Anyone who has met me and talked to me longer than five seconds knows that I have an extremely high devotion to animals and animal welfare. I have rescued cats and dogs since I was physically able to pick them up. Every animal that has come through my house, and my parent's house when I lived at home, has been a rescue with the exception of one kitten we brought home from a farm after my first cat, Moses, died when I was in 8th grade. And there have been lots... lots... of animals in my life. As a baby, the cats slept in my crib every night, and I am still alive to talk about it today. No crazy horror stories about PeeWee, our Balinese, trying to smother me once my mother walked off. Appropriately, my first word was kitty. My parents, although sometimes exhausted with my efforts to save every animal, are so proud of my value for all life and for the lessons I have learned about caring for animals.
I currently have seven cats and a dog, all rescues, all with different personalities, and all loved unconditionally. I usually have at least one animal a year who is a visitor at my house until I can find a suitable permanent home for him. I am probably not the best foster parent because I become instantly and overly attached to each animal who comes through the door. I had a cat here less than forty-eight hours and I cried when the new owner came to pick him up because I felt like I was losing a piece of my family and my heart. Hell, I cried when the Clydesdale and the longhorn ran side-by-side along the fence in the Budweiser commercial during he Super Bowl. So, yes, I am an extreme animal lover and advocate.
I hesitate to even write on this topic because I feel so passionately about it, I could fill up several books, and do not know if a blog even does the issue justice. I CANNOT STAND IDIOTS WHO TAKE THEIR PETS WITH THEM ON ERRANDS AROUND TOWN. Your dog, cat, or whatever animal you own may exhibit some form of separation anxiety that you might feel you are doing them a favor by taking them to the store with you... but you are not!! I fight the urge every time I see a dog sitting in a car in a parking lot with the car window SLIGHTLY cracked (so he can gasp for air in an unknown environment while strangers are walking by and loud noises are coming from every direction) not to bust the window open, rescue the poor animal from its ignorant owners and call authorities to reprimand the offender while I chew them out and inform them why they are so stupid as we wait. Sadly, animal cruelty officers only exists in a few large cities, and most police officers and humane societies in other towns do not have the resources, or the willingness, to respond to such calls. I saw a dog in a car with all four windows completely rolled up one afternoon. It was probably seventy degrees outside. I walked inside the building reassuring myself that someone had to be coming RIGHT back out to get this poor puppy. Well, an hour later, I came back to my car, and there is the same poor pup sitting in the car. I was absolutely sick to my stomach when I called the local non-emergency police number and the operator said "Well, ma'am, don't you think he will be okay so we don't have to send an officer out? It's not that hot outside." I wanted to scream at that lady until I passed out. I hope they do not give the same response when a child is locked in a car. The fact is, it takes only a few minutes for an animal to suffer irreversible brain damage from sitting in a car with poor air circulation. You think it is not that hot outside? Try sitting in the car with a fur coat on for a little while with the window cracked during the summer in Alabama. Your dog would much rather stay at home in a familiar environment where he can run and play and sleep comfortably.
Another horrible situation is the redneck who has his dog running around in the bed of his truck while he is barreling down the road at 50+ miles an hour. I know accidents are rare, but all it takes is one and that dog is dead. I would not want to take that chance. And you can be the best defensive driver in the world, but you cannot anticipate and control other drivers. I see dogs standing on tool boxes slipping and sliding while the driver is taking turns and I hold my breath each time and wish I had the authority to take the animal. I understand there are people in the world who do not share my feelings. I understand there are people in the world who do not want a wet, dirty, stinky dog in the car when they bring them home from the lake. In response, I tell those people... don't own a dog. If you cannot take care of a baby properly, you should not have one in the first place, and the state should intervene if the situation gets serious enough. And the same should go for animals. If you do not want the mess, maintenance, and sacrifice that comes with owning a pet... please, do not get one. Leave that cute kitten or puppy with the breeder, shelter, or friend who is showing it to you so that someone else who is responsible and mature enough to care for the animal can save him/her.
Animal cruelty laws are FAR too lackadaisical in today's society. People go unpunished or receive minuscule fines in most cruelty cases, and it is just despicable. While there have been some advances in animal cruelty punishment, it is not widespread across the United States, and in most cases, the punishment is insignificant compared to the crime. Animal cruelty cannot be punished if it is not reported. Most cops are not trained to look for animal cruelty and often do not know how to respond to reports. Humane agencies, such as the ASPCA, do not have the funding or the presence in every city or county, so it is largely up to eyewitnesses of neglect to report issues, no matter how small the issues may seem, to the proper local authorities. Until irresponsible pet owners are held accountable for neglect and/or abuse, they will continue to lock their pets in cars while they shop or eat in town. If you see an animal in a car, please do me (and more importantly, the animal) a favor and wait for the owner and (politely) explain the dangers of leaving a pet in a car even for a moment. If you do not like confrontation, call the authorities and let them handle the situation. The animal owner may be upset, but hopefully they will learn a lesson and some pets will have a better life because of it! I love the new campaign from the ASPCA with the tag line "We are their voice." Nothing could be truer. Animals cannot speak for themselves, so we have to do it. Some animals are better off free so they can fend for themselves. But in the situations where they cannot, we should do our part to help.
You can download a brochure to leave on the windshield of cars where an animal is locked inside at
www.mydogiscool.com/b_flyer.php Print out a few and leave them in your glove box to use when needed. You could be educating someone and saving an animal's life and nobody has to know.
