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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:Hi Veronica.
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:How are you?
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:Veronica: Hi Dixie.
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:I'm great.
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:Thanks so much for calling.
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:Dixie: You're welcome.
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:Thank you for joining me today.
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:So we could talk about the work
you do as an animal advocate.
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:I understand you work for several
organizations, so tell me a
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:little bit about yourself and
the groups you volunteer with.
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:Veronica: I try to lend my time to anybody
I see reaching out on social media.
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:First off, that big easy animal
rescue is one and chat that cat
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:and, animal rescue New Orleans.
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:This most recently I've been doing
work with investigative, work with
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:the Humane Society of Louisiana.
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:And that's been very rewarding
and I feel like we're really
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:making a difference there.
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:And how did you get started in this?
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:Were you always into animals?
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:As a, when I was about 12, I've always
been into animals, and at age 12 I've
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:joined a program at the zoo, which
now as an adult, I'm not a fan of
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:zoos, but at the time they took us
to the SBCA as part of the training
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:program to be a junior zookeeper.
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:And at the SBCA, they showed us
a film about what happens to.
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:Animals one, they're euthanized
and it was really jarring.
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:And ever since then I've been, tried
to be an advocate and donate, know
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:and give time as much as possible.
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:Dixie: Yeah.
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:I was actually a volunteer
at the zoo as well.
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:Veronica: Oh, you were?
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:Okay.
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:Yeah.
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:. I was in this junior zookeeper program
and I did, I'll say to their credit, I
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:learned the training program was great.
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:I learned a lot.
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:But as I mentioned, now
I'm not such a fan of.
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:Any
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:enclosures?
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:Dixie: Yeah.
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:When I was a junior in high school,
we had to pick a volunteer program.
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:We had to go there for two
weeks, so that's what I ended
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:up doing I picked the zoo.
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:I went to the zoo and I ended up
staying there the whole summer, and
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:I went back the following summer.
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:I really enjoyed it.
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:But you're right.
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:Veronica: That's funny.
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:I did the same thing really.
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:I went back yeah.
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:We might have even known each other.
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:Dixie: Yeah.
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:I did mine 92 through 94
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:Veronica: yes.
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:I think that's pretty close to me.
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:I enjoyed it as well.
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:I I got to work in the nocturnal exhibit.
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:Is it the type of thing you did?
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:Dixie: Actually it was right before
the release of Jurassic Park, so
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:they had the dinosaur exhibit.
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:Oh, cool.
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:Yeah, they put me in
dinosaur exhibit area.
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:And they had games that they would
play for all the kids coming.
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:I was tyrannosaurus white
instead of Vanna White.
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:That's a like, that's really cute.
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:And yeah, but they would
bring out some animals.
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:I wasn't trained for the mammals,
but they would bring out the insects.
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:And oh yeah.
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:It was funny because I was there for maybe
two days and they tell me, oh, you're
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:gonna be in charge of the roaches today.
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:And I'm terrified of cockroaches.
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:So I was like, oh my God,
this is gonna be horrible.
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:I'm gonna quit.
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:But they brought out the hissing ones
and then they brought out a giant one
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:and those they're totally different.
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:I wasn't scared of 'em at all.
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:They were actually both really cool.
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:But yeah.
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:That's funny.
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:How
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:Veronica: big are, is a giant cockroach.
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:Dixie: He was probably about
like maybe eight inches.
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:He's big, but he looks nothing
like the ones that we have
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:coming out of the sewers here.
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:So it was like totally different.
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:And I actually held him and he would
walk around my hand and then I would
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:hold the little hissing ones too.
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:I think it was the Madagascar
hissing cockroaches.
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:But yeah those were really cool too.
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:And I was fine with those, but if I
see one of the flying ones that come
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:into your house or one of the ones
coming up by the sewers I freak out.
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:I still can't handle those.
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:Veronica: Me too.
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:You're like the roach whisperer.
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:Dixie: Yeah, I don't think so.
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:Could you share what drew you to the
different roles that you're doing cause
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:you said you work with three or four
different groups and how that has changed
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:your overall perspective on animal welfare
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:. Veronica: I didn't realize, I guess
it was about three years ago, there
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:was a feral cat outside my apartment
that needed help badly, could barely
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:walk, was dragging its back leg.
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:Its eyes were crusted shut.
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:It was deaf.
