I just happened upon
this article in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.
It's the story of a concerned citizen who witnessed a neighbor's dog tethered outside, for days it seems, unable to move.
In the 34 years she has lived on the quiet side street lined with modest, well-kept homes, Kim Eicher has always tried to mind her own business.
That is, until one recent rainy Saturday, when she looked out her front window and saw her neighbors' dog lying on its back in the mud. The old German shepherd mix was pawing the air, said Mrs. Eicher, trying but unable to get up on all fours.
"I looked over there and occasionally [the owners] would come out and look at the dog and turn and walk away. They did this off and on," said Mrs. Eicher. "I know there's not a lot of vets in on a Saturday, but it rained pretty much all weekend. They could have picked it up and put it in the garage."
Kim Eicher called rescue groups, and thank goodness one arrived two days later to rescue the dog.
The rescuer was Tammy Grimes, who runs an organization that hopes to enact laws against inhumane tethering of dogs (
Dogs Deserve Better). Ms. Grimes was subsequently arrested for theft, causing an uproar among animal and environmental activists.
I don't own a dog and am not a "dog person", but this article struck a nerve with me for two reasons:
1)The reporter seeks the opinion of only one group, whom she describes as "a moderate animal welfare organization", to inform the public about these thorny issues. I was expecting to see the Humane Society or maybe the ASPCA - both considered to be quite mainstream.
But no, the Post Gazette reporter called upon the National Animal Interest Alliance, a right-wing, corporatist, anti-animal rights group supported by none other than RICHARD POMBO! This is a group whose sole purpose seems to be attacking environmentalists as "eco terrorists". Their motto is "countering animal rights and environmental extremism".
Pombo spoke at one of their conferences and here's how they described him:
Congressman Richard Pombo (R-California), a rancher who champions individual rights and sustainable use of resources, was the luncheon speaker on Saturday. Pombo talked about the US Marine Mammal Protection Act, a law that prohibits importation of marine mammal products...
(Doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that, for the NAIA audience, Pombo spoke out AGAINST this law that would prohibit the sale and trade of endangered marine mammals. Though the NAIA description of the speech is weasely, at best.)
At the very least, the reporter should have included the opinions of more mainstream animal welfare groups, and should have disclosed the political affiliation of the NAIA.
The reporter, Caitlin Cleary, can be reached at ccleary@post-gazette.com or 412-263-2533.
2) The article also struck a nerve because I recently came across a little dog tethered to a chain-link fence while I was out walking. It was stuck on a 2 foot leash in the hot sun. Thinking of calling the Humane Society, I was relieved to see that the owner was about 10 feet away. "I'm sure he'll bring the dog in soon", I thought. On my way back (about 1.5 hours later), I was horrified to see the dog in the same spot, panting. Another pedestrian and I convinced the owner to bring the dog inside.
A friend of mine also related a story about a neighbor in Hawaii tethering two Alaskan Huskies in the sun all day long, without water. My friend repeatedly brought the dogs water and told the owner that the dogs need to be housed indoors, preferably in air conditioning. They are now counseling the owner on how to properly care for his dogs.
Are people really this STUPID, this insensitive? I mean, come on people, this is COMMON SENSE!!
Incidentally, video of the dog rescue reported in the Pittburgh Post Gazette is available here, though it seems YouTube has restricted it to registered members.