I'm taking a short break from my dog-loving blog to address the serious topic of animal abuse. It's a concern that shadows my thoughts; I offer up this piece in the hope I can inspire you to take a stand.
When I first saw images of Caitlyn, the dog whose mouth was taped shut, I nearly lost consciousness. I've tried since early June to put it out of my mind, but the sight of her bulbous, blue tongue bulging from a mouth swollen like a squeezed balloon is hard to shake. If you haven't seen it, don't go looking. Few things could upset you more.
But then it happened again. A similar crime was reported in Texas July 12th, to a German Shepherd Dog who was found in the middle of the roadway with her mouth and legs tightly taped together.
What is going on in our world? There is so much brutality.
It would appear that these animal abusers are bullies of the worst kind - people who can't even pick on their own species. And most of them are. But some--if you were to probe--would justify their actions and curse their dog's reactivity. They're often mirroring techniques they witnessed as children, believing that violence is affective motivation. How do we change their minds?
The sad truth is that our country has few laws to prevent people from repeating this cycle of cruelty. With little more than a slap on the hand, these abusers are released into the general public and all but forgotten about.
Maybe it's time for a shift in the way Americans view their dogs. I know I speak for many dog lovers who view their dogs as children and believe dogs should have the same protection under the law as children. As it stands now, dogs are considered private property, unregulated by state laws.
Next week, I'll be back with a fun-in-the-sun post for you and your puppy, but before we skip down that path, I need your help to face these cruelties head on. When lawmakers finally get around to criminalizing animal abuse and transforming our outdated dog laws, join the movement. I'll meet you there. In the meantime, if you see abuse happening, report it.
Here are 5 practices that should be outlawed immediately. If others come to mind, add them to the list in the comment section below.
1) Muzzle Taping The thinking behind this method goes: if a dog's mouth is taped shut, they can't bark or chew and will learn to stop. And it works - in the moment, when the mouth is taped - I guess. But imagine the terror.
2) Water BoardingThis practice is used to stop dogs from digging holes. It involves filling holes with water and holding the dog's muzzle down until he's all but drowned. Imagine a dog struggling for his life, just for digging a hole.
3) HelicopteringWhen I was 19 years old (I'm now in my 40s), I witnessed a large, well-known dog trainer swinging a 5-month-old Labrador puppy around by her choke collar. He proudly announced this Helicoptering technique would cure her hyperactivity. After swinging her until she was limp, he let go of the leash, and I watched helplessly as the puppy's head slammed to the floor. As I slumped down next to her, the trainer pointed out that her eyes--which were scanning the room involuntarily--were a sign that he'd timed the release just right. He reassured his horrified onlookers that she'd regain consciousness shortly. Nearly 30 years later, people still use this technique on their dogs.
4) Car Isolation Dogs should not be left in a car alone, especially in extreme temperatures. Cars are like ovens and can rise to fatal temperatures of 105oF in minutes.
Some people bring their dogs in the car for companionship. I get that. Other people use the car to isolate their dog for misbehaving - sort of like a crate. This technique isn't bad in and of itself, but dogs cannot be shut in a car without supervision and should never be isolated in one on a sunny day.
Tricia Underwood recently made headlines when she had to break into her own car after her dogs stepped on the auto-lock. Although unintentional, her mishap sheds light on the danger of leaving dogs locked inside a closed car.
5) Nose Burning Here's one that'll make your skin crawl. This technique involves a lighter, a flame and a dog's tender nose. It's used to teach the dog to release and avoid certain household objects. Yes, the dog will drop it, but they'll learn other things too - like to fear fire and the hand that holds it and, ultimately, to outsmart everyone by stealing things when no one is looking.
You don't have to be a dog to know these techniques are wrong. Animal advocates everywhere need to unite and demand that these actions and others be outlawed, with stiff sentencing.
Dogs - more than ever in our history - are being recognized as devoted, emotional and intelligent beings. Help me make a dent in animal abuse by keeping your eyes open and reporting these and other acts of cruelty.