In 2016, six dogs came into spcaLA’s
care in very dramatic fashion – their owner let them loose on the 710 freeway
during a police pursuit. After the requisite holding periods, spcaLA
transferred in all six dogs from Long Beach Animal Care Services.
Four were puppies and
adopted very quickly, but two of the dogs - Honey and Brittney - were adult Pit
Bull mixes, who were in poor condition, under-socialized, and clearly presented
an adoption challenge.
For the next year, spcaLA staff and volunteers
worked with Honey and Brittney, rehabilitating them physically, including
grooming, and veterinary care. Training staff worked on socialization and basic
commands so that they would be successful in their new homes. The effects of
this attentive and expert attention began to show, and the dogs improved
dramatically. These training, grooming, vet care, and education activities all
take place outside the kennel. At the end of 2016, Brittney began working
with children in spcaLA’s award-winning violence prevention program, Teaching
Love and Compassion (TLC ™). Each day, she would leave the shelter to train
with the students, her kennel was cleaned and left empty for her return.
Sadly, there are ignorant
agitators who see an empty cage and accuse Brittney of causing the death of
another dog who needed that cage. How irresponsible and ridiculous. What true
animal lover would not want a dog to be taken out of the cage and be seen?
There is no correlation between an empty cage and occupancy. Ask yourself, does
a hotel put other occupants in a room while a guest is out sightseeing? No.
This empty cage
outrage game is common everywhere animal welfare exists. Those
spouting these alternative facts are not serious thinkers and certainly not
actual helpers. Their business model is to simply agitate and to recite false
facts.
At spcaLA, we have the
benefit of 140+ years of animal welfare experience to draw upon to help pets
like Brittney and Honey. All of the in-shelter programs, training, vet care,
and more is done with one aim in mind: rehabilitating pets and getting them
into permanent homes. But, what if you do all the work, and no adopter comes
forward? Luckily, we have multiple adoption locations and relationships all
over the country to give animals a chance. One pet that gets no looks at one
location, can be moved to another, and low and behold, the perfect adopter
inquires. Why wouldn’t we, as animal welfare professionals, give a pet every
opportunity and benefit possible for a good home including sending them to another location
and vice versa?
Does a world class city
like Long Beach want to be known for building a wall around their borders to
prevent the network of reciprocity between shelters to find homes for difficult
to place pets? (A suggestion of the agitators.) Of course, this wont help the pets.
The uninformed recite the
same talking points even when educated to the facts. Saddest of all, the
agitators find willing vessels in those that prefer to mimic and recite rather
than to think and learn for themselves.
Unfortunately these people
find those most susceptible to finding similar parasites to spread their
nonsense. Fortunately, most thinking individuals see through them.
spcaLA and our colleagues
will continue to do what is best for the animals including that they
be seen by all sorts of potential families. Brittney and others like her will
get out of their cages and thrive - whereas the agitators and their infected
are doomed to remain in their cages, surrounded by a wall, and wait for the
puppeteer to send them their new thoughts.
For those interested in
more about Brittney and Honey - see below:
