Transcripts
Welcome to Animal Posse, the podcast dedicated to the
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:people and rescues making a
difference in the lives of animals.
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:today I am visiting with Dr.
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:Mark, animal advocate,
and published author.
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:I am actually out at Mark's
Animal Rescue, and you could just
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:hear the dog in the background.
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:How you doing today, mark?
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:Mark: I'm doing fine.
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:He's a little rescue.
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:I got about a year ago, somebody
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:didn't want him.
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:So anyway, I he's been part of
my family for about a year now.
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:Dixie: You were episode one and you are
of course a rescuer, a published author,
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:an advocate, and a former deputy sheriff.
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:So, for all of our new listeners, let's
just share your journey a little bit
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:about how you got into animal advocacy.
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:Mark: As a young child, I always
loved animals, always had animals
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:from the age of six years old
and I kinda grew up with animals.
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:I guess where I really became a
strong advocate was during my time,
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:my early years, I was in my twenties,
just made 21, went to work for the
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:east Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office.
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:During my tenure there as a sheriff deputy
we went to during that period of time, and
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:I'm sure it still happens now, but I've
been outta that business for a long time.
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:But there were a lot of family fights.
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:We would go there and try to
resolve family fights or take
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:care of whatever was going on.
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:But one thing I did notice as an animal
person, that even the people that
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:I rode with, 'cause I was a junior.
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:Man in the car.
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:That means I had really no say so.
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:The senior man really had
the say so in the car.
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:But one of the things I noticed
was every time that we would get
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:involved in a family issue and
somebody went to jail, the bottom
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:line is what happens to the animal?
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:'cause most people did have animals,
whether they got treated good or not.
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:But the point is that when we
left there, there was no one
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:to take care of the animal.
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:Nobody cared.
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:So way back in 19 69, 70, 71 animals.
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:Even back then, people just did not care.
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:And I had this soft spot for
animals and always have, and
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:it's been part of who I am.
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:And I was always amazed
to see how people just.
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:Does not look at animals
as a living being.
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:They look at them.
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:I can't even describe it,
but it doesn't matter.
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:They're just an animal.
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:We've all heard that term.
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:They're just animals.
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:They're not just animals.
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:They're sent with beings.
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:They, they do express that any anybody's
been around an animal, they express fear.
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:One of the biggest things they,
they're great at loving people.
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:They're very devoted.
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:They present all of those things that I
wish we as a human being would possess.
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:But unfortunately I'm don't find that in
in a lot of , my interaction with people.
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:We've gotten so coldhearted that
things have changed, especially as
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:today, I'm 79 years old, soon be 80.
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:I've seen such a change in people
over the many years that, I've grown
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:up and been a part of this world.
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:But anyway the animals did not get
treated well back then, and it's not
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:much different in all these years.
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:Animals are still considered property,
and I don't know if people know that
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:or how many people know that, but
animals are considered property.
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:They're not part of your family.
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:They're just an animal.
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:They are property.
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:And when, anytime you have any legal
issues you're going through a divorce or
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:you're going through whatever you're going
through, animals are still considered
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:property and nothing more than that.
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:But when you consider animal property and
not as a sentient being, then it's very
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:difficult to, just be around those type
of people because I don't share a lot
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:of the things that I think people just
about animals that they just don't care.
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:They're just there.
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:Anyway and the other thing that
I've seen as a deputy, and that's
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:unfortunate 'cause I've got a lot of.
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:Not so good stories as a deputy with
animals is that I've seen many animals
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:that are forgotten in backyards.
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:They're locked up in houses after
evictions, they're left on parish roads.
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:Now to this day, I live in a rural parish.
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:I live in Mount Herman,
Louisiana, Washington Parish.
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:I've been here oh six, almost seven years.
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:In that amount of time, I have saved
over:
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:roads here in Washington Parish.
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:But anyway, I got carried
away with that, that answer.
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:But anyway, that was one of the
reasons that inspired me between
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:being a rescuer of 10 years, a deputy
sheriff I became a strong animal
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:advocate, and that is my passion.
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:So that's probably the, one of the
biggest reasons is because I've seen
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:so much neglect and just outright abuse
by people that I had to do something.
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:So anyway, that's, this is what I
do every day, seven days a week,
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:I work as an animal advocate.
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:Dixie: How many books have you
written about animal advocacy?
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:Mark: 21 books.