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:And so I started reaching
out to all these groups.
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:I had already volunteered at
the time for Animal Rescue New
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:Orleans, but I, I just needed help.
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:What to do with this cat, how to
trap it, what's the best way, and
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:reached out and really the only one
that got back to me was Trap Dat Cat
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:So I got involved with them, and helping
trap and also to transport all the cats.
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:And it was, it's such
an amazing organization.
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:Nina Hemeter has, at any given time,
40 cats on her front porch waiting to,
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:go get fixed and she's just tireless.
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:So watching her work and then realizing,
just getting more and more, little
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:by little I started seeing just.
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:people don't realize that
how rampant animal abuse is.
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:And it's like when I got involved in one
group, then I would see more and more
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:on social media and then that would open
me up to another group that I joined
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:and then that would open me up to see.
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:It's horrific and I feel people
have been, society as a whole has
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:been so sheltered from it because
it doesn't often get a lot of press.
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:And I started really.
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:Thinking to myself, I know that what
I'm good at, and what I'm not good at,
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:and I know that I'm good at writing
and lobbying and tenacity, if you will.
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:So I started to write letters and
proposals to the city council and
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:trying to, create an animal, task force.
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:That you can better,
go out and investigate.
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:Abuse and neglect and also a registry
I've been working on because I'm
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:really very frustrated that people
can abuse an animal and easily go
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:back out and adopt another one.
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:I just don't see any reason
why there's, there should
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:always already be one in place.
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:It seems very basic, to have a registry
that you can share between shelters and
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:rescue organizations across the country.
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:So I've been working on that and realizing
that's the, probably what I'm best at is
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:lobbying and advocating, at a state level.
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:But it's really just opened my eyes to,
the irresponsibility of people these
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:days and the lack of accountability, the
surrenders and the rehoming have been so
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:normalized and it's really just pathetic.
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:There are reasons to rehome and
surrender if you cannot care for your
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:animal, if you have a dire circumstance.
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:But what I'm seeing is
this, just constant just.
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:I don't feel like I have time or I'm
moving and I need to rehome in two days
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:or I'm bringing to a shelter and I feel
as though I, I get a lot of pushback
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:on social media because I'm very,
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:aggressive with these people and
explaining like, exactly, okay,
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:you're gonna drop it at a shelter.
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:Euthanize is a really pretty word for what
actually happens, so let me tell you, you
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:know what's going to happen to your pet?
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:And I get some pushback, but I feel
like it's time is a society that we stop
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:normalizing and accepting this behavior.
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:Dixie: I agree with you on that.
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:And I see it all the time too.
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:I do cat rescue.
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:And I find a lot of people don't
really understand what a rescue is for.
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:A rescue isn't for the people that are
just abandoning their responsibilities.
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:Like, if you're gonna move,
you know you're gonna move, and
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:don't expect a rescue to take it.
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:That's not a dire circumstance,
I guess maybe I'm looking at
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:things different too with.
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:How a rescue should actually be.
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:A rescue is gonna be for the
animals that are actually abandoned.
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:The animals that are like falling out
of car engines on the street need help.
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:The sick animal that you see
on the corner that's neglected.
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:But I get calls too for people,
oh, I'm moving tomorrow.
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:Can you take my animal?
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:You're a rescue.
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:Veronica: And then they're angry if
you don't have space, like you're
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:just, people just are not educated,
they just think there's this utopia
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:at the rescue where there's just all
this space and money and time and
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:Dixie: Right.
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:Veronica: It's
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:just not reality.
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:Dixie: Exactly.
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:And then what you're saying too about the
registry, I think that's a wonderful idea.
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:But a problem that I often see
is a lot of the rescues not
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:wanting to work with one another.
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:Veronica: Yes.
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:So I see it too.
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:Dixie: Yeah, they have that information
there, but it's like for some reason
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:there's just a reluctance to share.
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:And that's in part why I wanted
to start this podcast was to
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:help bring rescues together we're
all working for the same goal.
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:Veronica: I think that's a great idea.
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:And I think that hopefully, eventually,
they'll be pressured enough.
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:'cause I feel like that goes along with
transparency to be able to share with
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:other rescues and network with them.
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:And some of them do come
off as elitist to me.
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:And, closed off.
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:And I think that's gotta change.
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:I think there's so many changes,
we have to make, we, one foot
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:in front of the other turtle
runs the race, we'll get there.
