask them what you can do to help. It’s important not to duplicate efforts. As well, the rescue could well be overwhelmed in the care of the animals involved. If you have skills setting up a website, or taking photos or writing, volunteer your skill set to the group.
• Donate money. If the animal survived, it could take thousands of dollars for rehabilitation. If it didn’t survive, donate money in the animal’s name. Unfortunately, animal cruelty happens everyday and some other pet will need your donation for their care.
• Write letters to prosecutors and legislators.

Can you think of other positive action people can take?

Bookmark It

Tags: animal abuse cases, animal rights extremists, magnum, positive action attracts positive results, scruffy
Posted in K9 Rescue | 8 Comments »

How Far is Too Far?

April 23rd, 2010

Potos such as this one from the ASPCA site makes an animal lover's blood boil

There’s no debate that people who run rescues and shelters are angels on earth.

There’s also no debate that people who support these rescues in whatever way they can are passionate animal lovers.

What I sometimes find debatable among rescue folks and animal lovers alike is how far they take their cause before it’s considered unacceptable, extremist or even militant.

We’re in a new age where the Internet and social media sites have replaced “red paint” demonstrations of the 1980s (remember those activists throwing red paint on fur wearers?).

The other day, I noticed a (real world) and Facebook friend questioned a rescue group’s methods and motivation of posting an accused animal abuser’s address and photos of the home on a page dedicated to the rescued pet.

Even though the abuser has been charged with felony animal cruelty and is awaiting trial, some people don’t seem to think that’s enough.

“If anyone is near (name of town), you can find this scumbag at (address),” read the post put up by the page’s owner.

It generated many responses, most of them seemingly harmless vents. However, there were also posts reading, “(The abuser) will get (theirs), enough people have seen who (they are). Accidents happen to people all of the time,” and “(The abuser) should be hung for what (they) did.”

The post with the photo of the home (which also showed another member of the accused abusers family) had already generated a post that read, in part, “Everyone in that house should burn.”

After posting a note urging caution in both rhetoric and action, my friend was accused by another member of the page of showing sympathy to the accused abuser. When I also posted arguing that posts such as these could, at worst, be considered calls to violence and, at least, hurt the case, especially if the suspect was suddenly turned into a victim, I was ridiculed and asked to leave the page.

The page administrator deleted all of the posts that expressed concern and argument against these tactics, including mine, while leaving up,  “Everyone in that house should burn.”

What shocked me was not the passionate anger on behalf of this helpless creature that had been terribly abused to near death. I feel that passionate anger almost everyday when I sign on to Facebook and read the horror stories the many rescues I follow post. (And yes, I’ve vented that rage in public forums, especially about Michael Vick, but I’m not posting his schedule, home address or photos of his home in a public forum).

What shocked me? Only three of us, out of dozens of posts, saw the potential harm that could come to residents of that home (which includes a child) and how the case to see justice for this poor pet could be derailed by a person who decided to literally “find the scumbag” at that address.

The page’s owner responded by posting that they were urging the followers on their site to remain “peaceful,” no laws had been broken and anything posted to the page was already public knowledge.

Being not just an animal lover, but a journalist, I looked into the matter, and the argument the page’s owner made that no laws had been broken is debatable.

An attorney in the state where this case resides believes “posting personal information (including a phone number, address, workplace, etc.) about another person encouraging others to harass that person” falls under that state’s cyberstalking laws. (The attorney for the accused is saying the family has already received death threats, as have the suspect’s former employers).

In the SHAC case, prosecutors went after that animal rights organization for violation of the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act simply for posting the names, addresses and contact information of officials at an animal research facility. They were found guilty although their website expressly read that people should only engage in peaceful and legal forms of protest and although the addresses and contact information of the officials were already publicly available in phone books and corporate reports.

Still, even if no laws had been broken, the fact remains that “extremist” forms of activism only serves to do harm to a cause.

The Humane Society of the United States has a statement on their website that reads, “Any tactic or strategy involving violence toward people undermines the core ethic we espouse. Such tactics are ethically wrong and do fundamental damage to the credibility of the humane movement.”

Whether posting the address, contact information and photos of someone’s home can be considered a “tatic or strategy involving violence” is up to interpretation.

Next week, I’ll post ways we animal lovers can take positive action for the creatures we are so passionate in protecting.

But I’m curious, what do other animal lovers and rescues think, how far is too far?

Bookmark It

Tags: animal cruelty cases, animal rights extremist tactics, cyberstalking, how far is too far, posting personal information on a website, SHAC
Posted in K9 Rescue | 10 Comments »

Dog Food Action Helps Families Feed Pets

April 14th, 2010

Smiley is awaiting adoption at the HSGKC

Roxanne over at Dog Food Dish declared today Dog Food Action Day, a day to purchase or pick up dog food (or any pet food) and take it to your community food bank or pantry so that families who are having a rough time feeding their human families can also feed their pet family members.

Roxanne posted, “Imagine the good we could do, the worry we could relieve, and the impact we could have … if everyone reading this Dog Food Dish post donated dog food or cat food to their local community action center or food bank.”