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:Dixie: Today, one of the books that I
wanted to specifically discuss is one of
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:your newer ones called Soul of the Silent.
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:Now I really like the title of that
too, because you touched on this a
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:little bit about how people treat
animals and people almost treat
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:animals as if they do not have souls.
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:Mark: That's right.
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:Dixie: And of course I do
not believe that at all.
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:Animals definitely have souls.
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:You can look in their eyes and you
can tell, you can see a lot about
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:'em just by looking in their eyes.
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:So I wanted to talk about Soul of
the Silent today and let me know what
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:inspired you to write Soul of the Silent.
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:Mark: When I say how we treat animals,
it really reflects who we are.
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:I mean our actions toward.
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:The most vulnerable.
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:Those who have no voice there's
no defense, no standing.
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:In society, it reveals the
true state of our own hearts.
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:If we respond with compassion, it shows
that kindness and empathy guide us.
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:But if we can ignore suffering in
an animal, it says something about
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:the limits of our own humanity.
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:And it's unfortunate and it really is
unfortunate because being in the rescue
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:business for 10 years, working as a
sheriff deputy for seven years and and
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:just being around people and talking
to people and even those with animals
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:today who have animals it doesn't
mean that they come from a good home.
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:That animal is staying in a good home.
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:Because many people have this idea that.
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:If animals, oh, they have a home.
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:What kind of home is that?
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:What kind of home are
they being raised into?
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:Because how many times have I seen and
gone out to a home that the dog is chained
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:up in the backyard a lot of times don't
even have shelter, no food, no water.
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:And if they do have water, it's
dirty and it may, and who knows
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:when the last time they ate.
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:It's just so unbelievable to me.
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:People can truly ignore
what God has gave us.
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:God said, and I don't quote the
Bible, but I do have some idea of
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:the things because I do refer to
the Bible a lot in terms of animals,
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:but you know what God made was good.
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:It was in Genesis, God
made everything good.
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:He made animals, but , people
don't look at animals as something
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:that, that we should respect.
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:We have any kind of love for, it's
like there it goes, back to the saying,
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:it's just an animal, it's property.
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:And what really and truly concerns me,
and I know I get off on tangents about
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:this, but one of the things that I
find is that my three core things that
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:I do as an animal advocate, and I'll
get off on that, is that number one
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:is I'm always going after government.
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:Local government.
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:I'm going after law enforcement,
I'm going after churches, and
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:let's take government first.
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:Local government, for the most part
not all of them, but for the ones
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:that I've seen in my opinion, is that
there's a lot of parishes, particularly
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:in south I don't wanna say South
Louisiana, but that's not what I mean.
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:South United States, in the
southern part of the United States.
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:It's a lot different how animals get
treated than the animals get treated
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:up in the northern part of the country.
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:And I'm not north south, I'm not
getting into that, but it's just
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:what I've seen as a military person.
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:I've stationed all over the world,
but in the north I find that animals
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:got a little bit better treatment.
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:They had, the laws were more enforced.
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:And that doesn't refer to every state, but
a lot of the states that I happen to be
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:stationed, that I saw some good things.
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:I come south and just for example,
in the deep South where I live at, an
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:animal for the most part is a yard dog.
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:They're just yard dogs.
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:Or it could be a cat or anything.
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:They're just thrown out into the yard.
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:There's no care, there's no vet care,
there's no interacting with the animal.
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:They're just there.
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:And that, I find that just
so difficult to believe.
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:And what happens is our own local
government, and I don't mean where
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:I live at or anything like that,
this could refer to many parishes or
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:counties who suffer the same thing.
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:They don't have animal ordinances,.
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:They're just no animal ordinances.
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:And if they do have animal ordinances, you
get into this with the law enforcement.
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:And as a law enforcement officer,
I can tell you firsthand that
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:it has not changed very much.
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:It's not that they can't do
it, it's that animals are not a
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:priority , for law enforcement,
it's just not because they are.
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:And the first things I hear about
is we don't have the resources.
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:We don't have the manpower.
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:Those are the things I hear
all the time, and I'll get off
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:on this tangent a little bit.
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:As far as law enforcement is concerned
and being a former deputy sheriff,
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:there are ways and there are people who
are willing to volunteer to do things.
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:We have a lot of throughout the
country we have a lot of reserve
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:deputies that work, a lot of reserve
officers that want to do the job.
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:They don't get paid.
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:They're volunteers.
