The Empty Cage Outrage Game

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:

Video of their story: https://youtu.be/y7a5cg3dgxg

Video of Brittney at TLC in East Whittier: https://youtu.be/h4xd-ExU-Po