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Welfare Issues Surrounding Dogs By
Missy Brown There are numerous welfare issues that affect our pets. We will briefly look at some of them here. While we are providing this for your information only, MAGRR does not have an official position on any of them, and any links provided are not endorsed by us. The issues we'll cover are bait dogs, pound seizures, tethering, spaying & neutering, abuse, neglect, abandonment, animal testing, kill boxes, elective surgeries, and theft. What are bait dogs? Bait dogs are a part of the dog fighting world. For practice with their 'game dogs', dog fighters will find sweet and submissive dogs, puppies, cats, or other easy targets as bait. These bait dogs are often tethered so they cannot escape the fighting dogs, or they are wounded before being used as bait so that they do not or can not fight back. Many dogs that are stolen can end up being used for this purpose. What is pound seizure? Pound seizure is the practice that some shelters have of selling dogs and cats that are not adopted to laboratories for animal testing. The HSUS describes the practice in detail on their position statement on pound seizure. Although this is not a common practice, it is a real one. Find out about your state's laws concerning this practice. What is tethering? When you drive by a house, and you see a sad, lonely dog chained to a tree, a porch, his house, or to some other object, he is being tethered. Dogs are naturally social and want to be with their family, not relegated to a chain. You can find out more about this practice by visiting the Dogs Deserve Better site. Why is spaying and neutering important? Pet overpopulation is the crisis of having too many dogs and cats in the U.S., and not enough homes for them all. According to the HSUS' estimates, 3 to 4 million dogs and cats are put down each year because there are no homes. America's shelters take in over eight million pets each year. If you spay or neuter your companion animal, you are ensuring that you aren't contributing to this problem. To learn more about spaying and neutering, and to find answers to frequently asked questions, check out our Spaying and Neutering FAQ page. Tell me more about animal abuse. Animal abuse takes many forms, including hitting, kicking, wounding, burning, and other intentional acts meant to inflict harm on the animal. Abuse also includes neglect. Many states are making this horrible practice a felony, but it is often not enforced enough. More and more study is being done on animal abuse, and a very real connection is being made with offenders of animal abuse and offenders of human violence. Abuse is simply unacceptable, and should not be tolerated. Check out the First Strike campaign for more information. What exactly is neglect'? Neglect is also a form of animal abuse. Animals are required to have adequate shelter from the elements, access to food & water, and have veterinary care. If these are not met, it is neglect, and is punishable by law. How is abandonment a problem? In today's society, many people are plagued with a throw-away attitude. If it doesn't work, and if it isn't easy, they'll just give up and move on. This kind of attitude and mindset has led many animals to the shelter, left many animals behind after a move, and dumped many animals on the side of the road. There are numerous resources available to the owner of a dog or cat to help them resolve any issue and work it out. The HSUS provides pet behavior tip sheets that cover a number of areas. If you simply must give up your pet, there are appropriate ways to do so, but abandonment should not be an option. What is animal testing and how does it affect companion animals? Animals are often used in research and are subjected to tests for medical research, toxicity studies, cosmetics, and more. While dogs and cats are not the most common species used, they are affected by this. Check out the HSUS site on Animals in Research for more information. What is a kill box? A 'kill box' is a carbon monoxide device that is used to euthanize animals by gassing them. Although gassing is not the preferred method of euthanasia, it is still widely used by some shelters. To learn more about this, and other methods of euthanasia, visit the HSUS site. What are elective surgeries? Elective, or cosmetic, surgeries on dogs include tail docking, ear cropping, and debarking. These are surgeries we choose for our dogs, and not surgeries they need to have. The HSUS strongly opposes them. Find out more by visiting this informative site. Why is theft a concern? Many dogs and cats are stolen, and many of those stolen pets are used for research, breeding, or as bait dogs. Pet theft is a big problem in America and there are many steps you can take to protect your pet. |
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Rhett
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