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:They're volunteer reserve
officers in the law enforcement.
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:You can take a volunteer deputy reserve
deputy and put him into a program that
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:gives him some training in animal abuse.
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:You can take an administrative
deputy where people say what
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:is an administrative deputy's?
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:The deputy who.
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:Is not a trained officer.
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:In other words, they don't go to the
law enforcement training academy.
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:They can be hired as a deputy
and they call 'em admin deputies.
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:They have no rights of arrest, but
they do represent the sheriff's office.
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:They can, if the sheriff allows.
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:They can write tickets, they can write
citations for people who don't do
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:what's right when it comes to animals.
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:So if you take, say three, three to five
admin deputies, train them properly, and
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:animal care and animal abuse, they can
do a great job for a parish or a county.
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:They can do a really good job.
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:And the thing about it is,
what does it cost the sheriff?
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:Actually it cost the sheriff a
lot of times, and I'm thinking in
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:this, in the, in this parish and
other parishes that these people
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:can get, they give 'em insurance.
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:It's a like a $10,000 life insurance for
them, but they don't pay 'em anything.
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:My suggestion is you divide one vehicle.
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:If you say you don't have a
lot of resources, one vehicle.
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:You always have one person
on duty for if someone has an
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:animal issue, they can call.
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:If you have like one person's representing
your animal services well that one
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:person's not gonna be around all the time.
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:And so you call and say our animal
services to person is not available.
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:I've got this dog out here that's
been thrown out in the roadway.
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:And you mean you've
got nobody to come out?
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:The answer is no.
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:For the most part, they do not.
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:And that's unfortunate.
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:And it happens all throughout the country.
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:It's just not locally, say where I live,
but it happens all throughout the country.
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:But it's an easy fix.
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:It's just not a priority for
most leaders in law enforcement.
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:And I don't know if it ever will be.
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:And that's an unfortunate thing.
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:That's my thing with law enforcement.
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:They could do a much better job at no
cost to them, very little cost to them
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:and really and truly help animals.
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:My third point is churches.
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:I have a real thing about churches
and people have gotten really upset
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:with me because I don't attend church.
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:Like I used to.
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:I was a big church goer.
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:I grew up in the church.
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:I.
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:Grew up in the Baptist religion and
in even way back then, I never ever
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:heard any preacher that I can remember,
ever say a prayer for one animal.
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:Not the blessing, not anything.
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:Pray for animals, do.
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:That has not changed in all the
years that I have gone to church.
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:And believe me I've attended many
different types of churches all over the
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:country, and I have yet to hear a pastor
get up in front of his congregation
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:and say, let's pray for the animals.
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:I've never heard it to this day, and
that bothers me a whole lot because
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:even our pastors that who represent.
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:I'm trying to think of
what I wanna say here.
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:Anyway, they're the leaders in
our religious society, supposedly.
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:We look up to them.
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:for different things.
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:They're not there.
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:They're just not there.
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:They don't say anything.
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:My, my suggestion is, 'cause
I wrote another book, but
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:I won't get into that book.
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:But anyway, my suggestion to churches is
that you go to church you sit in a pew.
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:You give an offering, you
sing a few songs, listen to
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:the preacher, you go home.
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:But you know what, everything is
inside those four walls of that church.
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:But as soon as you walk outta
those four walls, what do you see?
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:I'll tell you what abused animals.
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:Animals thrown away, right?
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:Could be right outside the church door.
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:And what does people do?
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:Walk on by Not my problem.
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:It's not my problem.
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:You know what?
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:And that really bothers me, that
you can go to church and maybe call
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:yourself a Christian, but yet you do
nothing outside of those four walls.
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:My suggestion was that people
take at least one Sunday,
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:let's say every six weeks.
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:Become a part of the community that,
when I say that is take two miles,
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:it's just two miles around your church.
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:And you find out, and I don't mean
just animals, people too, you find
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:out do those people around your
church have do they need anything?
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:Are they have, do they have any issues
that we as a church can help them with?
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:Take one Sunday instead of inside the four
walls, you go out outside the four walls
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:and you help people in your community.
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:You wouldn't believe what a difference
it would make in a community if people
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:would just do that, but they don't.
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:It's like a ritual.
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:You go to church every Sunday, you
go inside the four walls, you do
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:your cultural thing, and then you
leave and nothing else happens.
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:And I've gone to churches with meeting
people who, and I've seen firsthand
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:how people just ignore animals.
