by Suzyn Barron, President of Warwick Valley Humane Society, Inc.
Did you know, love is not all you need when it comes to being a pet caregiver? Yes, every pet needs to be loved, but they also need time, attention, and the finances needed to properly care for them. According to Betterpet.com, “on average you’ll spend $2175 per year to keep your dog happy and healthy”. This number does not take into account unforeseen medical issues that may arise.
Recently a little senior dog had to be surrendered because her owner failed to medically treat her chronic skin condition, forcing her to wear the Elizabethan collar for months on end and endure suffering with unrelenting itchiness and odor from a severe, treatable yeast infection. The love was there, but not the monetary ability to provide veterinary care. Neglecting veterinary care is a form of animal abuse, chargeable under New York State Law falling under the terms “lack of sustenance”.
Allowing a pet to become badly matted is another “lack of sustenance” category because of the discomfort and pain associated with it. Claiming to not have the money to have a pet professionally groomed or taken to a vet to prevent this condition is not a valid reason. Especially when the money was available to buy another similar pet. Case in point, a recent senior person had three small dogs, ages 1, 4 and 13, all needing emergency grooming. If unable to care for one, why have three?
Which brings me to the person who loves animals so much that they cannot control how many they have, known as hoarding. These people have a psychological disorder that causes irrational behavior that they cannot control. They amass more animals that they can properly care for and both the person and the animals suffer tremendously, usually living in dangerous, filthy environments. Hoarders genuinely love their animals and do not see the neglectful conditions that are forced upon the animals including lack of fresh air, a clean-living space, proper nutrition, and veterinary and grooming care. Due to the large number of pets, many end up under-socialized as well. Hoarding cases are far too frequent in occurrence. From a person living in a dark storage unit with 12 cats in July, just imagine the heat, to a person who died inside their home with animals tragically living among the masses of piled garbage and debris, unable to find a clean surface anywhere.
Deliberately leaving a pet in an unknown area including at the front door of a shelter without directly handing over custody of that pet is animal abandonment, a chargeable animal cruelty offense. A guinea pig found in a state park, a kitten left in a carrier in a parking lot, a dog left tied to a tree. The stories are many, sad and true.
April is Prevention of Animal Cruelty month. Please contact the shelter or law enforcement for any suspected animal abuse. “See their suffering, Hear their cries, Be Their Voice”.
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