Animal Cruelty

 

Bandit is one of the most dramatic "poor body score" rescue cases that we have taken in. The picture to the left reflects what she looked like when she arrived here at Our Critters Kennel. She weighed a stunning 39 pounds. The picture to the right reflects what Bandit looks like today after some of our special TLC. At her last vet visit she weighed 60 pounds.

Bandit was placed with someone whom we all thought was reputable. His father in law was in higher ups in law enforcement in NC and he had great references.  A concerned mutual friend went to visit with Bandit at her new home a couple months later. She was found very attenuated and with rancid sores all over her face. My friend was very upset and heart broken that Bandit had been allowed to get in that putrid condition. When they asked the person why he allowed her to get in such a state of deprivation, he said his other dogs would not allow her to eat and they fought with Bandit over the food. My friend removed Bandit from the neglectful situation. She called me in tears asking if I could help Bandit. So, of course I said yes. She was  not in the position to keep Bandit at her home. So Bandit came to our rescue kennel to live.

My husband and I were really fond of Bandit even before she was re-homed. I spent many days at my friend's place playing with her. Bandit was some what a "community dog" My husband and his boss were re modeling my friend's home in the development where Bandit lived. Bandit would find her way to the job site everyday to visit with my husband. He and his boss man would often share their lunch with Bandit. Although Bandit proved to be a "thief". She would steal hammers and other things off the job site and amuse her self with them. She always did things to keep up laughing. I loved hearing about the daily "Bandit Antics". Bandit was and still is so full of personality.  

My question is, would you consider Bandit's ordeal "animal cruelty" or simply "animal neglect"? I would think it would be considered animal cruelty. The guy KNEW she was not getting enough to eat, yet he did nothing to remedy the situation. He KNEW that the other dogs were fighting with her. Yet, he did nothing about that. The sores on her face were very bad infected  and with her drastic weight loss she should have been seen by a vet. Yet he did not take her to the vet. I honestly believe that if my friend had not visited with Bandit to check on her well being, she would have been expired within 2 weeks. Bandit was vetted when she was brought back home. The vet was stunned and appalled at her condition. 

We have helped many dogs like Bandit over the years. Some come in literally looking like a bag of bones. They are normally so thin their homely hip bones protrude, their eye sockets are sank in, and you can count every distended rib. What makes the over all appearance of these animals so heart wrenching, is the helpless, hollow look in their saddened eyes. To anyone who has just the smidgen of a soul and any amount of compassion in their heart, it would be like driving a calloused stake into their still beating heart.

I will continue to help the "Bandits" of the world as long as my heart still beats and my breath divulges from my earthly body!