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:It doesn't matter.
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:And people too.
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:My thing, of course, my passion is
animals and I get on these long rants.
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:But anyway, go ahead Dixie.
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:You want to ask me something?
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:I'm sorry..
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:I'll, I just talk forever sometimes
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:Dixie: That's quite all right.
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:I did wanna touch on that too,
what you said about churches.
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:'cause actually there's some situations
that I have recently seen on social media.
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:Mark: Okay.
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:Dixie: And one was, there was this
cat that showed up at this church
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:and the priest just wants it gone.
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:And the priest isn't willing to work with
a trapper to have a trapper come just.
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:Humanely remove the cat, or
better yet just TNR, the trap
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:neuter and release the cat.
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:Instead, the priest is actually
threatening to take it upon
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:himself to trap the cat and just
go dump the cat somewhere else.
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:Mark: I can give you a lot
of stories exactly like that.
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:Just within the six years I've been here,
I've had three rescue incidents here
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:that, persons from the church, they were
called saying, we got animals over here.
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:Somebody needs to come get 'em.
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:We don't want 'em here.
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:One of 'em was a preacher.
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:We don't want that animal here.
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:I don't even know what to say
or how to answer that here.
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:You are a leader of your church.
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:You know a man of God.
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:Animals are mentioned in the Bible
from Genesis to Revelations all
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:throughout the Bible, God basically
says throughout the Bible that he
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:gave us animals that whatever his
creatures he gave us are good.
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:Everything he gave us was good.
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:He gave it to us for a reason.
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:But we as humanity, we abuse that.
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:We absolutely abuse it.
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:And for me, and I don't have
a good answer for you, Dixie.
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:I don't understand that mindset that
religious leaders, particularly religious
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:leaders you, go in church every Sunday
and give you a verse after verse and tell
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:you all about this verse and the love of
God and the love of this, and the love of,
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:but yet you never hear it about animals.
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:Dixie: It's true.
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:It's funny because I have some family
that is highly religious go to church
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:every Sunday, and they had some cats
show up by them and one of 'em was
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:actually threatening harm to, and it's
like, I just don't understand that I
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:have respect for all creatures Now.
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:I don't consider myself religious.
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:I'm spiritual, but not religious.
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:I don't really follow an organized
religion, but at the same time, I
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:could never do that to an animal,
instead of finding somebody to help.
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:And there are plenty of people
who are willing to help animals.
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:What role does your faith
play in your advocacy?
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:Mark: I'm like you, I'm the same thing.
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:I am not a religious person.
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:I really stop going in inside churches
'cause the churches need to change
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:the way they are today because I think
religion today has become a ritual
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:and that's pretty much what it is.
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:My faith is more spiritual and I
wish I knew the psychology of man,
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:and how sometimes we think, but
I don't, and I say that because
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:I grew up with a giving heart.
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:I grew up with compassion.
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:It's not something I had to learn.
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:I never had to learn compassion.
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:I just did not, and I don't even
know if it's a learned thing or not.
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:Mine just comes with me.
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:I was like that as a child.
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:I've been like that as a young
adult and as an older male.
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:Now, I have never changed.
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:I look at things and I just, it melts
my heart if I see something that just.
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:Particularly animals.
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:They're so innocent.
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:But yet people just don't care.
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:So I gotta wonder, what makes
them, how are they different?
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:Why are they different than me?
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:Don't they see the same thing I see?
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:Don't they see that animal as suffering?
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:Do, they just don't care?
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:What kind of heart, what kind
of soul do they actually have?
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:And the good thing is that.
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:At least I do know people
that feel the same way I do.
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:I've talked to 'em, I've been around them.
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:We share the same compassion, the
same love for animals and, but there's
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:many more that do not even ask you.
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:Again, I hate to use that term
again, but it's just an animal.
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:People don't get it.
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:I just don't think they get it.
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:It's not just an animal.
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:It's God's creation.
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:We're all God's creations.
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:That's why I say I'm not religious,
but I'm extremely spiritual.
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:Dixie: I see what you're
talking about too.
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:It's a lack of compassion.
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:And also I find it even with a lot
of people who want a pet when I have
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:animals that are up for adoption, I
am very picky with who they go to.
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:And the reason that I am is because I'm
gonna put all of my time and love and
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:effort and dedication into those animals.
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:To make sure that they're
well taken care of.
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:And I don't wanna turn around
and adopt 'em to somebody
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:who isn't gonna do the same.
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:I don't wanna adopt them to
somebody who just wants a pet.
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:I wanted to adopt them to somebody
who wants a family member.
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:Mark: I totally agree.
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:Let me ask you a question.
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:'cause we talking about compassion because
can you remember a time that you weren't.
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:Like you are today to say,
did you come up like, I did?
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:Did you come up with love and compassion
and it was just part of who you are?
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:Dixie: Yes.
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:Yes.
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:I've always been that way around animals
from the, youngest I can remember, I
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:have always been involved with animals.
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:And I've grown up with the importance
of spay and neuter, which is weird
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:too, because I have heard other
people, other lists, other guests.
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:Who are from the North say that
there is a huge culture shock in the
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:South when they come to the South and
they experience animal rescue here.
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:And it's weird 'cause
this is what I'm used to.
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:This is what I've grown up with
'cause I've always been in the south.
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:But again, I've always been
a spay neuter advocate from
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:the time that I can remember.
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:Growing up in the eighties, if I had
a pet, they were spayed or neutered.
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:So I always bring that up, what
do you think the difference is?
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:'cause they say that in the north people
just treat the animals totally different.
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:They treat 'em more as
like a family member.
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:And here we just don't do that.
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:A lot of people, like you
said, they just don't care.
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:Mark: I don't know if
it's the mentality or not.
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:I actually was born in
Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
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:For the most part, I left Louisiana
when I was about 25 years old, 26 years
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:old, and I never came back south again.
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:I've been back now about six years, and
so a better part of my life I've spent in
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:the military traveling and when I was in
the north their local government there.
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:, They had ordinances and people were
required to have their animals license.
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:They were required to have spay
and neuter, and you actually
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:had to address those issues.
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:Coming south here and being a rescue
here in south Louisiana it's atrocious
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:what I've seen here in how people
treat animals and the reality is
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:that, a lot of people just don't care.
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:And this a Louisiana's, I'm not a
hunter, so I'm not saying anything about
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:hunters or what have you, but it's a
different world than what I'm used to.
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:And it has taken me a while and I still
have not gotten used to how people
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:can just go out and kill animals.
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:They think nothing about it.
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:Abuse animals here, throw
animals on the roadside.
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:I just rescued three
puppies not too long ago.
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:We have a busy highway here called
LA 38 in Mount Herman, Louisiana.
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:I was just coming home doing, just on my
way home from the store, there's three
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:little puppies on the side of the road.
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:I almost ran over.
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:One of them stopped.
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:I'm one of those persons
who are not going to leave
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:an animal and particularly
puppies on the side of a road.
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:I'm gonna tell you their life
there is going is gonna be death
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:and they're gonna get run over.
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:And the other thing is, and people
say somebody ask me, say, why are you
436
:always seeing puppies on the road?
437
:Let me tell you the biggest
reason why people don't know this.
438
:You know why you find dogs and
stuff on the side of the road?
439
:You see 'em a lot.
440
:I'll tell you why.
441
:Because when the owner dropped them
off, those dogs, those same dogs,
442
:think that owner's coming back.
443
:So they stay there.
444
:They will stay there weeks at a time
unless something happens to 'em.
445
:And that's why you find many dogs
out on the roadway because if they're
446
:dropped, discarded, dumped, whatever
words you want to use, that's where
447
:they stay because they, in their
mind that person who dropped them
448
:off is coming back to get them.
449
:If dogs don't go straying
off in the way back up in the
450
:woods, they're on the roadway.
451
:And when you see all these animals
that have been killed and people
452
:call road kill, it's a horrible
term as far as I'm concerned.
453
:But animals killed on the
road, particularly lot of dogs.
454
:And he cats as well.
455
:You just can't get away from it, is
that the fact is they don't leave
456
:the roadway and they stay there.
457
:And that's why they wind up
being killed on the highway.
458
:Dixie: Yeah, it's a sad situation.
459
:We just got a kitten that was
actually dumped in a swamp, and you
460
:could tell when we got the kitten
home that the kitten had been eaten
461
:mud, swamp mud, trying to survive.
462
:Very emaciated thin.
463
:So we got the kitten in, got 'em
dewormed, got rid of the fleas on 'em.
464
:It's finally starting to gain some weight.
465
:Very sweet kitten.
