I have been reminded yet again this week that a path guided by animal advocacy and compassion can be hard, alienating and sometimes lonely. I have caused nothing but trouble for myself and angered others by speaking out on the recent deliberate creation of inbred puppies locally. In the very first paragraph of my first book, Animal Trust, I wrote of my “often speaking out to the point of ruining social gatherings where members of the fox-hunting or shooting fraternity, for example, were present”. And yes, I get angry, very angry, especially when there is needless, long-term, often casual cruelty as with the puppies, whose genetics and too early weaning are almost bound to lead to long-term behavioural problems. The breeder has said that he thinks I need psychiatric help. Common assumptions over the years have been that I must be a bit mad or at best rather obsessive and interfering. In this particular case I admit that I have run out of steam and am tired of the friction – but it isn’t compassion fatigue, common enough amongst vets and animal carers who see so much suffering, I still feel the pain empathically. Really I have done what I can, but it is never enough. I wrote of the abuse of one dog in Animal Trust which I pointed out to the family involved, with considerable trepidation. At some point the dog was going to lash out, although most likely at someone of whom he wasn’t too terrified. In that instance, happily, behaviour was changed, the situation resolved.
I also wrote of a certain type of person, mostly male, whose main reason for having a dog seems to be to display dominance. I think there is also commonly a good deal of enjoyment of the dependence of an animal. Again referring to this recent case, I was told that weaning too early would likely lead to a “better” relationship with the human. It all seems to go hand in hand with a lack of consideration for others. The mother, as well as biting people, has a habit of emitting an extremely intrusive and irritating yowl as though a paw has been trodden on which, she knows, will get her the attention she craves. That behaviour would be so easy to correct by simply ignoring it. Now the puppies are already being allowed to run freely around the pub and its garden which border a car park and busy road. Its is beyond my comprehension. And those puppies likely will be bred from, the already overwhelmed rescues will have more problematic, hard to rehome intake as a result.
I wrote of another friend and his dog in Animal Trust:
Jess is a Border Collie … She is the companion of someone who had always seemed to me a decent and humane man. She was a lovely, well-adjusted, sociable and interactive girl, always pleased to see people and taking a keen interest in everything around her. Subsequently however, Jess had completely changed, to the extent it was hard to believe she was the same dog. She was sullen, withdrawn, uninterested in anything, confused and clearly unhappy. Man and dog had previously had an especially close connection and, on our visit, we were told that their friendship and natural bond of trust was as strong as ever – that’s how the relationship worked. I couldn’t work out what was going on. As we left the house for the beach, I noticed from the corner of my eye that something had been slipped into a palm from the table by the front door with impressive sleight of hand, but I was still none the wiser. As we continued, with Jess off lead everywhere as ever, I became increasingly puzzled. The hand was never opened, but there was something in it. Finally it dawned on me. Jess was wearing a shock collar and in that hand was the trigger device. Thankfully they are not going to be legal in the United Kingdom for very much longer. Everything about her new behaviour suddenly made sense. What other effects would one expect from giving a dog, as far as he or she was concerned, random jolts of pain? I can’t think what brought this about but can only suppose that walking her on a lead was just too much trouble. I suspect the damage to her mind is permanent. Cruel and heartbreaking.
Even now in the UK shock collars are only actually illegal in Wales.
The possibilities for enforcement seem only to dwindle as the police, councils and the RSPCA are either already stretched to breaking point or not really terribly interested.
Also from Animal Trust, an addendum which seems apposite:
A friend at university decided to keep half a dozen or so songbirds in her room, in a tiny cage. They were fed and watered irregularly and seemed to be in a state of constant distress. I came back one day to find her sobbing on the sofa. “What’s up with Sally?” “Her birds have all died.” It wasn’t my most tactful moment, but I just said “Good,” thinking that they were better off than living that miserable existence “What happened, why are they dead?” “She forgot to feed them.” I never did get invited to her wedding.
I will never give up (not after two books and over a decade in animal rescue) – it is too easy to think that it is just not my problem.. This post may be read merely as one of self-pity, not without justification, but perhaps it may give a sliver of hope or at least speak to someone else who finds themselves on the brink of despair. This is the final paragraph of Animal Trust:
It is easy to be overwhelmed and even depressed by the scale and carelessness of all the cruelties that persist. As I sat outside a pub on my way home from Trindledown one recent Tuesday evening, enjoying what I felt was a well-deserved pint of lager, I overheard two young men arriving and laughing. “Did you see how I splatted that pheasant with the van?” “Yes mate, brilliant.” The alternative takes strength. What we must not do is despair.
My uplift this morning has been the first arrival of two juvenile wood Pigeons in the garden. The pair I feel I know so well have bred successfully once again.
Leave a Reply