Rescuing Within the Law

Maybe you have neighbors who leave their dogs alone for days on end, or you drive by an emaciated horse kept in poor conditions on your way to work. What’s the right thing to do? Do you swoop in with your cape and bolt cutters?

Probably not the best idea. For one thing, it’s illegal, and if you and your good intentions are stuck in jail, the animals don't win. The other reason not to go vigilante is that you lose the chance to see the animal abuser prosecuted. Yes, animal cruelty laws can be frustratingly difficult to enforce at times, and the punishment never seems harsh enough to make up for the animal’s suffering. But sometimes the system works and abusers get jail time and stiff fines, they’re legally required to give up their animals, and a misdemeanor can turn into a felony if they violate restrictions on animal ownership. This can only happen if animal abuse is reported.

The key is to be prepared. Check out the Sunbear Squad for great tips on how to spot abuse and neglect in your neighborhood, how to organize a neighborhood watch, and tools to help you always know who to call. They also have information on how to help strays.

One of the most important aspects of animal rescue is education. For many people, the way they treat animals is cultural –- learned from their families or friends. They don’t know another way and will almost always go back to “the way things were,” unless they’re shown another way. There are programs where prisoners learn compassion through supervised dog training, and where inner city kids learn to compete with their pit bulls in weight pulling competitions instead of dog fights. That’s the kind of innovative outreach that can change the future for both the dogs and humans.

Even the guys of Rescue Ink have the mission of “using every means within the thin boundaries of the law, they persuade and educate abusers about the right way to treat animals.”

Photo credit: Striatic