Rescued Dogs Must Be Rehomed Properly

aNt's aNgle: Hi Rob, I can't help but be in agreement with you. The case you mention seems very much to be a case of animal hoarding. But it is hard to say for sure unless one has been on the ground and studied every aspect of the situation.

But on the other hand, this could be a situation of an extreme case of animal-assisted therapy in action. The elderly chap obviously found some use for himself after he became an "animal rescuer".

Of course, though, the pictures tell a different story especially with the dogs and him living in squalid conditions.

Having too many dogs to look after can also present a situation of cruelty when each dog doesn't get the care that it deserves. 

So to me, in this case, there appears to be a very thin line between animal hoarding and rescuing. And I certainly wouldn't pronounce the man as an animal hoarder yet, as one very righteous animal rescue group has put him down as. 

For that matter, even animal rescue groups end up keeping more dogs than they can really look after. And this is often because they have a so-called "no-kill policy."

To me in such circumstances, the ends can never justify the means. 

That is why there is always the option of euthanasia - when no one wants these dogs. 

And here is where the local council comes in to do the necessary. As long as every option is considered and the councils do it humanely, one can't default them as this is exactly what their jobs entail. 

In the case of the elderly man and his dogs, I am relieved that animal NGOs had rushed in and as a few minutes ago, heard that they managed to save all the canines. 

However, I am concerned at the same time by the haste in which all these be done - even though I fully understand what the groups were up against. 

Each of the rescued dogs should be medically evaluated by a professional veterinarian to find out their prognosis before they are put up for adoption. 

There should be no reluctance to put any animal down if the vet advises it. 

And there must be great care to ensure that the rescued animals are not forced down to anybody. This could place the hapless animals in a worse off situation where they were in the first place.      

Here now are Rob White's comments: 



"Kudos to the people who stepped up to make sure justice is served when it comes to animal cruelty issues in this country! 

"But let's look at another recent case that's very interesting...

"http://www.nst.com.my/mobile/streets/central/homeless-man-s-65-dogs-to-lose-shelter-1.122779

"In the link above, the same animal groups and scores of people are reported to be going all out to help rescue the dogs before the authorities step in to capture and euthanize the animals.

"This to me is very interesting because there is no mention about animal cruelty issues in this much publicized hoarding case! Can anyone tell me the reason? Animal Hoarding is also a form of animal cruelty isn't it?

"Animal hoarding, sometimes referred to as "collecting", continues to struggle with public misconceptions. Members of the community and even law enforcement often view hoarders to be "someone who meant well but the situation got out of hand," conjuring images of the sweet cat lady down the street.

"While their intentions may indeed have been good, the reality of hoarding is far from sweet, and is often quite horrific. 

"Hoarders often have hundreds of animals in their home, living in filth and without veterinary care. It is not uncommon to discover several hundred animals in various states of neglect at one location. It is also very common to find vast collections of other junk and garbage on the premises, as well as many layers of feces throughout the home."

Let's see which animal group will step up to the plate to highlight this issue shall we?

Rob White

Thursday, August 09, 2012 9:02:00 PM

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