ANIMAL RESCUE

 

About half of the animals who land in shelters every year are dogs. They range in age from newborn pups to seniors.

Some arrive at shelters because they were found by the side of the road or running at large through a neighborhood. Others get surrendered by folks who unwittingly allowed their unaltered pets to spawn.

In some of the most horrific cases, animal rescue involves dogs and other pets who have been neglected and mistreated. They might have sores on their bodies, lesions, bruises, protruding ribs, and snarled hair that must be shaved.

Animal rescue operations often have veterinarians on staff who can tend to injuries, illnesses, and parasites. However, the so-called lost causes often find themselves euthanized.

Neglected, abused, and malnourished horses often go unreported because they’re housed on large parcels of land or kept in rural areas. Animal protection officers and concerned citizens don’t see them, so they can’t intervene.

The major problem with horses is that people buy these animals and assume the horses don’t need much care. Nothing could be further from the truth.

For instance, horses who are stalled or pastured in their own filth or standing water develop thrush, a fungal infection that can lead to painful abscesses. Grass alone isn’t sufficient to meet a horse’s needs, so the absence of grain and hay take a toll on these animals’ physical health.

This is by far the largest category of animal suffering. Primarily contained in factory farming, livestock and poultry can endure even more animal cruelty than cats, dogs, and horses. They are born, bred, and killed to produce money for their owners. Substandard living conditions, lack of opportunity to realize natural and instinctive behavior, inadequate food, and absent veterinary treatment lead to the need for animal rescue among livestock.

On farms designed for harvesting animal products, the animals’ needs come in second to the operation’s profitability. The less they spend on “luxuries” like food, veterinary attention, space, and water, the higher the profit margins.