| What is the definition of love? | |||||||
| by BUDDY AMATO | |||||||
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“I love my pet.” This is the response I hear every time I have to consider whether or not I am going to charge someone with pet abuse and/or cruelty. It seems like a response that automatically comes out of the pet owner’s mouth, as soon as they see the look on my face when I witness the conditions that their “so loved” pet is living in. This column will be dedicated to a young pit bull pup that was confiscated, by my agent and myself. The dog was made to live in a cage, which was too small for it to move around in. In fact, this was simply a transportation carrier, not a dog house. It is used for transporting, or can be used from time to time, for short durations, while the owner is cleaning the animal’s pen area or for grooming, for example. The person, who left this dog in the cage, was using it as a dog house, and the pup was in it for at least 24 hours before I arrived on the scene. It was out of proper food and water, and had been forced to defecate in the cage as it was not being walked. When I arrived, I noticed that the dog had decided to chew a hole through the side of the cage, so that it would have more room. What the poor dog didn’t know was that, once it chewed the hole big enough to get his head through, it would get stuck in that position. The pit bull was only a few months old, and it was slowly choking to death. Every time the dog tried to free himself, he would slip in his feces, drop to his knees and choke because his head was caught. You would have to picture yourself with your head in a window, and your feet on ice. Then, try to find footing, you are only going to slip over and over again. This places all of the pressure on your neck. You also have to remember that a dog that has his two front paws inside the cage cannot use them like you and I, to hold on the edge while trying not to slip. I had to get the dog free immediately. A good Samaritan, that was working next door, realized that I needed some help, as my agent had not arrived yet. It is with thanks to that good Samaritan that the pit bull survived, as I could not have cut the head from the cage by myself. One of us had to hold the head steady while the other cut a saw edge around the entire bottom section of the head and neck area, in order to free the pup. After the animal control officers were notified, and transported the dog to the S.P.C.A. Shelter, in Eatontown, the owner showed up. His only reason for showing up, however, was that I told his friend (who was at his residence when I arrived) that I’d charge him with the crimes if [the owner] didn’t show up because [the friend] was the only adult left to supervise the animals. It should also be mentioned that there were at least 20 other pit bulls on the property. I will leave it to your own conclusions why anyone would have this many pit bulls in one back yard! When “Mr. I-love-my-pet” arrived, the first thing out of his mouth was, “I love my dogs.” When I explained to him that the dog would have been dead, had I arrived there ten minutes later, and then our conversation would take place with him in handcuffs, he semi-calmed down, and told his tale of woe. Of course, he was not the one at fault. It was another person who left the pup unattended in a cage half the size it should have been, in 85-degree weather, with no water and no food. The only thing the pup had to live on was the strong will to survive! The owner of the dogs continued to try to convince me that he was not at fault. This plea did not work, and he was charged. As a matter of fact, he has already missed his first appearance in court! The case will proceed, and he probably won’t show up at the next schedule date, and the court will issue a bench warrant. The good part to this story is that we already have the pup fostered out, and we have more than one applicant that wants to give it a real home. We have many dogs and cats at our shelter, in Eatontown. They all have their own special story behind them. If anyone reading this column has the room, in their home and heart, to give them a second chance at a real loving environment, please call us at (732) 542-5608. What the dog or cat will give you in return, will be one hundred fold in devotion and companionship. (Chief Victor "Buddy" Amato is the chief investigator for the Monmouth County SPCA, headquartered in Eatontown. For more information about this column, call (732) 671-9555.) 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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