466
:So this was not a feral kitten
that grew up in the swamp.
467
:Somebody had to go dump the kitten there.
468
:Mark: Yeah, they went and dumped
469
:them.
470
:Oh, absolutely.
471
:They dump, like I said it may even be
more, but since I started counting the
472
:animals I rescued it's been 2000 plus.
473
:I just dumped on the side of
the road about three months
474
:ago, maybe four months ago.
475
:And I've said this story many times.
476
:I do a lot of YouTube stuff.
477
:I have two YouTube channels and one of
'em is called Heart to Heart with Dr.
478
:Mark.
479
:But on that YouTube channel I'm always
curious, I'm very curious person in terms
480
:of when I was coming home there were many
buzzards flying and it looked like from
481
:where I was, it was flying over my house.
482
:I always worried 'cause I got a big
animal rescue here and something happened.
483
:It wasn't my house, so I followed
where those buzzards were.
484
:Make a long story short is those
buzzards were hanging right over
485
:and they were already on the ground.
486
:There were six puppies, about six
to eight weeks old that somebody had
487
:discarded on one of the country roads.
488
:And it was sickening.
489
:It was absolutely sickening.
490
:I could not let that go,
and I'm glad to this day.
491
:Fortunately for me, they all got homes.
492
:I got 'em homes.
493
:But to this day, how does somebody
go out and dump six little puppies?
494
:On the side of a country road,
there's no houses, there's no nothing.
495
:And those buzzards were about 10
feet away waiting for 'em to die.
496
:So fortunately I followed my instincts
and went and I picked up all six puppies.
497
:But the point is i'll never know.
498
:I hear this question asked all
the time, how can people do this?
499
:How can they I don't know how.
500
:I don't have the answer.
501
:I just don't.
502
:, Dixie: Another trend too that I tend
to see is a lot of people who may see a
503
:situation where an animal does need help,
but rather than step up and help or do
504
:something to actually physically help,
they'll just go post it on social media.
505
:Like, oh, hey, this animal
needs help over there.
506
:And so it's like, how do you
even get people like that
507
:even more involved to help?
508
:'cause they're in the
situation where they can help,
509
:Mark: that's another whole issue with me.
510
:I've done so many books and sometimes
I go into one book and another.
511
:But one of the books I wrote
too was Silent Stewards.
512
:There's the other one.
513
:Let me turn around here for a minute.
514
:'cause I got so many the other
one's called Bystander Nation.
515
:If your audience ever gets an
opportunity, just go to Amazon, Dr.
516
:Mark Mc Morris, Jr.
517
:No, I'm not here to sell my books, but if
you're interested in getting 'em, because
518
:if you are interested in being an animal
advocate and really want to learn about.
519
:You know what it's like
to be an animal advocate.
520
:I have several great books that you can
get that will give you that information.
521
:All of that information.
522
:It truly will educate you if you're
interested in helping animals.
523
:But the question and I
got off on a tangent.
524
:Refresh my memory here
525
:Dixie: so was talking about the
people who, will go post looking for
526
:help, but without actually helping.
527
:Yes.
528
:Now, the only positive thing that
I can say about that is there are a
529
:lot of individuals who will go help.
530
:It's frustrating sometimes that they're
in that situation where the animal needs
531
:the help immediately, and they would
just rather post it than just help.
532
:Fortunately, sometimes it does get
the animals the help that they need.
533
:Mark: Let me address that though.
534
:Sure.
535
:Let me tell you how people can
help, and they really should start
536
:doing this because I'm on a case
right now that I'm working that.
537
:And it had to do with these puppies
that were abandoned on this highway.
538
:Let me tell you what you can do.
539
:If anybody's listening you, let's
say maybe I can't, keep the dog
540
:or the cat or what have you.
541
:But here's what you can do and you should
do is call your local law enforcement.
542
:By law is, particularly in Louisiana
and many states, at least 30 states.
543
:There are dumping animals is a felony.
544
:It's a crime.
545
:So what you can do is you stay there.
546
:Make sure that animal that's been
dumped, that you stay there and make
547
:sure you can see what you can do
to help protect or what have you.
548
:Call your local law enforcement and
tell them where you are, who you are.
549
:And get all that information.
550
:Take pictures, take videos, document
everything that you see and please,
551
:I hope if those who are listening to
this, please do this because this is a
552
:big thing that I'm working on right now
with my videos is document everything.
553
:Stop document.