Coincidently, on Tuesday, Anthony Holloway, who sponsors the K9 Cuisine blogs donated and shipped 5,000 pounds of pet food to the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City. That organization, located in the poorest county in Kansas, has had it’s hands full trying to keep pets in their homes in these tough economic times. Often times, a representative told me, people feel they have to give up their pets because they simply cannot afford to feed them. The humane society is asking more questions of people before they relinquish their pets. If they want to keep their 4-legged family members, they are trying to help them by providing some food.

Robin at the humane society brought tears to my eyes telling me what happened to 3 bags of that dog food that was sent by K9 Cuisine:

“A man we work with here has 3 dogs and he called last week and said he was having a rough time, he had just lost his job. He wanted to keep his dogs, but he didn’t have any money to feed them. I told him to come on up, but at the time, we only had one small bag of food, maybe enough for a week. I felt terrible. But on Tuesday, we were able to call him and tell him we had put back 3 large bags of food for his dogs from this shipment. The man said he felt embarrassed to be asking for dog food, but he is trying to be a responsible pet owner and keep his dogs with him. It really made me feel good to be able to make that call and help him and his 3 dogs.”

The humane society kept what they could store for the animals in their shelter, as well as for more needy families. They distributed the rest to 4 other rescues and shelters in the Kansas City area.

I’m sure there are many pets with full tummies and families feeling some relief from the constant financial strain this week thanks to Anthony’s generous donation. Anthony didn’t do it for recognition or kudos. He had no idea of Roxanne’s planned initiative, nor had no idea we would blog about it. He told me the other night, “I feel truly blessed to be in a position to help animals that are in need. To me, getting the food to people that are struggling is a double win. We help the people that are truly grateful and it keeps dogs out of rescue or worse.”

You don’t need to own a pet food distribution company to help. Here’s how you can contribute:

• Read Roxanne’s blog, follow the links to find a food pantry or shelter near you that will distribute food to needy families. Purchase just one bag (or more if you can) and deliver the food to the pantry or shelter in your own community. Short on time? No worries, just go to K9 Cuisine and purchase a bag and have it shipped to your local organization.
• Having a hard time yourself? That’s ok, you can help without spending any money. Call your local food pantry or shelter and see if you can offer to call some local feed, farm and home, pet food supply stores or big box retailers and see if they will allow you to pick up their torn bags or outdated pet food and deliver them to the charity of your choice. My husband was recently told by his boss to destroy 40 bags of pet food because they were outdated. My guess is that she wasn’t aware that she could donate the food because no one has asked for it.
• Volunteer at your local food pantry or shelter. The Humane Society of Greater Kansas City couldn’t have accepted that large shipment the other day without the help of their dedicated volunteers, who unloaded the pallets of food from the delivery truck. You can help a pantry or shelter in your area by volunteering.

Let’s help keep pets in their homes!

I would like to find at least 10 people willing to Tweet about this project and post it to your other social media sites. Please tell us in the comments section that you’re committed to Dog Food Action and what you can do to help spread the word!

Bookmark It

Tags: dog food action day, feeding homeless pets, helping needy families feed their pets
Posted in K9 Rescue | 7 Comments »

Buddy Could Lead me to More Buddies

April 9th, 2010

Buddy/Bubba

We’ve got four reasons why we’ve never fostered dogs.

Their names are Emma, Molly, Dakota and Sade.

None of our rescues were supposed to stay with us forever, they were only supposed to stay until a rescue would take them or we found forever homes. Well, even after a couple of days, I was attached and never really seriously looked for other homes for them.

So when my neighbor called the other night saying someone had dumped a Beagle at her place, I hoped we could find a rescue or someone to take him, but we had no such luck.

On Wednesday our neighbors brought the little guy down to our house and by yesterday, I had him at the vets getting neutered, dewormed and caught up on his vaccinations. My husband and I couldn’t agree on what to call him, I’m calling him “Buddy” and my husband is calling him “Bubba.”

My neighbor rode with me to pick Buddy/Bubba up at the vets yesterday afternoon.

“I might have found him a home,” she said. “The man is really good with dogs, his wife used to take in strays all of the time before she died. But, he will be traveling for a month and can’t take him until he gets back.”

A month? I knew I would grow attached in a month.

However, the man called again once we got home from the vets office and said he would be back from his first trip within a week. He told my neighbor he definitely wants the little guy. He already has another rescued Beagle and he thinks his first one needs a brother.

I got off of the phone with my neighbor and looked at little Buddy/Bubba. “Well, guy, it sounds like you’re going to get a really good home.”

The funny thing is that although he has been with us for two days, I’m really ok with that. I feel right now that four dogs are enough, that our family is complete at the moment. It isn’t that I wouldn’t keep Buddy/Bubba and treat him as the others if there wasn’t a soul to take him, but I’m glad he’s getting a good home.

I’ve asked many foster families how they could have a foster dog or cat in their home for days, weeks, and sometimes months at a time and just let them go.

The most common answer was that they knew the dog or cat was going to a good home that was open to a new family member, to someone who would make that animal feel loved, wanted and special in their new forever home. Besides, they tell me, when one pet leaves their home, it makes room for another homeless pet.