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:Dixie: Yes, exactly.
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:So do you do active investigations
with the Humane Society of
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:Louisiana as a cruelty investigator.
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:Veronica: Yes, and I attended
a certification class just the
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:other day, and it was put on
by Humane Society of Louisiana.
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:I was at in Livingston Parish,
Sheriff's Office, and Humane World
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:for Animals, which was formally.
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:Humane Society of the United
States, and it was so informative.
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:I enjoyed it so much.
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:I took a whole notebook of notes.
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:They went from, how to
spot signs of neglect.
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:To how to make your report so that
it's, it will hold up in court.
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:And dog fighting is, I'm happy to
say I see a lot of it getting cracked
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:down on at this point, starting to,
but the dog fighting portion of the
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:certification was very eyeopening and
interesting, and I wanna share as much.
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:Many of the tips as I learned, with
people, because even just a citizen, a
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:neighbor could see one of these signs
and potentially, out a dog fighting ring.
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:Dixie: Yeah, I'd love to talk
about that if you wouldn't
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:mind going over that with us.
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:Veronica: Yeah.
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:Then, first off, like neglect, people
always, and I understand people, just
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:a citizen, in their neighborhood is.
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:Reluctant to call the police
because they don't really know
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:if the dog's being neglected.
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:But some signs that they can look
for would be, by Louisiana law.
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:Animals must cats and dogs must have a
solidly built shelter if they're outdoors.
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:And that doesn't mean
it's tarp or wire crate.
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:It has to be something solidly built.
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:That rain cannot get through, that
protects them from the sun, protects
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:them from the colds and has soft bedding
in it, and things people can look for.
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:For instance, if the dog looks a
little thin or if there's, they don't
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:see food and water bowls nearby.
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:If the dog, the animal has changed.
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:And also, spots.
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:This was interesting to me on their
backside, on either side of the tail.
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:That gets worn down.
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:And it's definitely something that all
neglected dogs have that characteristic
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:of the hair wears off and it's from
not having a soft place to sit.
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:So over time, and they're also somewhat
skinny, so there's no fat padding there.
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:So that's something people can look for.
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:And let's see something else
interesting I thought was that.
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:For livestock horses, for instance, if,
people should look for if there's hay
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:or grass or water buckets available,
and if the tree bark is missing,
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:I thought this was interesting.
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:The horses already look skinny
and there's tree bark missing
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:from the bottom of the trees.
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:It's because they're starving and
they're peeling the bark off to survive.
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:Dixie: I didn't know that.
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:Veronica: I didn't either.
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:And I thought that was one of these
things may not be cause for concern, but
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:several of these things absolutely are
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:Dixie: right,
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:Veronica: several of
these things together.
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:And it's just if they see
something, say something.
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:And a lot of people have this
attitude of nothing well they're
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:not gonna do anything about it.
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:And that angers me because they
definitely won't if we don't speak up.
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:And if the more people that you know,
instead of commenting on Facebook,
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:maybe email or call their district
attorney or their local sheriff's
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:office or their city council and demand
change, it takes as much time to do
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:that as it does to say, oh, the hope
somebody helps this poor animal, online.
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:That doesn't help the animal at all.
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:Your energy would better be better,
much better utilized to send a message.
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:Dixie: And I find a lot of people
on social media do find that
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:they think that they're helping
by doing that, and they're not.
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:That's like one of my biggest pet
peeves ever is that you're gonna
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:sit down and you're gonna comment
something like, oh here's this.
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:Can you go help?
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:Veronica: I hope someone helps them.
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:I'm like, you are someone.
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:Dixie: And like you said, it could
just be something as simple as that,
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:that if you see something that's wrong,
then post it on social media, but
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:also try to do something about it too.
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:Veronica: Absolutely.
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:And I'm grateful for people
that, bring awareness to it.
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:Like, oh, I saw this dog doing
this, I've seen hundreds of
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:comments when 90% of 'em are.
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:Lengthy enough it would take maybe
less time to write just a little
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:quick email and it's just, they're
saying, oh, this is terrible.
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:I hope someone helps them.
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:And, put your money where your mouth is.
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:I'm getting tired of it, honestly.
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:'cause it's gonna take effort from all
of us to make a difference because we put
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:ourselves in this position as, a whole
by being irresponsible with our pets.
