Interview with a Fellow Animal Lover

Hi again,

I want the next few posts to be dedicated to testimonials and personal experiences dealing with animal abuse. I will be contributing some of my own experiences, but I also interviewed a friend, knowing she has been a witness of animal abuse and took an active role in making the abuse stop.

First, I'll give a bit of background information about her experiences with animals before I dive into the interview. Karen (not her real name) is 20 years old and was born in Clark's Summit, Pennsylvania. She has been an animal lover practically since birth and is going to school to eventually become a veterinarian. To help achieve this goal, she also previously worked at at vet's office for about five months! She has two dogs, a cat, two birds, and a lizard, not to mention the countless other pets she has had over the years. I am witness to the amazing devoted care she gives to each and every one of her pets, taking time out of her busy schedule (she's about to graduate with her associate's degree) to make sure they are all healthy and happy.

Let the interview commence:
Q: How do you feel about animal cruelty?

A: Animal cruelty is a horrific and unnecessary problem, which has the potential to be alleviated if people were more educated about owning an animal before they buy one, and also if everybody put together an effort to stop animal cruelty in their area. Reporting a case of animal cruelty is the first step to helping save animals around the country.


Q: Have you ever witnessed an animal being mistreated?

A: Yes, unfortunately I have witnessed an animal being mistreated.


Q: Give a brief description of what you saw/heard/etc.

A: There was a dog that belonged to someone who knew very little about owning and taking care of a dog. The dog was severely underweight, was infested with worms, and was beaten for peeing on the floor as a puppy. I witnessed his owner pick him up by the neck and throw him out of the front door.


Q: How did this make you feel?

A: What I witnessed made me very angry. Not treating worms can lead to serious health problems including suffocation of the heart. The dog was obviously emaciated, which a large factor was probably being infected with worms. And to try to potty “train” a puppy by beating them is completely unacceptable. I was outraged.


Q: What (if anything) did you do or consider doing to change these actions.

A: First off I yelled at the owner for treating his dog in such a way. I threatened to call animal control if he did not take the puppy to the vet to get his proper shots and worm treatment. I even offered to take the puppy out of his hands to try to find him a GOOD home. The puppy’s owner finally took him to the vet to get de-wormed and he began to gain weight. In this case this was someone who knew nothing about the responsibilities of owning a dog and should never have gotten one in the first place. I was glad to supply knowledge so he could take care of the little guy in the proper manner.

So here we see, firsthand, that one person CAN make a difference. I am proud to say this girl is my best friend because of all the wonderful things she does for those less capable than her. Thank you, Karen*, for your great input!