Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm surprised the guy didn't just run off and leave the kittens with you. To actually grab the carrier from you and take them to a shelter where they would be destroyed is really crappy It would have been easier for him to just abandon them in the store, but I'm sure the jerk wanted his carrier back. From my experience, many people are "sheep" and won't stand up for what's right. You did a really good deed.
Barney Fife is wrong!
The law does not address the means of the torture, it defines what is torture. It could be a paper bag, a cardboard box, a airline kennel or a gold plated custom crate, all the law addresses is what occurs. If the animal was suffering, in pain, being injured or anything else, that is what the law says is torture, and torture no matter the container its in, is illegal. Report the officer to the cheif and ask that all the officers be educated on TN animal cruelty laws.
Excuse my generalizing, but I find living in the south to be much more stressful in terms of this kind of thing. If I was home in Baltimore and saw something like this I know that the kittens would be taken to the Humane Society or the SPCA (biggest and well-known shelters), both of which I've volunteered with. And I know for a fact that they would first treat the kittens for heat exhaustion and then put them with a foster family until they are 2 lbs and able to be adopted.
The man fled with the kittens about 3 to 4 minutes before the Policeman got there.
The north is much more advanced than the south where animals and shelters are concerned. Too many people here in the south hold little value for pet animals. They're seen as disposable. As things. Not sentient beings. Cats especially are seen as disposable.
Quote:
But here in Texas, I hear so many horror stories about the shelters and have read about their healthy animals euthanized statistics. It's so so horrible and depressing. When I worked at the vet they gave free shelter exams and discounted vaccines etc but they would not recommend adopting a puppy from a shelter because shelter puppies constantly come in with either parvo or distemper. One of the girls I worked with there found out her shelter puppy had parvo but as soon as the puppy sneezed she brought her to the vet and the puppy survived.
The shelter in Memphis TN is known as "the house or horrors" and "the slaughterhouse." Few animals brought there leave alive. Disease. Filth. Stench. Workers who don't bother to feed and water. Disgusting.
The north is much more advanced than the south where animals and shelters are concerned. Too many people here in the south hold little value for pet animals. They're seen as disposable. As things. Not sentient beings. Cats especially are seen as disposable.
I wonder why that is... maybe because a lot of the puppy/kitten mills are located here so there are more animals to contend with? I mean the shelters I volunteered for at home were always full, but somehow they found ways to not have to kill healthy animals.
I'm surprised the guy didn't just run off and leave the kittens with you.
He wasn't about to leave the filthy carrier. I told him to leave the kittens as an AC officer would be there soon. That I would wait until he/she arrived. He claimed he needed the carrier because he had more cats at home to take to the shelter. He said he couldn't leave it. The carrier itself was filthy and stank. Meanwhile people were collecting and watching, saying nothing. The store manager was there by this time and wanted the smelly carrier out of the store. He then grabbed the carrier and left as fast as he could move and this was a gent in his 60s. He apparently didn't want to get involved with the police or the AC officer. My husband stood there and didn't say or do anything. There was nothing he could do to stop the man as they were his cats.
Quote:
To actually grab the carrier from you and take them to a shelter where they would be destroyed is really crappy It would have been easier for him to just abandon them in the store, but I'm sure the jerk wanted his carrier back. From my experience, many people are "sheep" and won't stand up for what's right. You did a really good deed.
Most older people here in the south are sheep. They were raised to be passive. Also too many are too polite to stand up for what's right. My husband said he feared the man would pull out a gun and shoot me! I never thought of that. I was so angry and upset I didn't care. Yes, the man wanted the filthy stinking old rusty carrier. If he hadn't wanted it, I'm sure he would have just left the store as soon as he saw me with the carrier just inside the store doors.
I wonder why that is... maybe because a lot of the puppy/kitten mills are located here so there are more animals to contend with? I mean the shelters I volunteered for at home were always full, but somehow they found ways to not have to kill healthy animals.
I've lived here for over 25 years. It's a combination of things. Religion for one. They're religious and quote the bible, saying God gave man animals to use as he sees fit. This devalues the lives of animals in their minds. God says it's OK to treat animals any way they choose. It's mind boggling. There's ignorance. A lot of them have little education. They're rude and crude and would rather buy a few six packs of beer and a hamburger than have their cat or dog spayed. They only spend money on themselves. There's culture. In some areas, poverty. Ignorance and poverty are the reasons I can see in the part of TN where I live.
it definatly seems to be more common in the south, this laid back animals are just property kind of attitude...but unforntatly its getting much worse here in ct too...
here your often lucky if you can drag em away from their coffe shop parking spot for an animal in distress call.
And this was not a poor or uneducated man. He was well dressed, nice looking, spoke well and his 4X4 was new and spanking clean. How can this happen? Now I even feel worse since I called the shelter to find that all un-weaned pups and kitties are euthanized.
he may not have been poor but he was uneducated, because an educated person wouldn't do something like that.
i saw a dog left in a car in the heat (here in florida) at the target store parking lot. i went to the customer service counter and they said that they cannot intervene. they said that i was "welcome to go to a pay phone to call animal control", but they would not page the customer. i won't be shopping at target anymore, since i feel that is an absolutely crazy policy when time may be of the essence when an animal is overheated.
with the economic downturn, there is a lot of ugliness out there. i just went to a shelter today (i go regularly to bring treats to the animals-it's a big reward for a small amount of effort) and am adopting a dog. it is a crime how overcrowded shelters have become and how easily people are giving up on their pets. i wish people would stop breeding animals and spent that time going to shelters and trying to help the animals that are already here, and already suffering. a lot of animals are in there shaking in fear, yet still hopeful.
there is cruelty everywhere, but there are also kind people.
let's hope all the kind people step up to the plate and make the world better.
Last edited by floridasandy; 07-28-2011 at 04:10 PM..
it definatly seems to be more common in the south, this laid back animals are just property kind of attitude...but unforntatly its getting much worse here in ct too...
here your often lucky if you can drag em away from their coffe shop parking spot for an animal in distress call.
What also got my goat was the menu you have to get through to reach a real person at our county Shelter. Too much about money and what the costs are - on and on. Then you leave a message and someone calls you back. It's made very difficult to adopt from this shelter and expensive. How many people want to pay $80 for a common cat? OK, you get your money's worth with blood work etc, but people don't know or care about such things. This isn't a filthy rich county.
CT isn't a poor state. My mother was from Waterbury. I'm surprised they have a problem there. Is it only the poor areas?
He wasn't about to leave the filthy carrier. I told him to leave the kittens as an AC officer would be there soon. That I would wait until he/she arrived. He claimed he needed the carrier because he had more cats at home to take to the shelter. He said he couldn't leave it.
I feel your pain and anger seeing helpless little kittens left out in the heat. Unfortunately, I doubt this man had any intention of taking the kittens to the shelter. I doubt he was willing to drive another 30 minutes for them. I also doubt he'd care enough about the kittens to make more trips. He would have stuffed them all in the carrier. Did you call the shelter to see if the kittens ever arrived? If he wanted his carrier, he could have handed you the kittens if he intended to get rid of them.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It would have been easier for him to just abandon them in the store, but I'm sure the jerk wanted his carrier back. From my experience, many people are "sheep" and won't stand up for what's right. You did a really good deed.
I never thought of that. I was so angry and upset I didn't care. Yes, the man wanted the filthy stinking old rusty carrier. If he hadn't wanted it, I'm sure he would have just left the store as soon as he saw me with the carrier just inside the store doors.
