Every Tuesday in her column, Prudence asks readers for their opinions on a question that’s stumping her, and she posts a final opinion on that question on Friday.
This week’s dilemma and its answer are: Chris H, Animal Mama, Animal Advocate, Elfie, and Farm Boy I am grateful for their ideas!
Dear Prudence,
Maybe the answer here is to focus on yourself, but I feel like I’m really in a moral dilemma. One of my relatives breeds animals en masse and illegally breeds dogs. Whether or not breeding is wrong, this person is not good at caring for animals. Currently, her small backyard is home to 7 adult dogs, 14 puppies, and several cats, and she can’t seem to go more than 3-4 months without getting a new animal. She also used to have rabbits and chickens, but they were killed by dogs.
She swears that none of her animals have ever been to the vet. She feeds them cheap food that she keeps piled high in the backyard. She never takes them for walks or any fun activities. They all live in the backyard and never leave. Two of her dogs are breeds that should be groomed regularly but haven’t been groomed in over five years. It makes me sick to think that she will continue to put more and more of her animals through this.
When the neighbor contacted animal control to ask them to look into the situation, the relative claimed that animal control said there weren’t a lot of animals and that they all seemed well taken care of. (Our city has a limit of 4 dogs per household, so we don’t know what happened there.) The relative was accused of having unregistered pets and warned not to breed them. Currently, the relative has two puppies with another on the way and is selling them on Facebook.
I’m wondering if I should call animal control to report her breeding. She has a Facebook page about her new breeding business, so there’s no question about whether it was a mistake or not. I know I can’t control what happens if the authorities get involved, but I don’t want to see her punished. I just want her to stop getting and creating new animals that she can barely take care of. Her family isn’t super rich, but she has a wealthy father who would help her out in a real emergency, so if she loses her “investment” dog, she’ll be okay. She has a tendency to basically lie and reject anyone who tries to argue with her about anything, so for now I’m keeping quiet. Where we live, many people consider animals property, so feeding them and keeping them chained up all day is the bare minimum of care as far as the whole family is concerned. What do you think?
-Concerned
Whom it may concern
Okay, I’ll admit it. This letter wasn’t as harsh as I thought it would be when I first read it. The answer was clear to just about everyone who responded: You have to report her. Now.
Why didn’t this occur to me straight away? Well, I think this answer explains it.
On some level I must have been troubled by the thought that I might be embarrassing your family, and I may have naively believed her word that animal control was unconcerned about the situation.
Chris H: Ask yourself: If this was the work of a complete stranger, would you report it? You would, and I would (although I am not particularly fond of dogs). She is neglecting these animals by not caring for them and by keeping them in filthy, unsanitary conditions. They are probably in misery. Furthermore, she is selling them to unsuspecting people, knowing that they will not receive basic medical care or necessary vaccinations. This puts people (especially children) at risk of harm (e.g., rabies). If you are somehow held back from reporting it out of family obligation (e.g., blood is thicker than water), know that this is the same mechanism by which child abuse and neglect flourish. Your relative is no more important than anyone else and does not deserve special treatment. Her behavior is gross, abusive, and narcissistic. If you don’t report this, you are complicit. Please do the right thing.
Crys H is right! The animals are innocent. Report them anonymously with all the evidence you have, and feel free to deny that you did it.
Animal Mom: Run, not walk, to your local humane society or animal control. Tell your vet and ask for advice on who will respond. Look for rescue groups for whatever type of dog she is abusing. Is the dog registered? If so, report the situation to the American Kennel Club. The American Kennel Club cracks down on dodgy breeders and deregisters dogs, so they have no value whatsoever except as pets. Animals need your help. She does not deserve your protection.
Animal Advocate: This is not hard at all. Animals are sentient creatures who depend on humans to live happily. This woman should be reported and banned from ever owning an animal again. Note: I have been working in animal welfare for the past 17+ years and have seen far too many cases of animals being mistreated, neglected and abused. Not to mention the serious dog (and cat) overpopulation that causes 920,000 shelter animals (dogs/cats) to be euthanized every year. People who adopt backyard animals often repeat the same vicious cycle. We animal welfare activists are exhausted from trying to save as many animals as possible. City shelters are filled with homeless stray animals, many of which are abandoned by their “owners”. For something to change, we must start by speaking up and working for animals. Animals are not ATM machines. Thank you!
Elfie: This one is pretty clear. Make an anonymous call. You’re doing the right thing for the animals, the people, the neighbors, property values, etc. Call animal control and tell them you need to contact them anonymously. Ask for a time to meet with an officer. Give them a printout of the Facebook list and let them go from there. Then deny all involvement. “Oh my goodness! What are they? And then they say I’m selling dogs on Facebook? How nasty! What about the Mets?”
Not to sound over the top, but the animals are counting on you, and you have the power to make a big difference here for them.
Now, if it’s true that the authorities aren’t interested in taking any action, perhaps because of the local culture you mentioned, this reader suggested a softer, more gradual approach to improving the dog’s life by gently influencing your relatives and setting an example of how to be a responsible pet owner. In situations like this, it’s worth considering all options.
Farm Boy: I come from that part of the country too. I don’t think getting animal welfare involved will make as much of a difference as it does in other parts. I don’t think any big gestures will solve the problem here. Instead, I think the goal should be to make incremental improvements. Here’s what I would do instead: Visit her every now and then and get to know her dogs. Play with them and talk to them about their health. Take one of them out for a day and walk in the woods to get it out of its environment. Groom it too. Imagine her surprise at the difference a little attention can make. Once you know you’re a good person and not a threat, find someone who knows about animal welfare and pretend to be a dog-loving friend. Bring them in to warn them about what they see and make one or two modest suggestions that could improve the situation for the dogs. I don’t know if your relatives will accept the suggestions, but maybe you can sow the seed. Keep going in this direction until she gives up breeding dogs. She will give up because no one wants to buy a dog from her. If the puppy is not vaccinated, not to mention has no pedigree, the best she can do is give it away. Another possibility is that your relatives may realize that this is a true passion and she will start taking this whole project seriously. Your generosity may turn her into a responsible pet breeder.
