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Our shelters here in TN are packed to the rafters because even those who could afford the low-cost spay clinics can't be bothered. Litter after litter are born with no end in sight.
People move and just leave their pets behind to die or be rescued. They don't care which.
I think people like me ok, but I'm not really popular either. Part of the reason why is that I do not conform to that turn a blind eye and keep your mouth shut motto when it comes to animals.
When people start talking about pets I will listen and I will ask questions. And if they start babbling about how they loved some pet or another but had to give it up from some bs reason like moving, or it just got to be too much or needed too much exercise or they couldn't control it and usually if you ask they've given up ore than one and they always get kittens or puppies...Man I don't cut them any slack. I don't get all crazy on them but I let them know in no uncertain terms that they are BS and what they did was BS and that they need to quit getting pets till they understand that.
So many people talk hate about the govt and want less govt but then they immediately turn right around and expect the govt to police every action for them.
In the old days the judgement...yes judgement, it doesn't have to be a dirty word....of neighbors, coworks, church members used to help people keep up their houses and yards, keep their kids clean, take care of their pets.
=^..^=, that is so sad to hear about TN because they have some really well written animal welfare laws. It sounds like the people and legislatores cared enough to write good laws but theose to enforce it are driopping the ball. I just fired off a nasty email to several elected people in TN linking and quoting the comments about Animal Control thanking a person for fedding but not doing anything else the law says. i told them TN is an embrarrisment because those nice laws are worthless if not being enfoced. Who is Animal Control to pick and choose what laws they will enfoce and which cruelty and animal welfare laws they will ignore. they w re written to protect the animals and someone needs to hold them to the fire.
I think people like me ok, but I'm not really popular either. Part of the reason why is that I do not conform to that turn a blind eye and keep your mouth shut motto when it comes to animals.
But remember, you can't teach the willfully ignorant. Those who refuse to better themselves and refuse to get above "They're raisin'." Here we have ignorant uneducated red necks who are quite content to stay that way. Pets have little value to these people. They don't keep pets. They tolerate them being around. No shots. No spaying. No neutering. No flea or heartworm treatment. Only livestock has any value to them since they can butcher and eat pigs and cattle and chickens. I really suffered some serious culture shock when I moved down here. The mentality of the people was beyond my comprehension.
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When people start talking about pets I will listen and I will ask questions. And if they start babbling about how they loved some pet or another but had to give it up from some bs reason like moving, or it just got to be too much or needed too much exercise or they couldn't control it and usually if you ask they've given up ore than one and they always get kittens or puppies...Man I don't cut them any slack. I don't get all crazy on them but I let them know in no uncertain terms that they are BS and what they did was BS and that they need to quit getting pets till they understand that.
They want baby animals because they're so cute. When they grow up... they lose interest in them, get rid of them and start again.
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So many people talk hate about the govt and want less govt but then they immediately turn right around and expect the govt to police every action for them.
Sometimes I think many of us need policing. Trying to get the laws changed to better protect pet animals is almost impossible. When small changes are made the laws aren't enforced.
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In the old days the judgement...yes judgement, it doesn't have to be a dirty word....of neighbors, coworks, church members used to help people keep up their houses and yards, keep their kids clean, take care of their pets.
Bring back the stockades and whips.... . who knows... maybe that would work.
=^..^=, that is so sad to hear about TN because they have some really well written animal welfare laws. It sounds like the people and legislatores cared enough to write good laws but theose to enforce it are driopping the ball.
BINGO! The laws are not being enforced unless, as I said, it's a puppy mill or serious hoarding case. Even then the dogs or cats are removed and the perpetrators get off Scot free. They're almost always filthy back woods people living in hovels. But that's no excuse to let these dirt-bags off the hook. They're soon in business again. When a neighbor abandoned a dog a few years back I knew where they moved to and reported them. The county shelter sent a man to come out and he got the dog and nothing was done to the people. NOTHING!!! Our laws here are a joke.
