Posts tagged "animal cruelty"

A Rhode Island man who performed surgery on his own dog to remove a cyst on the aging Lab mix's leg is facing animal cruelty charges. So why does Alan MacQuattie blame it all on the economy?

The Vietnam vet told TV station WPRI he didn't have the money to pay a vet for the dog's care, but he didn't want 14-year-old Nakita to suffer. Using what he says was training from the Army, MacQuattie injected the dog with Lanacane to numb her pain and got to work removing a cyst on her hind leg.

When animal control and representatives of the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RISPCA) received reports of the at-home surgery, they showed up at MacQuattie's Barrington home and found Nakita with a wound on her right leg. The group's chief doctor told WPRI "poverty is no excuse" for what MacQuattie did.

The dog was taken to a local animal hospital where a second surgery was performed, while MacQuattie has pled no contest to charges of unnecessary cruelty to animals and unauthorized practice of veterinary medicine. But he maintains what he did was the humane thing -- and animal control has allowed him to have his best friend back.

Estimates from Consumer Reports put the average cost of a vet visit for an older dog or cat at $340, but there are options out there for pet owners suffering in this ailing economy. The Humane Society of the United States maintains a list of organizations that offer everything from pet-food assistance to offsetting medical bills.

Some veterinary schools also run low-cost clinics for pet owners. Check with the American Veterinary Medicine Association for one near you.

Remember when Philadelphia Eagles QB Michael Vick led an illegal dogfighting ring, a cruel bloodsport that pits canine against canine for the sole purposes of gambling and violence, often resulting in the death of innocent animals? Remember that guy? Yeah, well, he's getting a TV show.

Tentatively titled "The Michael Vick Project", the BET docu-series will follow the athlete-cum-convicted felon (who was accused of "directly participating in dog fights and executions") as he seeks remorse for his actions. In doing so, the program will chronicle Vick's return to the NFL, as well as his attempt to find redemption for his actions, which have not been forgotten among the animal activist set. In fact, PETA spokesman Dan Shannon tells the L.A. Times, "People who abuse animals don't deserve to be rewarded, [nor should they] be given multimillion-dollar contracts ... or the privilege of being a role model."

We must agree with PETA (although that shouldn't come as a surprise). No matter how regretful Vick may (or may not) be of his actions, the fact that he has so quickly bounced from behind prison bars to the front of a camera lens seems blatantly opportunistic and ultimately in poor taste. Furthermore, Vick's claim that the show will be "a blueprint for so many kids" is laughable. Considering all the societal ills threatening children today, remaining a filthy rich sports star after being punished for killing dogs for more money isn't necessarily at the top of the totem pole.

Exactly what good will "The Michael Vick Project" do? More over, what good can "The Michael Vick Project" do? An idea such as this says less about genuine redemption than it does about both ratings-hungry television executives and overeager public relations staffers eagerly taking advantage of "how entertainment works now." The prospect of handing Vick a reality show steeped in themes of atonement and salvation -- for which his compensation hasn't been disclosed (um, hi, animal rights charity?) -- should read less as a socially conscious act and more as a tactless, crafty method of image repair, all in the name of -- you guessed it -- money.

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Police have arrested the person allegedly responsible for wrapping a cat in duct tape and abandoning it last week in North Philadelphia. The Pennsylvania SPCA received a tip that led to this weekend's arrest of 19-year-old James Davis, who surrendered to police and confessed to the crime.

Davis admitted to wrapping the cat in duct tape, placing it in a shopping bag, and abandoning it in the residential area in which it was found. Davis is in custody and undergoing psychiatric evaluation. He faces up to two years in prison and a minimum $1,000 fine for the charge of animal cruelty.

According to the Pennsylvania SPCA, Sticky, as the cat has been affectionately named, is doing well and has already received nearly 100 adoption inquiries.

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It's a story with a happy ending, but a cruel beginning. Brownie, a four-year-old cat from Indiana, is recovering after being shot in the head with an arrow, reports the (Bloomington, Indiana) Herald-Times.

Brownie's tale began last week, when the missing outdoor cat turned up with a 13-inch-long plastic arrow lodged inside his head. His 83-year-old owner, Dillon Eads, was horrified. "It just broke my heart," a teary-eyed Eads told Fox 59 News in Indianapolis.

The arrow had entered Brownie's head just above his right eye and emerged near his left ear. Amazingly, it pierced only the skin and muscle, just missing his skull and brain. The wounds were infected, and vets estimated the arrow had been stuck inside the feline's head for three days, reports People Pets.

Surgery to remove the arrow went off without a hitch. "He is doing really well and is on the road to recovery," Sarah Hayes, CEO of the Monroe County Humane Society caring for Brownie, told Paw Nation. (Video of his recovery is above.)

So far, no one knows who shot the orange kitty, but the Monroe County Human Association (MCHA) is hoping to change that. The group paid for Brownie's surgery and is now offering a reward for information leading to the arrest of his attacker, according to information posted on the MCHA website. The group initially offered a $500 reward, but as news of Brownie's cruel attack spread, angered citizens around the country have donated money to the cause. "The reward is now up to $1,450 and growing," Hayes told Paw Nation. "Tips have been called in and authorities are following up on all of them."

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