Pet issues: Where is the line between pet welfare and ‘pets as property’?
Posted on February 21, 2008 - Filed Under Pet Care, Pet News
Where do we draw the line between pets and property, and what ought we to do about pets deserving of protection as living creatures when they are being abused?
I don't know for certain, but I believe every state in America, and most towns and cities, have laws on the books to punish people for animal cruelty. But how do we define "cruelty"?
A woman in Pennsylvania, Tammy Grimes, who has founded the organization Dogs Deserve Better, will be sentenced tomorrow for property theft because she rescued a dog which had been chained in a muddy yard and abandoned for days. You can read more of Tammy Grimes' story at the Hounds Good blog. Please note what I just said: She is being sentenced for property theft because she rescued a neglected dog.
I urge you, at the very least, to explore the laws in your city and state regarding animal cruelty, animal rights, animal welfare, and animals as property. If you are able to get involved in any way, try to get current laws modified or new laws passed which protect dogs, cats, horses, and all other animals who need our protection.
This is a pet blog, and I hope if you've found your way here you'll hang out with us from time to time and share your pet stories, pet care tips, pet questions. And, yes, since I have bills to pay and a family to support, I urge you to buy some of the products I advertise here.
This is NOT an "animal rights" or "rescue" blog -- but I assure you I will do all I can to publicize injustice and animal abuse issues whenever I can. In fact, here's a link to Ms. Grimes' website, to the page where covers the dog rescue which got her in trouble with the law.
Let's love our pets. And let's do all we can to treat ALL animals humanely, whether they are pets or not.
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3 Responses to “Pet issues: Where is the line between pet welfare and ‘pets as property’?”
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The line between “animals as mere property” and our societal interest in protecting this “property” from those many people who are cruel or nelgectful is, indeed, an interesting one.
It may be interesting to note that in the year 2000, there was a case almost idential to the one involving Tammy Grimes: Some people kept their dog chained 24/7, the dog became sick after giving birth to yet another litter of puppies while chained by the neck, a concerned neighbor tried to get animal control to do something, but animal control did nothing (typical). Finally, the concerned neighbor takes the dog from its chain, takes it to the vet, and gives the long-suffering animal its first taste of kindness. The dog eventually died from its years of neglect. The facts are literally identical to those in Tammy Grimes’ case.
But what happened in this other case in 2000? The dog’s owner’s were prosecuted for animal cruelty and the DA declined to bring criminal charges against the “dog theif” on the notion that criminal charges simply would not have been fair or equitable. In short, the outcome was the exact opposite to that of Tammy’s case.
Very interesting what can happen when you have a more enlightened community than the one Tammy Grimes lives in and a less vengeful DA.
Read all about the case in 2000 here:
http://www.critterhaven.net/duchess.htm
Thanks for weighing in on this serious issue. And thanks, too, for sharing the information and link about the earlier incident.
I didn’t mention in my original post, but I found a link to a YouTube video where Tammy Grimes makes the point much like you have here — the situation she’s in is to a great extent due to the mentality and/or moral climate in the community where it happened. She goes so far in the video as to say she’s going to ask for the opportunity at her sentencing to serve whatever jail time she’s given just to emphasize the horrible “backward” attitude of the DA in her case.
Sorry I don’t have that YouTube link handy, and I may not have the details exactly right, but you can find it for yourself if you search YouTube.com.
Yes, I think the reality is that the folks in and around Tammy’s community view her animal welfare actions as something threatening. I think they were just waiting for an opportunity to bring down someone they probably saw as a “commie activist” or something. Seems very small minded to me, but I guess it is human nature not to like to be told that you’re doing something “wrong.”
Whether you come out in favor of Tammy’s actions or against, one thing is true: At this very moment, tens of thousands of dogs are freezing through another winter, chained in the far reaches of their owners’ back yards, tied to an old car in a junk yard, or chained to a sad, plywood dog house in on a breeder’s land. The lives of these dogs are pitiful. No wonder so many become neurotic, often aggressive, due to their constant confinement, their being tormented by parasites, etc.
The plight of the perpetually chained dog is truly one of the most forgotten-about animal welfare (and public safetly) issues out there. In the past two years, states and cities have slowly started to pass laws against this antiquated method of canine confinement, but breeders and hunters have strong lobbies … The situation is so desperate. It really is tragic.
Thanks for listening.