I have been struck recently by the alarming number of incidents involving animal abuse or neglect. Here in the horse capital of the world these cases, while sure to stir public sentiment, are almost equally certain to raise little, if any, ire within our judiciary and legislature. Is our Commonwealth so bankrupt, morally and financially, and so backward, that we cannot recognize the toll that animal abuse takes on society?
Here is a laundry list of recent animal abuse cases in our area:
April 8, Knox County: Princess, a Great Dane, was found inside a kennel. Princess was starved to the point that she could barely stand and weighed only 75 pounds. Great Danes normally weigh over 150 pounds. Beside her kennel was a covered garbage can full of dog food.
April 8, Rowan County: 31 dead horses discovered on a farm, while another 24 live horses were found to be suffering varying degrees of neglect and starvation. Due to medical problems, the owner of the farm had not been in the barn for a year, and was stunned when officials told him what they had found. A van on the property was filled with bags of grain.
April 1, Somerset: During a drug raid, authorities found marijuana and meth, as well as 23 dogs that were in such poor condition, all were scheduled for euthanasia.
March 26, Jessamine County: 70 horses in varying stages of starvation found. On a body condition scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the worst, officials say most of these horses would rank a 1.5.
March 11, Jackson County: 112 dogs are removed from a home that served as the headquarters for a private animal rescue organization. Forty of the dogs were dead. Some of the dead were in a freezer while others were being eaten by other dogs.
And, in March of 2007, authorities arrested a man in Daviess County after he tied a friend's pit bull, Buddy, to the bumper of his vehicle and dragged him to death on the road.
Without getting into the particulars of any of these cases, I can tell you that they are linked by a common thread: ignorance and apathy on the part of the accused. They may or may not have been good-hearted, well-intentioned people who were put in bad situations, but anyone with even a shred of sense will, at some point, realize when they are in a hole and need help.
There are numerous organizations throughout Kentucky that will come to the aid of people who are no longer able to care for their pets, regardless of whether the pet is a dog, cat, horse or other animal. We have all found ourselves in situations where money or resources are scarce. There is no crime in that. However, ignoring the problem to the point where it becomes neglect is unforgivable.
Owning pets is a privilege. I fear many people do not realize the responsibility that comes along with pet ownership. That lack of realization may be fine when everyone is healthy and resources are plentiful. Many of the health problems we see in pets are the direct result of ignorance. Ignorance of correct diet, housing or grooming requirements can place even the most well-intentioned pet owner in a slow spiral toward neglect.
Cases where the abuse was intentional are much more sinister. Dragging a dog to its death, having a van full of grain in the midst of dead and starving horses, or a sealed container of food within arm's reach of a starving dog are blatant examples of thumbing your nose at God, Allah or whichever spiritual or moral compass you profess. Many people believe that God granted mankind domain over animals. I think it is equally reasonable to assume that he shouldered us with the responsibility to care for them with the same love and compassion with which Jesus tended His flock.
While there is a vocal minority that voices appropriate outrage when these stories make the news, there is a majority composed of citizens, officials and legislators who choose to remain silent either because they are too busy or just do not think that animals deserve protection from these acts of cruelty. Indeed, it may be too much to ask in a state where healthcare, education and social services consistently occupy the bottom of national rankings. However, if legislators have time to introduce bills recognizing an official ice cream flavor and other such trivialities I think they can give a little effort to this cause.
I hope that in the future we can proudly say that we live in a Commonwealth where starving dogs do not have to resort to eating their dead housemates and neglected horses are not left to rot in the pastures of the bluegrass. However, it will not happen by wishing it to be so. When you hear of a case such as these please call your state legislator and tell them how you feel. Tell them you are embarrassed that our state sees animal abuse and neglect as no less offensive than speeding or littering. Then tell your friends and family to do the same.
Craig Blair can be reached at the Clays Mill Veterinary Clinic, by phone at 223-5215 or by e-mail at lexvet@qx.net.