I am a licensed animal hobbyist and have rescued many different animals form all sorts of sources. I would like to talk to you about the cruelties we humans do to lower level domesticated animals. I am not even discussing the money making, prime time news events but the quietly kept, mind my business neighbor and kid down the street stuff we see and ignore.

In breeding, getting dogs and cats and not having them altered. Either permitting them to roam and not knowing what they do or even worse is to own mutiple pets and allowing them to mate with sons, daughter, cousins, and on. This is sick and was the cause with the family Baby-D came from for so much epilepsy being passed on.

Abusiveness toward pets because you had a bad day so you kick the dog, mom won't let you go to a concert so you trow a rock at a cat and much more and far worse. We also tend to abandon a sick animal or one we have abused, done harm to and don't want to pay a vet bill. Easy, take it out on the highway and let it go. Dogs and cats do accidentally wind up on highways but there are far too many incidents of animals being hit on highways for it all to be a lost his way pet.

Baby-D was locked in a small cage in his own feces and hit and abused because he had seizures and these brilliant people thought he was just being stupid. A friend of mine happened to be visiting them one day ( she is family to them) when they back handed the dog. She spoke up and was told if you don't like how I treat him take him and she did and brought him to me. This dog was so traumatized you could not move or dare not pick something up around him, he would have a fear attack and try his darnedest to disappear. It took a lot of work and love to bring him around. He had also never played with a toy. To him it was just something else to hit and hurt him with.

People you do not have to be an animal lover to know that this is wrong. If you do not care for an animal give it away properly or even better if you have the slightest doubt of your ability to love unconditionally do not get a pet at all. Some illnesses are due to lack of veterinary care. A pet must go to the vet for annual tests and shots. This is a healthy pet. If you do not wish to properly care and maintain your pet do not commit to it.

Rougie's bad and ill formed joints are nothing more than poor nourishment and lack of puppy booster shots to help her grow strong and healthy. I thank God I got her so young to make such a difference in her life. She now has to live on a special diet for her pancreatitis and take glucosamine supplements for her joints or she would not still be a big happy and fairly healthy dog.

They give us so much love and trust even when they have been so abused and mistreated, is it too much to just stay the hell away if you do not like or want one  (a pet)? They begin to trust again and love again and even protect you, that human. All they ask for is love and nourishment. Not even that really, if you ever saw the chained in the yard dog with no shelter and half the time no food or water he still wags his tail with loving affection when that cruel abusive master comes out. And what is his reward usually, get out the way, kicked again, not even a pat on the head, DARN!!!

In a future hub we will discuss some animal illnesses and the care and costs involved with them.  Take care and talk with you again soon.