554
:Try to help as best you
can, call law enforcement.
555
:Get a case number when
you call the dispatch.
556
:Wherever law enforcement at, wherever
you live at, you'll get dispatch.
557
:You ask dispatch for a case number.
558
:That is extremely important
because that case number actually
559
:presents that these law enforcement
officers have to make a report.
560
:That's the way you follow up on whether
or not that law enforcement agency, what
561
:they did, if they did anything, if they
didn't do anything, you got a case number.
562
:And you can with that case number,
follow up with that complaint.
563
:Now, I know this takes a lot of work,
but truly this is important because
564
:this will begin to start changing
how law enforcement starts to act.
565
:But we have to do something first.
566
:So you run across an abandoned animal.
567
:You get video, you get pictures, you
call law enforcement, you have 'em come
568
:out, you get a case number from dispatch
again, I repeat, that's important.
569
:Now, law enforcement might not show up.
570
:They say we don't have anybody to come
or what have you know what you pull that
571
:case number, find out what happened.
572
:Nothing happened.
573
:Then you go to the chief
law enforcement officer.
574
:That may be the sheriff,
that may be his chief deputy.
575
:But you go and make the complaint
and you do it in writing.
576
:You do it in writing because I
will tell you just to talk or
577
:communicate without writing.
578
:Things just go by the
wayside when it's in writing.
579
:You have a paper trail start
a paper trail if you really,
580
:truly want to help that animal.
581
:You start a paper trail and
that's the first thing you do.
582
:Like I've sent out a couple
of certified letters.
583
:Now I've got certified
letters out about things.
584
:Let's say the chief law enforcement
doesn't do anything about it.
585
:Your second step is the
district attorney's office.
586
:That is your second step
that you write a letter.
587
:Again, paper trail.
588
:Paper trail.
589
:Alright.
590
:The district attorney.
591
:And then they may do something.
592
:You may have an action.
593
:At least do something.
594
:Let's say they just ignore you.
595
:Nobody does anything.
596
:Your next step is your state police,
your crime department, you call them.
597
:There's always some way.
598
:The point is, there's always someone
that you can go above to get something
599
:done about animals that are being dumped.
600
:Again, I repeat that is a crime and
law enforcement should investigate it.
601
:I get carried away.
602
:You notice that?
603
:Dixie: That's quite all right.
604
:It's good to be passionate about animals.
605
:Do you have that in Soul of the Silent
for listeners who care, but feel
606
:powerless what they can actually do?
607
:Does the book go over that as well?
608
:Mark: Yes, I do.
609
:I have a lot of books.
610
:Soul of the Silence kind of is
about who we are as a person.
611
:You read this book and it's gonna
tell you really seriously about how
612
:you are, your feelings and other
people's feelings and what you look
613
:for and what you look for in yourself.
614
:It's like looking into a mirror.
615
:If you would read this book, it's
like looking in a mirror at yourself.
616
:That's exactly what it's like it's
going to tell you exactly what kind
617
:of person that you may or may not be.
618
:It's a kind of a deep
insight about who you are
619
:Dixie: and what do you hope people will
take away after reading Soul as a silent,
620
:Mark: One thing that I hope they take away
from it is that they develop, and I don't
621
:know if that's a good word or not, but
they look at animals in a different light.
622
:Instead of looking at them as property
or looking at them as a non sentient
623
:being, they're gonna see animals
that are in a different perspective.
624
:That's what I was hoping to get out
of this book, is that when people read
625
:it, they'll actually see what animals
and truly how animals feel and how
626
:you feel as a person and what may be
things that you can do to change the
627
:way your compassion and your heart is.
628
:So I love that book.
629
:It's one of my better books because
it's a book that was taken from
630
:a lot of years on this earth and
dealing with people and animals.
631
:So it's a heart wrenching
book that I had put together.
632
:Unlike my other books, some of the
other books are factual in nature.
633
:This is a heartfelt looking.
634
:Yourself and animals.
635
:Dixie: And then I think one thing too
about the book is even if you are a
636
:compassionate person, and even if you
are an animal lover like us and don't
637
:look at animals as property I refer to
the animals in my house almost as people.
638
:Mark: I got one on my lap, I
should have called him Velcro.
639
:Dixie: But one thing that I would like
to say is whether or not you are already
640
:an animal lover, compassionate like
us, this is still a really good read.
