There have been many advances in state and federal laws to regulate animal cruelty practices. For people who work rescuing animals, this progress may be arriving a little too late. Not a single day goes by that rescuers don’t get calls from people to report an animal that’s been living in extreme conditions. At times, they don’t even have enough water or food for the day.
I worked as a rescuer when I was a teenager, and all I can say is that we sometimes didn’t have enough kennels to put all the dogs for the day. Some of the guys who worked there even took the dogs we had rescued home to spend the night there, and then go back to the shelter the following day. Fortunately, we had a very supportive community of people who always stepped up when we needed it the most.
People in the area would sometimes drop off food, pet supplies or toys for us to use with the rescued dogs. We got to see the conditions where these dogs lived, and it would break our heart to see many of them who had been living in unsanitary conditions, and often with not enough food. Dogs are very strong animals, and it doesn’t matter if the pup had suffered abuse, he or she would come back once they were given love and care.
One day, I saw this video of a dog who was fortunately rescued. This dog had been living in a home, where she had been chained for about 10 years. Imagine, 10 years without getting the chance to go outside, and do what dogs do. Run around, explore, and mingle with other like-minded pooches. When rescuers got to her, she looked very sad. She probably had accepted the fact that her entire life would be like that.
She was lucky that she was rescued because not all dogs have this happen to them. There are dogs that people never really find about, either because they live in such secluded places, or because they live with people who are very secretive. So, she was taken to the shelter where she was bathed and cared for. Surprisingly, she was not sick when she arrived but got the vaccinations she needed.
Many people thought that all those years being chained up would probably make it very difficult for her to bounce back. But I am happy to inform you that she did. The shelter staff did an amazing job with her and after a few days, she was doing so well that she was barely recognizable. She was adopted by a very loving family who was aware of what she had gone through. And they made sure the rest of her months were the happiest she could ever have.
Well, the state of Pennsylvania has just passed a law that makes it illegal for people to leave their dogs outside in extreme weather conditions. This comes as a surprise to many residents but in a good way. Check it out!
