Possibly the only uplifting thing (besides this blog teehee) on the Internet these days are memes or videos featuring dogs and cats. These adorable animals melt our hearts with their fluffy faces, their silly antics, and their ability to quickly become our best friends!
However, often people adopt or buy pets and become either overwhelmed or are too lazy to properly care for them. Throughout my lifetime I have witnessed and experienced neighbors adopting a dog or cat and eventually treating their animal with complete disinterest which leads to neglect.
As a child growing up in Florida, I remember our next-door neighbor leaving their poor dog tied to a tree in their backyard. Alone for hours on end, with the only interaction being a daily delivery of food in his dish, the little dog would whimper in misery. My mother, being the strong willed woman that she is, swiftly took action and wrote her dissidence in a note which she posted on his front door. When that neighbor failed to take action and care for his pet, my mother took the next step and contacted a local animal welfare group. I’ll never forget the feeling of justice we as a family felt when the dog was seized by animal protective services. Though technically leaving a pet outside tied to a tree to live out its life isn’t considered animal cruelty, the fact that the dog was severely underweight was cause enough to have it removed from our neighbor’s property.
As the years went by, I have encountered more experiences of people failing to properly care for their pets. Owners are leaving dogs in cramped cages while they are away at work for 10+ hours each day. Cats being left outside to fend for themselves and brave the elements. How can people be so careless, irresponsible, and heartless?
I am writing this post because I am genuinely appalled by how common animal neglect is. Recently, my next-door neighbors got a cute terrier mix puppy. While one would be happy for a new addition to the family, my neighbors only interact with their new pet by screaming at it to “SHUT UP!” This is because the poor little dog is locked outside in the backyard in a makeshift crate. He whimpers hours on end for some attention and has even started banging his food dishes around to create a ruckus.
What can be done to combat this heartbreaking issue? Animals are not soulless beings. They are sensitive creatures capable of providing love and affection beyond measure.
Out of curiosity, why do some people treat their pets with such a lack of compassion?