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:So that we're overpopulated
and now it's an epidemic.
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:Dixie: Yeah.
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:And then another issue with that,
when people do those posts and
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:everybody is commenting on it,
like you said, this is terrible.
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:If it's a situation that I might
actually be able to go help with.
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:It's hard for me to go through and look
to see if the situation has actually
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:been taken care of already, because
you gotta go through 30, 40 comments
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:Veronica: you're so
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:right.
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:Dixie: Yeah.
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:And there's none in there where somebody
actually has helped, or there might be
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:a comment in there where it looks like
somebody, did help, but they didn't help.
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:And so it just really does
make things more difficult.
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:Veronica: And I've noticed that too.
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:And I have to go to the top and I have
to hit like new comments, 'cause I don't
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:wanna drive, honestly, two hours , if
somebody's, helped and I have to look
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:at, and try to siphon through them.
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:I think it brings more
awareness to the post.
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:I think the algorithm, I'm not really
savvy ab I don't know much about that,
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:but at the same time, yes, absolutely
people sometimes offer to help and
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:I think it gets lost in the fold,
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:Dixie: absolutely.
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:So what were other signs
of neglect from your class?
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:Veronica: Basically, ribs showing and,
animals should not have prominent ribs.
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:Animals that are taken care of and they
shouldn't have a spine that you can,
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:see from a distance or see up close.
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:They shouldn't, you shouldn't
be able to see their bones.
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:Also, any dog, we learned that
a lot of things about, there's.
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:Oftentimes like dog fighting,
for instance, if people hear dogs
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:barking and they don't see them
and they're hidden from sight.
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:We learned that, anytime that's happening
and you don't see, say you're a neighbor
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:and you don't see this dog ever get walked
or come out, but you can hear it barking.
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:Like that's something to be aware of.
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:And also, a lot of times
people are hesitant to ask.
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:About their, if they see a pet,
say, tied in a side yard, they're
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:hesitant to ask Hey, is that dog okay?
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:But you can always make something
up like, oh, I was just checking.
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:I have a dog.
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:I wanted to see if maybe y'all wanna
do a play date or, I'm pretty bold.
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:Like I'll find my fence in the
middle of the night and just go look.
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:But I don't expect everybody to do that.
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:But yeah, neglect the food, the water
very little to no human interaction.
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:I just met a dog walker in
one of the neighborhoods in
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:New Orleans, and she's great.
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:She seems to keep a really sharp eye out.
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:She said, oh, there's this dog.
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:It doesn't have any
access to food or water.
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:It's chained up.
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:It has very little
shelter I've never seen.
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:She, and I said, how wonderful
that while you're walking your
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:dog, the dog's doing your job.
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:You're paying attention, to what and
it turns out that she wouldn't end up
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:getting the little dog from the people.
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:So that was really a great story.
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:And I was, I couldn't believe
she's a wonderful person.
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:I was really, I said, if everybody
would do that on their walks,
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:Dixie: Absolutely.
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:Veronica: As far as like the neglect,
obviously, dogs are in fighting are
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:neglected and we learned a lot about, what
to look for signs of dog fighting as well.
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:Dixie: And what would those signs be?
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:Veronica: One of the things that
stuck in my mind that really stood
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:out is if you see a dog that's,
possibly, maybe part pit bull.
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:Even with heavy chains, there's no
reason for any animal, to be on a chain
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:that can tow up a 5,000 pound boat.
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:A heavy chain is, from what we learned,
it's a sign for sure, and they do
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:that, so that the dogs are conditioned.
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:They build more muscle.
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:And honestly, anything that people
think, I know people think dog
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:fighting is horrific, but times
it by a million because the things
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:that we saw in this class were so
barbaric and these are the people that
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:do this are absolute monsters and.
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:Yeah, the people have no idea
how actually horrible it is.
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:And they do things like break the dog
a dog's front legs and throw it in the
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:pen, poke its eyes out so it's blind
and throw it in the dog fight pen.
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:It is horrible.
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:And these are not people
that just dog fight.
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:These are people that rape and
murder and sell drugs to children.
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:I'm glad to see they're
cracking down on it.
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:But one thing people can look for,
especially in rural areas, is.
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:The dogs are barking, but they're
pretty much hidden from sight.
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:This person has dogs, but you don't
see them ever out in the open.
