EDUCATION KEY TO AVOIDING ANIMAL ABUSE

When Lara Walz sees evidence of animal neglect and abuse, she realizes information on treatment and behavior has still not reached enough people.

"Some people just don't understand what is involved when they take on the responsibility of having a pet," Walz said. "In some cases a child might just want to play with his or her dog when the pet is trying to eat. The child and its parents need to understand the animal's behavior and needs to prevent any kind of mishap."

With Easter fast approaching the humane society reminds people who buy chicks, ducks and rabbits as gifts for their children to be aware of the hazards. Some children, too young to know better, squeeze the life out of these baby animals. Other children lose interest in the pet after the novelty wears off.

The humane society has material to educate people about caring for a pets. In addition, a class titled "Kid-Proofing Your Dog, Dog-Proofing Your Kids" will be taught free at the Cape Public Library May 24 at 7 p.m.

Walz said some cases of malicious animal abuse are discovered early enough to bring a happy ending.

"Some people who were on their way to the mall noticed a bony-looking mother dog scratching a bag," she said. "They pulled over and found six puppies in the bag that was tied shut. If those people didn't find the bag, the puppies would have suffocated."

The dog and its puppies were brought to the humane society to be fed, cared for and put up for adoption.

Another case involved a cat that was found with its back spray-painted and its feet bound with duct tape. Walz personally witnessed an attempt at animal abuse recently.

"One day when I was on my way to work, I saw someone in a truck trying to run a cat over as it was trying to cross the road," Walz said.

The female dog, whose ribs were once showing, has been fed and is up for adoption along with the puppies. The cat's hair has been shaved to remove the silver paint and to make the animal presentable for adoption.

Chuck Stucker, nuisance abatement officer with the Cape Girardeau Police Department, said neglect of pets is often a case of unwillful abuse.

"The first time I get a call on abuse of animals 99.9 percent of the time it's usually a case of neglect," Stucker said.

"If I go back to the same place and see that nothing has changed, that person is issued a summons for animal abuse," he said, adding that there is a difference between willful and malicious abuse."

Stucker has had experiences where animal abuse has been linked to child abuse.

"Someone who would neglect an animal might also neglect a child," he said. "At the same time that I was in a home to remove the animal, people from the Division of Family Services were there to take the children away."

Heading into what Walz calls "the puppy and kitten season," the humane society is trying to make people aware of the responsibilities owners should assume when they get pets.

Pets generally become more active in the spring and summer because females are usually in heat during those seasons.

"Someone may call us when they see a pack of dogs," Stucker said. "It's usually one female and five male suitors. If someone tries to come between the female and her beau, it could become a dangerous situation leading to someone being bitten."

Stucker said that education about how to treat pets and how pets behave around children can prevent accidents and unwitting abuse.

Some dog owners who live in the city are unaware they must license their dogs for $1.

"If they don't have the license, they are harboring the dog illegally," Stucker said.

Walz has no patience for pet owners who fail to take responsibility for their animals.

"People who allow a pet to have a litter and then dump them on the side of the road aren't being responsible," Walz said. "Any dog or cat that someone adopts from the humane society has to be spayed or neutered. There is a good reason for that. For every human being born, there are eight puppies or kittens born."

Allowing a pet to have a litter leads to the potential for 70,000 other animals, Walz said. "The chances of those babies producing other babies increases that much."

Walz said that although the humane society does its best to find homes for the animals it receives, many have to be put to sleep.

"We get 4,000 animals in here in a year," she said. "So far this year we have received 924 animals. Of that total 230 have been adopted, 52 returned to their original owners and 571 had to be killed."

Because there are only 40 kennels at the society, animals are only able to remain at the facility for a limited period of time.

"Some shelters only keep the animal for 10 days, but we're not like that," Walz said. "If it's a sweet, kind and gentle animal, we keep it as long as possible."

But, she added, people should think about what could happen once they sign a pet over to the humane society. Just because a pet is hard to manage at first, that doesn't necessarily mean it can't be trained over a period of time."