How Much is Enough?

I’m wrestling with my inner self and trying to keep my mouth shut in order to keep peace at work. A coworker and her husband are witnessing the abuse of a dog behind their house. They have called the police several times as well as the animal control authorities.

Whether the authorities have actually come out they don’t know. But at this point she has said they’ve done all they can and they are going to ignore it.

Which makes me angry and sad. A dog is being abused. There is no excuse for shooting a dog with a BB Gun or hitting it with a rake (plastic or not). Dogs deserve to be loved - they are companions, helpers, and workers. They are not punching bags.

How much is enough? I understand her concerns. They have to live near this guy and if they try to contact him directly he could turn his abuse toward their home, or even worse, their dog. But can’t more be done to help this poor abused animal?

Why haven’t the police or animal control taken the dog? Isn’t it a bad sign that a person tortures a dog? Doesn’t it speak to his capacity to harm other animals … that he could one day (if he hasn’t already) hurt a person?

How far would you go to save an animal from abuse and torture? What if it was a neighbor doing the abuse? You have to live there still … would that matter to you?

I honestly can’t say how I would react but if I saw a neighbor shooting his dog I would not be able to help myself. I’d be yelling, hollering, and calling the police. Not to mention video recording it. Would that be the wisest move? Perhaps not, but sometimes acting with courage isn’t always the wisest thing but it is the right thing.