| Unintentional animal abuse | |||||||
| by BUDDY AMATO | |||||||
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This column is going to be concentrating on one of the worst kinds of animal abuse. I is one of the worst kinds of abuse because it is done without the perpetrator knowing that he or she is inflicting it. The reason for the person not knowing is because it is much like a sickness of the mind. The person committing the abuse starts out with all good intentions. In the beginning, the idea of abusing the animal is the furthest thing from their mind. That is when the mind is normal! It starts out with someone, and I mean it can be your next door neighbor, that you have known for twenty years, trying to do the right thing by taking in a stray cat and then another. The two cats eventually breed and you have a litter. The person gets attached, and feels that the kittens are not that much trouble and they decide not to try to find homes for them, but they decide to keep them. Before you know it, the kittens are of breeding age and they all are having kittens. The person, who in the beginning was doing the right thing, allows the cats to live outside by now and the entire property has bacome a cat sanctuary. It does not take long at all for something like this to occur, and unfortunately, it happens all the time. People become, in this case, unaware of the problem because to them it is normal. They become desensitized to the situation and just allow it ot get beyond out of control. I have seen it get so bad that the person's house becomes nothing but a giant litter. box! I have gone inside their houses and tried to explain to them that the odor is so offensive to the neighbors, that they have to do something about it right away.! They tell you, right to your face, "What odor"? They have become so used to the smell, that they don't even realize how unbearable it has become. I have stood in some of these types of situations, that the smell is so bad your eyes water from the ammonia odor, because the urine is everywhere in the house. The owner, however, has no problems at all. As a matter of fact, they have become so used to it, that they actually sit in it and do not ever realize that the situation has become a serious health issue. Again, these people are not setting out in the beginning to hurt or cause any type of abusive situation. This is something that got our of control and the abuse becomes a real issue, because the cats/dogs whatever the owner let get out of control, do not have the proper food anymore or the proper shelter, or, for that matter, proper anything. The animals become diseased and flea infested, they contract all types of problems because they simply transfer all the diseased back and forth to one another. the most common is upper respiratory infections and eye problems. This is something I am sure you all have seen in feral cats/wild strays. The eyes get infected to the point where they can not even open them, this will lead to permanent blindness, unless treated. It is obvious that the person who has become a collector, cannot afford to treat the animals by bringing them to a vet, so the problems are left unchecked and thy simple get worse. These problems then become a problem for the entire neighborhood. The reason is, most of these health issues, if you have an outdoor cat, can be transferred. Many people that become collectors, often when totally out of control, will actually leave the house and live somewhere else, only going back in a vain attempt to feed and care for their out of control population. The house becomes a kennel!. I have been at houses that have had the downstairs portion of living space completely taken over by the overpopulation of cats/dogs. The person will live upstairs, but it's only a matter of time until the population takes over the next floor. By this time it is so out of control, that the person or persons, as I said before, take up residents somewhere else. The house is just allowed to be saturated in urine and feces, to the point where when it is discovered, it has either been gutted or more often condemned by the health department. This is a sickness, and if you are aware of someone who is letting this to happen, and it is getting out of control, you should contact immediately, your local health department or call us at, (732- 542-0040. Press one for the cruelty line and leave a detailed message, so we can follow up on the situation. This type of person will not be able to help themselves and the problem will not go away by itself, but just get worse. Buddy Amato is a Hazlet business owner, who operates Amato's Karate and Weapons Academy. For more information, call (732) 671-9555.
Copyright Buddy Amato Amato's Goju-ryu Karate, Nunchaku, Bo-staff, Aikido, Sword, Kendo, Sais, Kick-boxing, Tai-Chi and more 589 Palmer Ave, Keansburg and is the author of Buddys Animal Kingdom, NJ 07734 (732) 671-9555 |
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