Recently there was an ongoing news story about a Minnesota man being sought for killing pit bull puppies and the public outcry that followed.
While I certainly don't condone the man's approach, I would like to offer some perspective.
Dogs are not people. If animal activists put forth the energy expended on issues such as this one toward ending child abuse, battering of women, and hate crimes -- society would be far better off. While nobody wants to have incidents like this occur, they shouldn't consume our law enforcement and judicial resources until crimes against humanity have all been settled.
The pit bulls were not tortured or abused. According to the story, they had their necks broken and were dumped in the garbage. While this is certainly aesthetically displeasing, cervical disarticulation results in immediate death and is actually an approved method of euthanasia in some species.
They were obviously unwanted. Which of the following alternative scenarios would have been preferred?
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n They be neglected, mistreated, uncared for and possibly starve to death.
n They be set free to roam the neighborhood as a feral pack.
n They be adopted by loving families with young children. (We have all heard the news stories about a pit bull attack resulting in the severe maiming or death of the owner's child).
n They be brought to the pound and pay to have them euthanized via injection that results in immediate death. (While aesthetically more acceptable the end result is the same.)
There may be more to this story. Animal abuse can be indicative of an overall dangerous personality characterized by abusive behavior, and pit bulls themselves carry their own stigma. However, if this individual poses no threat to society at large it seems an inordinate amount of resources are being spent trying to bring this fugitive to justice for animal cruelty. Surely these resources could be better utilized elsewhere. Perhaps there is a nursing home, women's shelter or children's cancer center that is short on resources.
In my opinion, the perpetrator -- who certainly could have used more discretion -- was thinking more clearly than those pursuing criminal action in this case.
Ron Lippert, DVM
Willmar