After having Buddy/Bubba, I know exactly what they’re talking about now. Buddy/Bubba will not only got a second chance in his new forever home, he took away my fear of fostering another unlucky soul in the future.

Rescue organizations and shelters are always looking for good foster families. If you think you might be a good one, contact your local favorite organization today. Can’t take them into your home? They are also always looking for people to take them for short outings for walks and to dog parks as well.

Have you ever thought about fostering on your own or for a rescue? Have you done it? Tell us about it in the comments section.

Bookmark It

Tags: buddy, fostering pets, rescues
Posted in K9 Rescue | 4 Comments »

Pet Trusts: Do it for Scooch

April 2nd, 2010

Scooch in happier days

The story would bring tears to anyone’s eyes, and it did for a lot of people who read it on Facebook last week.

His name is Scooch and he is an 8-year-old pit bull. Found at 8 weeks old, alone, hungry and abandoned, his new Mom promised he would never be scared and hungry again – that is until she took her last breath.

She died waiting for her health insurance company to approve a liver transplant.

Scooch once again found himself scared and not only alone, but lonely in a shelter kennel.

His mournful cries could be heard throughout the building.

He stopped eating and his stocky build, the result of “loving indulgence,” wilted away until he was emaciated. He had seemingly given up on life. The man who was paying for Scooch’s care, shelter workers, and rescue volunteers worked for months to find Scooch a home.

But an 8-year-old pit bull is hard to place.

Scooch’s story is especially sad and unfortunately, is not that uncommon. I am linked to many rescue organizations on social media sites and there isn’t a week that goes by that volunteers are not posting about some pet left alone after their owner died.

Have you ever thought about what would happen to your pets if something happened to you?

“The states have differing laws with regard to pet trusts,” says Nancy Burns, an attorney in Cincinnati, Ohio, that specializes in pet trusts. “The old was to leave the pet to a person and the money to care for the pet and hope for the best.”

In many cases, that “best” went awry when something also happened to the person who took custody of the pet(s), or in the worst cases, when they had the pet euthanized and took the money for themselves.

Today, 37 states have statutory pet trusts, according to Madeline Bernstein, president of the SPCALA in Los Angeles. “Statutory” means the pet trust is enforceable and whomever you choose to leave your pet in the care of must answer to an enforcer of the trust, as well as to the trustee. Burns says in such instances you would choose a caretaker, someone you trust explicitly and whom agrees before the trust is built, to take care of your pet(s). Next, you would choose an enforcer, or a person who oversees the care either on a monthly or quarterly basis. “Many times, this is a vet,” says Burns. The final step is choosing a trustee, or someone who would handle the business or financial end of the trust. This is the person whom the enforcer reports to and is the final stop to make sure your pets are being cared for in the manner you anticipated. If the 1^st choice caretaker is not taking proper care of the pets, says Burns, the trustee can go to your 2^nd choice for caretaker.

What happens if your state doesn’t have an enforceable pet trust? You have two options, according to Burns. The first is to go about the trust the old way, leaving the pet(s) and money to someone in your will and hope they are honest enough to take care of them as you asked, or that something doesn’t also happen to them.

The best option, says Burns, is to go to a neighboring state that does have an enforceable pet trust and have the documents drawn up there, specifying that the other state’s laws govern the trust.

Whatever you do, Bernstein also emphasizes it’s very important to also have a “stop gap” measure in place. “If you’re in an accident on the freeway and it takes time to identify you, who will be taking care of your pets in the interim?” says Bernstein. She recommends that you carry a wallet card telling anyone who might find it that there are animals at your home alone and list a contact to be notified. You should also place a sticker on a window or door of your residence with a contact number. This should stop anyone from entering your residence, calling animal control and having your pets confiscated while arrangements are made and the responsible parties of the trust are put into action.

Bernstein also recommends that you list specifics in the trust regarding your pets’ needs, including the name of their vet, medication specifications, food specifications and any other special instructions. You will also need to make sure you’re choosing a person who is responsible and take into consideration the life span of your pet. Birds, for example, have a much longer life span than dogs and cats, so you should specify alternative caregivers if something happens to your first caretaker. You might also check into reputable animal sanctuaries that take pets for the rest of their lives, or will agree to place them in new homes. Bernstein cautions to check into these facilities very carefully and visit their sanctuary before making out the trust. “You don’t want your dog sitting in a kennel for the next 15 years,” says Bernstein.

Finally, consult with your attorney to determine the amount to be left in the trust. Leaving too little could mean your caretaker will run out of funds; leaving too much (as did Leona Helmsley) might mean the trust could be contested by your human relatives.

No one wants to think of the unthinkable, but doing so just may save your pets from a scary situation in a shelter, or worse.

Scooch was adopted last week after his whirlwind tour on Facebook and other social media sites, and even if his new home doesn’t work for him, there’s still a line of people all over the country who wants to give this guy a new home.

Do it today. Build a trust for your pets. Do it for your own babies and do it for Scooch.

This week’s question: Have you ever thought about a pet trust?

Bookmark It

Tags: pet trusts, reasons dogs end up in shelters or rescue, Scooch
Posted in K9 Rescue | 16 Comments »