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I just fired off a nasty email to several elected people in TN linking and quoting the comments about Animal Control thanking a person for fedding but not doing anything else the law says. i told them TN is an embrarrisment because those nice laws are worthless if not being enfoced.
Thank you. If you'll be some kind as to post their email addresses or PM them to me, I'd be thrilled and will write to them also. Unfortunately, they'll consider us cranks and crackpots and you can be sure nothing will change.
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Who is Animal Control to pick and choose what laws they will enfoce and which cruelty and animal welfare laws they will ignore. they w re written to protect the animals and someone needs to hold them to the fire.
When I called P.A.W.S, our county shelter, I was told the horse was in a different county and to call the police there. Apparently the shelter there didn't handle abused horses. I got some real runaround and was on the phone well over an hour trying to find help for this poor horse. I got nowhere. The people who owned the dying horse told the cop they feed the horse, so the cop left. Can you believe this? There wasn't even water out for the horses. The cop couldn't care less. That's what we're up against here.
Wow, Gisela! Points to you! I hear people who give up pets all the time for some BS reason...now, at one point, when my life was very disorganized, I had a friend take care of Mickey Bear for me, for a few months...but I got him back when I was on my feet again. I have only had 3 cats in my entire life, because each one lived to be about 20 years old! I have rescued several others, and found homes for them...but Beau-Bear, has lived in about 5 different states, he needs a frequent flyer number for Delta, he has flown so much.
I don't know why people get a cat, and dump it...that is such a bizarre belief system. For example, my cat now, Jasper...he is a pure breed, Bengal, he is fixed, declawed...someone spent some serious money on this cat...and he was given up, just like that...because the owners moved...crazy. Their loss, my gain. He is a sweet cat, but I don't think his last owners treated him very well...he is coming around though.
So you are saying that your animal control ignores cruelty laws? Thats such an ashame, but if the people don;t care I guess thats why TN has so many animal cruelty problems, it sounds like the people tasked with protecting animals and the citizens don;t care about animals enough to enfoce the laws. I think most people do expect TN to do their job so maybe a letter to the governenor quoting this post about animal control not caring or doing the job and ignoring the existing laws that many worked hard to get passed is needed. Thanks for brining this to others attention so they can take action to protecy the animals of TN from incompetent animal control persons who are ignoring the law.
If it isnt your animal then who cares if you feed it or not? Its your obligation to feed strays. TN is nowhere near as liberal a state as CA. No you cant go skinning a cat thats against the law but its up to each individual to decide whether they want to feed each animal that walks onto their porch or not. Thats fine by me, too. I like animals but humans come first. I get tired of seeing headlines that read "Man swerves to avoid squirrel on road -All passengers killed" !!!HIT THE DAMN ANIMAL!!!
The animal control here are NOT incompetent. Owners tossing their animals out on the side of the road are the incompetent ones. I will NOT be writing any "protect our animals" letters. People want to protect animals? get them spayed/neutered, make sure your responsible enough to have one, find out which animals are on the banned list before you get a pet, and dont go around adopting every animal under the sun thinking youre doing it "to protect them". Give to your local Humane Society or ASPCA in order for them to help the animals rather than having to put them to sleep after 3 days. Dont think you just have to have a purebred, the animals at the shelter will offer you the same amount if not more love than a purebred will.
If it isnt your animal then who cares if you feed it or not?
But the whole point is once you start feeding or caring for a cat, it is your's under TN law. TN don;t care if you adopt it, buy it, got it for free, stole it, or anything else. Once you start caring for that animal, you personally have taken custody of that welfare of the cat. If you stop feeding it, its the same as any other person who owns a cat who decide to stop feeding it. You are criminally violating animal cruelty laws. If that wasn't there anyone can have a housecat and stop feeiding it and let it die a horrible death and claim they have no responsibility.
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Originally Posted by pythonis
The animal control here are NOT incompetent.
