Animal Activists on Attack

Lately Facebook is often overrun with pictures of dogs and cats needing adoption. Some of those pictures tug at my heart strings making me want to load up and go bring those sweet babies home with me. That is because in that moment I am thinking with my heart and not my head. When I step back and take into consideration how full my life is and how much responsibility pet ownership brings I am able to control my desire to rescue those poor animals.

Recently there was a story in the local news about a dog being dragged behind a truck. People are outraged. Comments have even been made that the man should receive the same fate as the dog. I am in no way an animal hater and do not believe in animal neglect or abuse but from what I've read this was just a terrible accident. The dog had gotten loose while the owner was cooking dinner so he tied the dog to the bumper of his truck until he had time to secure the dog in his pen. Becoming distracted by the task of attending the meal he was cooking on his grill he forgot about the dog.

Later, realizing that something was needed to complete the meal he asks his friend to run to the store. The friend gets into the truck and drives the almost 2 mile distance to the store, goes inside and picks up his items and lays them on the counter. An angry crowd gathers outside and someone comes inside the store to find the owner of the truck. A bystander helps load the injured dog into the back of the truck and the man returns to the store to pay for the items he left on the counter.

Now I'm not exactly sure why the man reacted the way he did. Why did he return to pay for his purchase? Why did he quickly load the dog and refuse to turn the dog over to those angry people? Whatever his reasons that is the story. He left the store and drove back to his friend's house with his friend's dog badly injured if not already dead.

I have tried to put myself in his place. Maybe he was in total shock. Here he was trying to help his friend out only to discover he's now killed his friend's dog. He is surrounded by angry people who are accusing him of animal neglect and abuse. He's probably thinking about having to break the news that he's just killed his friend's dog. I don't know what was going through his mind but the point is that neither do those people who are calling for the man to be charged with a crime and taken to trial. The police interviewed the man as well as the owner of the truck and dog and deemed it an unfortunate accident. That should be the end of it but no way are those animal rescue fanatics going to let the police tell them it was an accident! They have called big bad PETA and they are conducting their own "investigation".

According to those nuts it is the responsibility of the driver of a vehicle to:
1. walk around your entire car to ensure nobody has tied an animal to your bumper.
2. get down on hands and knees to confirm there are no animals laying under, around, or near your car that you might possibly run over.
3. As an extra precaution you should probably take a look on all four tires and check under the hood since cats have been known to curl up against car engines. Then about thirty minutes after these security measures you will be free to begin your drive.
4. Now don't go thinking you are safe yet because I have noticed a few dead squirrels laying in the road lately so you should drive really slow with your head sticking out the window announcing your progress to any unsuspecting wildlife in the area!

And for goodness sake please remember to repeat all the steps listed above at every stop sign, red light, and before beginning your return trip home because it is possible that an animal could approach your car while you are stopped.

Its a sad world we live in when people are more concerned over the well being of an animal than that of a human. I'm not saying animal rescuers are all nuts but if there are any sane ones out there I'd sure like to hear your take on this story. I'm sorry but those loudmouth animal rescuers and PETA people are giving animal lovers a bad reputation.