641
:It's a good reference for you to use
to tell other people that, maybe will
642
:help change people's perspectives
on how they look at animals.
643
:Mark: I hope I, I really do because
if they'll take the book seriously,
644
:if they'll buy the book and take it
seriously and really read through it,
645
:then I'm hoping that something will
cause a change in you because we need
646
:so many more people to help animals.
647
:'cause right now, from the early
years of my life till now, animals
648
:have come up on the shortt stick.
649
:Short end of everything.
650
:They're still abused very
badly, particularly now.
651
:I think you brought this point up.
652
:This is a really bad time.
653
:People are trying to rehome
animals or try to adopt animals.
654
:Our local government, and I go back to
my number one issue, our local government
655
:should have laws that tell, you know what,
when you get an animal, that animal should
656
:be licensed, it should be health checked,
and it should be spay or neutered.
657
:Unless you have a particular license.
658
:If you are a breeder, , and you have a
bonafide breeding farm, that's different.
659
:But if you are a person who is
looking for a pet, or you know
660
:what spay neuter should be done,
licensing of an animal should be done.
661
:Health certificate should
be done to let you know.
662
:And not only does that protect you and
your family, but it protects others.
663
:It protects the animals.
664
:And then we wouldn't have the
problem of euthanasia because that's
665
:another big issue that I'm writing
about right now is euthanasia.
666
:Millions of animals are being euthanized
healthy animals, because our local
667
:government, for the most part, and I don't
mean where I live at, just in general,
668
:local government will not do their job.
669
:Law enforcement will not do their job.
670
:And that again, I referenced that with.
671
:There are good law enforcement agencies,
there are good local governments
672
:that take animal life serious.
673
:But again, I have to look at the
generalization of what I see.
674
:And in my opinion, there are
many people that needs to change.
675
:Dixie: Thank you for sitting down
with me today to talk about your book.
676
:Mark: I was happy to do it.
677
:Dixie: And before we end this
episode, is there anything else
678
:that you would like to add?
679
:Mark: I would appreciate if
you're a person that is looking
680
:to help animals and truly help
animals I got some great books.
681
:I put a lot of in into those books,
and one of 'em is animal advocacy,
682
:how to be an animal advocate.
683
:I've got how to investigate animal abuse.
684
:There's a number of
books that you can get.
685
:That I put my heart and soul into these
books, and I think you'll find that.
686
:And so if you're interested in working
with animals, then I suggest that
687
:you would go to Amazon under Dr.
688
:Mark mc Morris, Jr.
689
:Not that I'm plugging my book, but I am.
690
:And so anyway, that's the
only thing I had to say.
691
:Dixie: All right.
692
:Thank you for letting me come out
and tour Mark's Animal Rescue.
693
:I had a really good time
speaking with you today.
694
:Mark: Thank you.
695
:I'm glad y'all came
696
:appreciate it.
697
:Dixie: Alright, thanks.
698
:That's all the time that we
have for today's episode.
699
:Thank you for listening and
we hope you join us next week.
700
:If you know somebody that loves animals
as much as I do, please send 'em our way.
701
:We would love to talk to 'em.
702
:If you are enjoying our show, please
consider leaving us a donation.
703
:A hundred percent goes to our animals.
704
:Paws in
705
:the night Claws in the
fight Whiskers twitch and
706
:tails
707
:take flight
708
:They’re calling in Stories to spin
From the wild to the heart within
709
:Broken wings and hopeful springs
We’re the voices for these things
710
:animal posse hear the call.
711
:We stand together.
712
:Big and small Rescue tales We’ve
got it all Animal posse Saving
713
:them
714
:all
715
:The vet’s got tips The rescuer’s
grit The foster homes where love
716
:won’t quit From a pup in the rain to
a bird in pain , Every soul’s worth
717
:the
718
:strain
719
:Animal posse
720
:Hear the call
721
:We stand together Big
722
:and small Rescue tales We’ve got
it all Animal posse Saving them all
723
:Every caller tells a tale, every
howl a whispered wail, we rise up.
724
:We never
725
:fail.
726
:This
727
:is
728
:the
729
:bond
730
:The holy grail
731
:Animal posse Hear the call We stand
together Big and small Rescue tales We’ve
732
:got it all Animal posse Saving them all
733
:Every caller tells a tale Every howl
a whispered wail We rise up We never
734
:fail This is the bond The holy grail.
735
:Song by Suno.ai