If they are choosing what animal welfare laws they will enfoce or not enforce, that's the definition of not only INCOMPETENT but NEGLIGENT! I received one response so far and they wanted to know if I knew which Animal Control agency was involved. They said and I quote;
"It is a violation of TN Statutes § 39-14-202 (2) to willfully withhold food and/or water to a cat under a persons control....
... the definition of control is when a person provides nourishment, or shelter, or care for a domesticated animal (cats including feral are classified as domesticated) for any period of time except for any registered TNR program or for a one time humanitarian purpose. A person who has started feeding or caring for a animal under similar conditions as if they owned it, is assumed to have taken control and is required to continue providing nourishment, safety and care as if it was their own animal."
They went on to explain some other interesting things i bet most had no idea about. The basic thing was you start taking care of the feral, you take care of it from now on. Don't start and make it semi dependent on you and one day decide you don;t care and ABANDON it.
Would you like to tell me the name of the AC in question so I can pass it on?
Under a person's control is quite vague. Now I grant you if you were to call up animal control and tell them youve been feeding this animal for however long then yeah they are probably going to tell you that youve more or less adopted it. However im not dumb enough to do that.
If the old lady down the street gives my dog a milk-bone everytime she walks past my house that doesnt necessarily mean that she has "adopted my animal". Sure she has given it some means of nourishment but does that mean she is now responsible under TN law to care for my dog? NO, it does not. Theres a big difference between being nice to a creature in need and being responsible for said creature.
The people who live behind me, in my opinion, dont feed their dogs enough food. I occasionally put a pan of dog food out on my porch for them. Does that mean ive adopted them? No. Does that mean im now co-owner? No. Does that mean im responsible for their health and well being? No. What does it mean? it means im being nice. Nothing else. Heck, i feed a cat that hangs around my house but every few days the thing kills a bird or mole. What does that tell me? It tells me that it can survive just fine without the food i give to it. Animals were surviving long before humans came around.
And no, i do not wish to give you any info about local animal control.
I'm not sure if I'm a fan of the law that states than an animal you feed is yours. It is probably meant to make pet owners be responsible, but it can end up hurting people who really do want to help animals but can only help a certain amount.
I'm not sure if MO has laws like that. If so, they are not enforced. The people in my rural area in general seem to have other issues on their minds other than animals. As much as I like animals, people do come first. For people who are just getting by financially, it's not possible to care for every animal that comes by. Some people are willfully negligent, but others turn a blind eye to it because they are overwhelmed. Actually, I have heard people say that if you have to put an animal down it's better to shoot it than to dump it. It sounds horrible and neither are good options. However, the pound would put the animal down in a week and in counties like mine there is no pound. People see few choices. I couldn't put an animal down, but I've known people who have. I don't necessarily approve, but I do understand that it happens. As of right now, I don't really have many other options to give them and I can't make anyone get an animal spayed or neutered. Often people see putting an animal down as being the more responsible option, as to dumping them or letting them breed over and over again. In cases like that, people are kind of taking the pound out of the equation, but the pound would do the same thing.
Poverty does lead to desperation. It's one thing to have a lot of disposable income and not take care of an animal that you get. That really is neglect in my opinion. However, you have to be a bit more understanding to people who really don't have much money to spare. Some do what they can, but it is difficult to blame people who really have very few resources to work with. If you walk up to somebody who has little in material wealth, possibly living paycheck-to-paycheck, and tell them to spend $100-$150 or more on every animal that shows up at their house, they will laugh in your face. They simply can't do it. Besides, if the government doesn't care, the shelters can't help, then why should the people sacrifice to help these animals? That really is the mindset for a lot of people.
We have to be careful to help people rather than blame them, at least in financially-strapped situations. If you do that you just make people bitter. People in general won't sacrifice to help strays. Sometimes those who would, can't. We have to be careful to offer support. Give blame where it is due, but try not to be too harsh with people who are simply too poor to help much on their own. My family does alright (we're middle class), but I know a lot of families who are on hard times. A large portion of the people in this area are on some kind of government assistance and free school lunches. How can I ask them to give toward animals what they don't have for themselves?
