Painful Truth
The Telegram: February 28, 2008 (http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=112418&sc=87)
Column touched on a painful truth
The Telegram - Letters to the Editor
I was more than pleased to see Pam Frampton’s Feb. 24 column (“Faith, hope and cruelty,”) on a problem that has been bothering me for some time — this being the story regarding the cruelty some animals endure at the hands of their neglectful owners.
t is about time someone does something about these unnecessary acts of cruelty.
I live in a new subdivision in the town of Torbay and have seen, in this area alone, the disturbing sites of dogs tied up for days (even weeks and months on end) in the summer’s hot sun and winter’s cold nights. As a responsible dog owner, it literally breaks my heart to see dogs tethered to a dog house day in and day out with no hope for human touch let alone a daily walk or a game of fetch.
What is up with some people? Why do they think it is OK to bring these animals home just to have them tied up and simply forgotten about?
One beautiful black Labrador retriever once wagged his tail every morning to greet my dog and I. Now the poor little guy doesn’t even bother to come out of his depressing dog house. I have never seen him walked. What a waste of a beautiful life.
What I really do not get is, if they cannot give him what he deserves, why can’t they simply realize this and find him a good home, one that will give him a chance to be a dog? That is all he really wants, is to be given a chance to be a good dog.
I have also witnessed another dog enduring the same sad fate. This poor guy sports a heavy-duty lock — yes I said lock — on his collar. This guy is not getting away.
Shame on anyone who would treat “man’s best friend” with such disrespect and lack of kindness. What is really disturbing is that there is more than one person in these households. Are they all alike? Can’t one of these able-bodied people tend to their dog?
How can we make our neighbours realize it is not OK to treat animals in this manner?
Finally, I would like to say that I do realize people have busy lives, but that is the point. People have lives. The poor pets they have adopted into their lives have only you to depend on to give them some quality of life.
They look forward to seeing you in the evening, just to have you ignore them. They get excited when you come near, just to have you dump some food in a bowl and disappear.
How sad. What is a half hour out of your day to walk your dog? It is exercise for your pet (and most of us need it, too). A walk in the morning burns off energy he has built up and he will be content the rest of the day. Finally, it is a bonding time between you and your pet and your pet will love you for it. What more can I say?
Please post these comments at your workplace. We need to get the word out. People need to take responsibility for their pets. People need to become responsible pet owners.
C.A. Horwood
Torbay
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