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:And if you can get a visual, another sign
is a dog with a heavy chain that's on
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:this circular or or worn down area of the
ground where it's just dirt because that
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:indicates that is the dog's whole life.
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:There's, just an area where the dog
is existing is all worn down to dirt.
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:You pretty much know the dog
doesn't go anywhere else, ever.
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:That's his whole life.
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:And so that was another thing I found.
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:I found that very interesting.
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:I did not know that.
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:And then the scarring is something.
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:Didn't know.
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:What I learned is that black
hair on a dog, once they get a
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:wound, the hair grows back white.
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:Yeah, and you can see for the
most part, scarring from a dog.
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:Fight's gonna be on the head
and the front legs because
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:they're going into for the hill.
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:And the examples we saw were dogs,
black dogs had these little white
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:kind of cuts all over, and it was
white hair that had grown back because
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:they're, I guess it's their pigment.
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:The hair doesn't once the
follicle is damaged, it doesn't
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:grow back with the same pigment.
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:So I thought that was, I thought
that was pretty interesting.
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:I did not know that.
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:Dixie: Yeah, I didn't know that either.
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:Veronica: So it's just the dog fighting
is definitely people that if you
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:think, oh, that could be dog fighting.
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:It probably is.
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:Because, and it's usually like I
said, you don't see those dogs, you
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:see her barking, you know they're
dogs, but you don't see them anywhere.
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:And it happens.
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:It's amazing.
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:It happens next door to perfectly
nice, good citizens and they just don't
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:even realize it's happening next door.
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:And it, it is a billion dollar business.
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:Dixie: So do you think it's that
more people are just oblivious or
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:they just don't wanna accept that
it actually could be happening?
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:Veronica: I think it's both.
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:And I also think that people have a hard
time with thinking that their judgment
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:was off, or people have a hard time.
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:being wrong if they're
wrong about something.
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:And I think that also people have
a hard time with say there is
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:a dog fighter living next door.
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:That makes my neighborhood
in my home look like shit.
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:Excuse my language.
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:You know what I mean?
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:And I feel like they're hesitant in
that way as well because of how it
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:looks on, them and the neighborhood.
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:But I think people are just
also just not educated to.
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:how prevalent and how widespread
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:right dog
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:fighting has become.
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:Dixie: And I think a lot of people
don't trust their intuition.
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:If you think something is wrong, it's
because most likely something is wrong.
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:But I believe that goes back to that
whole judgment thing, like you said,
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:because people don't wanna say something
because, oh, what if I'm wrong?
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:But I find from my personal
experience, I like to follow my gut.
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:It, it usually doesn't fail me.
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:Veronica: And
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:I agree, and I'm trying to get better in
my own personal life with that, because
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:my gut , it's never been wrong, but I
still, am working on trusting it because
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:it's, a scary thing because what if
you're wrong or what if you make this
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:decision and it's comes back on you?
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:But really, the police are never going to.
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:be mad at you.
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:And people need to realize
that our elected officials
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:and our police work for us.
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:They're not the other way around.
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:Dixie: When it comes to the fighting,
is it more prevalent in rural areas,
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:city areas, or could it be both?
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:Veronica: It can be both.
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:It is more prevalent in.
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:A lot of rural areas, but you can,
there's few other houses well within site.
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:And then a lot of times in a city
environment, they'll have dogs,
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:not as many, but they'll have dogs.
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:And that's usually like a transporting,
I didn't realize they transport dogs
433
:across state lines constantly for fights.
434
:So
435
:oftentimes they'll go from a
rural area to like a holding home,
436
:Dixie: uhhuh,
437
:Veronica: sometimes often in a city area,
and then they're taken from there across
438
:state lines or to their next fight.
439
:Dixie: Yeah.
440
:I know in a lot of the small rural
parishes in Louisiana don't even
441
:have animal control, and some of
them don't even have a shelter.
442
:So that's why I was wondering,
if it's more under the radar
443
:if they do it in a rural area.
444
:Veronica: For sure.
445
:And I think that, that brings me to
like, one of the training things in
446
:a rural area that they use for dogs
that are being trained to fight up
447
:is, they put either wildlife like
a raccoon, but most often cats.
448
:Or kittens and a little, okay.
449
:They use them for dog fighting
bait, and the dog will, let the
450
:dog them chase the, they hang them
from like a stick or a metal rod.