I realize that probably none of us on this forum are wealthy, but we still have to try to be understanding toward those who have few resources and a defeated mindset. People often don't think that what they can do will help. Why help one stray when so many more show up at your front door? A lot of people, especially those with less money, feel that the sacrifice to help animals is not worth it. How do you convince them to care when so few other people do?
I'm all for trying to change things, but it's not easy. I can't really blame people who are poor for not helping every stray that comes by. Most can't and they don't see the point. The shelters can't help and the government won't. That's the way it's always been and most people don't see any way of fixing it. Besides, when you live paycheck-to-paycheck, which many people do, you have "more important" things to worry about. If everybody did what they could, sure things would be better. However, 80% of the population will not do what they can. Sometimes the other 20% who want to help feel pretty overwhelmed.
Last edited by STLCardsBlues1989; 05-27-2011 at 10:33 PM..
I'm all for trying to change things, but it's not easy. I can't really blame people who are poor for not helping every stray that comes by. Most can't and they don't see the point. The shelters can't help and the government won't. That's the way it's always been and most people don't see any way of fixing it. Besides, when you live paycheck-to-paycheck, which many people do, you have "more important" things to worry about. If everybody did what they could, sure things would be better. However, 80% of the population will not do what they can. Sometimes the other 20% who want to help feel pretty overwhelmed.
Being poor doesn't mean not having to care or do what you can. To legitimize shirking responsibility or compassion for these worse off such as a starving cat or dog or even an elderly neighbor. An excuse for not getting involved even were other people are concerned. I don't mean to sound unkind, but being poor is simply no excuse to avoid getting involved.
Not doing anything is more a mindset that excludes compassion sharing and love. I see it here in TN all the time. Too many poor people sit back and feel sorry for themselves. They want those better off to carry the load. Every penny they have is spent on themselves. They wouldn't toss a spoonful of food to a stray cat yet these same "poor" people, and I see them all the time in the stores in town, have cigarettes and beer and wine and junk food snacks in their carts. It's infuriating when you think how many get food stamps paid for by the rest of us. Many are on welfare and we pick up the tab. I've seen them, in worn old faded clothes loading large flat screen TVs in their rusty old pick up trucks. I've seen them with brand new Computers in their carts at Wal*Mart. Look at all the crappy cars and beat up old PU trucks parked by the bars on the weekends. These people can't afford to feed a stray or get their cat/god spayed or neutered? Yes, I'm sure there are working poor who are really truly struggling but unless they're down to their last $1, then can surely afford a $2.98 bag of cat food. I was very poor at one time so I know what it's like.
My grandparents (mother's side) were uneducated illiterate immigrants from Europe. Granny had 5 kids to raise on Grandpa's salary at a foundry. They were almost always in want. They only shopped at second hand stores. The church buried one of her infants that died of whooping cough in the 1920s. They were always dirt poor from the day they arrived on these shores. They died poor. I was told by my Aunts and Uncles that they still fed even worse off children in the Brooklyn neighborhood they lived in. Even if it was only watery soup and a cracker. Granny would spare a few pennies for ribbons for the destitute neighborhood girl's hair. This was during the depression. She would toss bits of food out for the alley cats starving in the streets. Even trash cans in those days were raided by homeless people, leaving nothing for the cats and dogs. Times were so bad in the city some people were eating the cats. Everyone loved Granny. She had almost nothing but she shared the little she had...... think about it.
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. who knows... maybe that would work.
Being poor.........
I've seen them with brand new Computers in their carts at Wal*Mart. Look at all the crappy cars and beat up old PU trucks parked by the bars on the weekends. 
These people can't afford to feed a stray or get their cat/god spayed or neutered? Yes, I'm sure there are working poor who are really truly struggling but unless they're down to their last $1, then can surely afford a $2.98 bag of cat food. I was very poor at one time so I know what it's like. 