451
:And once the dog has done enough
work, they allow the dog to have the,
452
:whatever they're baiting it with.
453
:And I think people need to really.
454
:Stop giving oh, it's all day long.
455
:Free kittens.
456
:Free, puppy free.
457
:That's inviting a torturing
sicko or a dog fighter.
458
:You just can't do it.
459
:And if you do it, you've got to,
actually be proactive and check the vet
460
:references and go to the home and ask
for photos in the future because it's
461
:just, it feeds the dog fighting industry,
462
:to keep
463
:doing this with the free animals.
464
:Dixie: You tell people though,
but they don't wanna hear that.
465
:There's situations where I've seen
posts where they're giving away kittens
466
:and I'll go in and monitor the post.
467
:I cannot always take 'em in.
468
:But if it looks like it's a dire
situation and it looks like somebody
469
:who may be doing fighting or something
like that, is commenting on that
470
:post, I'll be like, Hey, I'm a rescue.
471
:I'll take those kittens.
472
:Veronica: I love that you do that.
473
:Yeah, I try to do that too.
474
:If I say, I'm like, this person
looks dangerous, I'll take it.
475
:Yeah.
476
:I'll go,
477
:Dixie: I'll go look on the profiles
and I hate to say that 'cause I
478
:don't want people to go put their
profiles private now, but yeah, no,
479
:I'll go look and see and you can go
through some of those photos and tell
480
:Veronica: just like I love that you do
481
:that.
482
:Dixie: Yeah.
483
:Just like I have some groups that
I run and I've had breeders try
484
:to go push animals in my groups
for rehoming, and I'm like, yeah,
485
:this looks like a breeder to me.
486
:So they end up getting
banned from the group.
487
:Veronica: I love it.
488
:So I do look at people's profiles
too, and if I see it, I'm like, please
489
:don't give this person a kitten.
490
:All they have is pictures of pit bulls.
491
:And I hate to make that judgment
and I apologize to them.
492
:If I've made it from, if
I'm wrong, then I apologize.
493
:But if it saves one animal, I don't really
care what people think of me or if I
494
:hurt somebody's feelings, to be honest.
495
:Dixie: I understand that for sure.
496
:Veronica: I'm not worried with humans'
feelings because they have a voice
497
:and they're able to make choices.
498
:All I care about is the
animals, quite frankly.
499
:Dixie: Yep, I understand that.
500
:, When you see these signs, should
you be getting the authorities
501
:involved, or who should you call?
502
:Veronica: They were clear with us that
one, one of these signs, if it's something
503
:like, the dog looks a little thin.
504
:You have to use your
judgment one of those times.
505
:If the dog looks a little thin and it's
got a tarp for a shelter or it's, the dog
506
:looks a little thin and there's multiple
other dogs on the property, or you can
507
:hear multiple other dogs on the property.
508
:Somebody that's a neighbor,
let's say, who's in a rural area,
509
:you can hear the dogs barking.
510
:You never see them out in the open.
511
:The neighbor is not very neighborly.
512
:Mostly keeps to themselves.
513
:Sometimes maybe has on a, any
given night, multiple cars.
514
:There you just, you see the signs
and then you call the police.
515
:You can call the non-emergency
number or, 'cause a lot of people,
516
:like you said, don't have animal
control or shelters to call.
517
:So in that instance, they would
call the police because, and
518
:like I said, dog fighting.
519
:They're starting to crack down all over.
520
:They're getting very angry about it.
521
:Finally, and neglect I was happy
to say that see multiple rural
522
:sheriffs, sheriff's offices
represented at the certification.
523
:Lots of police from different parishes
in Louisiana that don't have shelters.
524
:So they had sent some of their
police officers to get training.
525
:So I really believe it's starting
to turn around and you just call the
526
:police, just tell them what they saw.
527
:It's called the Humane
Society of Louisiana.
528
:If you're not getting any reaction,
because Jeff Dorson is amazing and
529
:he's really, he's got connections
all over the state and he's very
530
:good at getting something done.
531
:If he gets a complaint, he'll send
one of us to follow up with it.
532
:There was recently a guy in Monroe.
533
:He didn't have anyone to call as far as
animal control, so he called the Humane
534
:Society of Louisiana, and it was about
some sheep that were in a field and it was
535
:dirt field and one of a baby one was dead.
536
:It had been starved to death.
537
:And he said, I didn't really know.
538
:I didn't really wanna get
involved, that's just not right.
539
:And he said, thank you guys
so much for following up and.
540
:Turns out, they were being starved.
541
:Somebody had rented the land and
just disappeared and left these
542
:animals just to starve to death.
543
:Dixie: Oh, wow.
544
:Veronica: And I
545
:said, sir, we're so
grateful when people call.
546
:I said, thank you so much.
547
:He said they were in a dirt field.
548
:That was, that gentleman sign:
a dirt field and then he said he
549
:came, he drove by again two weeks
later and there was the dead baby
550
:sheep in the middle of the field.
551
:And he said, I just feel terrible.
552
:I waited that long because
obviously a dirt field doesn't
553
:have any food for the animals.
554
:He's like, I should have called
a long time ago right now.
555
:Dixie: Who taught the class
556
:Veronica: that was a trainer from
the Humane World for Animals the
557
:Humane Society of the United States.
558
:She was great.
559
:She's been an investigator for years,
I believe, and then of course I went, I
560
:love to like research, so I looked her
up and I saw multiple YouTube videos.
561
:She had actually been an animal
control officer and now was
562
:a trainer in the program.
563
:And she was really
informative and wonderful.
564
:I just really she gave us
different cases to look at.
565
:For instance, like one had I.
566
:I think that, it's rampant
where people move out of their
567
:homes and leave their pets in an
abandoned house to starve to death.
568
:And she just really kept reiterating
how important it is as investigators
569
:to be thorough with our reports.
570
:A dog was left to starve
to death in a mobile home.
571
:And she, that time they got
there, the dog was liquified, but.
572
:She said, we were so thorough.
573
:We took video of absolutely everything,
and they found the dog's teeth and
574
:the, it's a horrible story, the teeth
and the walls, because the dog was so
575
:panicked as it was starving to death.
576
:And
577
:the dog's nails were worn down to
nubs from scratching to try to fight
578
:its way out of the house as it was
starving to death, which is the worst.
579
:Most painful death.
580
:And she said they were able to prosecute
because of how thorough they were
581
:and getting samples of the wood from
the wall and then that matched the,
582
:under the nails and they found like,
583
:I said, his, the teeth and nail bits
in the wall and it was just horrible.
584
:But she was trying to make the
point that every little thing counts
585
:when you are doing investigations.
586
:Dixie: I believe I've actually
heard about that case too.
587
:I don't know if I saw a video or something
about it, but that sounds very familiar.
588
:Veronica: I was openly crying.
589
:I was like, okay, I think
I'm gonna go to the bathroom.
590
:Take a break.
591
:It was tough, but like, it's
hard to see and she said, I don't
592
:like to show a lot of graphic
videos and these trainings, but.
593
:Some of them I feel are necessary.
594
:And I feel, I wish I could
show the whole world.
595
:I wish I could sit the whole world down
and make them watch those kind of things.
596
:'cause I think then maybe
something will click
597
:right in their
598
:brains.
599
:Dixie: And unfortunately that seems to
be a thing when people move out, they
600
:just will leave their pets inside.
601
:Veronica: Yeah.
602
:It's just bizarre.
603
:And I mean that I just feel like
the big thing, that will maybe stop
604
:that is just, harsher penalties.
605
:I feel like it definitely
should be mandatory jail time.
606
:These animals feel the same
emotions as human beings.
607
:I don't understand why the jail
time is different for animal abuse.
608
:Dixie: Yeah.
609
:And they just seem to just get like
a slap on the wrist most of the time.
610
:Veronica: And then, I, the FBI
themselves say that 81% of people
611
:that abuse or neglect animals.
612
:81% of them will go on to commit a crime.
613
:Often the next crime is against a child.
614
:And then it goes to domestic violence and
then it goes to bigger ones like murder.
615
:And I just feel like why?
616
:I'm nobody.
617
:I'm not trained in any kinda legislation,
but it seems to me like it's law 1 0
618
:1 to cut the problem off at the knees.
619
:Like why wouldn't they stop it?
620
:Animal abuse with a harsher
penalty so that they can't go on
621
:to commit crimes against people..
622
:I just feel like that's the
most simple way to have crime
623
:go down in cities, period.
624
:Cut the problem off at the knees
before it gets any worse, and I
625
:don't get why that's not happening.
626
:Dixie: Yeah, I don't either because
you always hear that statistic.
627
:But then it's never taken seriously.
628
:So I don't know.
629
:Veronica: I think too, if people,
were more vocal about, It there's
630
:a great page on Facebook.
631
:. It's Citizens Against
Animal Abuse and Neglect.
632
:It is awful.
633
:I get all my news from there every
morning when I wake up on animal
634
:abuse and the admin of that page
provides a link that you can find
635
:your legislator and it gives you their
email, their contact email and stuff.
636
:And I think it's very helpful 'cause
I think the more noise that's made,
637
:the more they're gonna pay attention.
638
:So I really encourage, like
I said, people to contact.
639
:Legislators and just one sentence, even
like harsher sentences for animal abuse,
640
:because whatever these people are loud,
the most loud about is what's what
641
:they're gonna put on their priority list.
642
:Dixie: The registry that you're working
on, what are your plans with that?
643
:And have you started putting
this registry together yet?
644
:Veronica: Yes.
645
:One of my weaknesses, is
any kind of, administrative,
646
:like spreadsheets and such.
647
:So what I started doing
is just collecting data.
648
:I take screenshots and then record the
names of each person that's, convicted.
649
:And then I went to charge.
650
:And I'm starting it just in Louisiana.
651
:But I'm hoping, that it's gonna be, I
have a friend that says Rescue in Florida.
652
:She's very involved.
653
:So we're back and forth talking about,
so it can be shared between states.
654
:And so I've, now, I've got the data.
655
:Basically all I need next is for it to be
in the full right format, and a shareable
656
:kind of website where people can log on.
657
:And of course it has to be I'm
just still struggling with how
658
:to make sure that it's not just
somebody claiming there was abuse.
659
:You see what I'm saying?
660
:Like, 'cause I don't wanna do it
just for people that are convicted
661
:'cause so few get convicted,
662
:right?
663
:So that's where I'm struggling, it's
just how do you make sure it's not,
664
:somebody just being mad at someone else.
665
:Oh hey, they abuse their
dog, put 'em on the registry.
666
:That's something that I'm gonna look
to people that know a little more than
667
:me about these things that hopefully
I can get some advice on, how to
668
:prevent that and make it, a completely
legitimate and reliable source.
669
:Dixie: So what kind of support or
collaboration do you think would
670
:be the most helpful in bringing
these registry ideas to fruition?
671
:Veronica: I think, first to,
just to get the registry created.
672
:If there's anybody out there that's
good with Excel spreadsheets and I'm
673
:willing to put money into it and I have
to hire help, of course there's a limit
674
:to that, and I I can't pay several
hundred dollars an hour to anybody,
675
:but, I think just the basic format, the
basic skeleton of the actual website.
676
:The format of how you would put in,
the names of people and what city.
677
:And I've gotten a lot of help
with that from Chat, GPT.
678
:But there's only so much he can do for me.
679
:And then at once it's created I'm going to
market it to rescues and animal shelters.
680
:And then what I want is crime
stoppers to step up and.
681
:Take a more active role and people you
can call Crime Stoppers now to report
682
:animal abuse, but I want them more
visible and more actively involved.
683
:Lee County and Florida is
doing an incredible job.
684
:They have an animal abuse task
force, they have a registry.
685
:Crime Stoppers is very visible.
686
:They put up billboards and I'm trying
to model the program after them.
687
:Dixie: Okay.
688
:Veronica: It's a lot.
689
:Dixie: Yeah.
690
:I didn't know anything about that.
691
:. Veronica: It's Lee County in Florida.
692
:It's right around Sarasota, Florida.
693
:And they have a whole animal cruelty task.
694
:Force.
695
:And their own page.
696
:The sheriff started and
they've been really nice.
697
:I said is I'm trying to do
the same thing and they were.
698
:Said, email us.
699
:So I did, and they've been
very nice and helpful about it.
700
:And so that's one state that I
could share the registry with.
701
:Dixie: So that's good.
702
:Yeah.
703
:Yeah.
704
:At least it's one step closer, right?
705
:Veronica: Yeah, I'll get there.
706
:Dixie: It's, it sounds
like a wonderful idea
707
:Veronica: thank
708
:you.
709
:I, yeah, I think it's necessary,
don't you think, would we need that?
710
:Dixie: Yeah.
711
:I think it would be something
that would be needed.
712
:I think it's a really good idea
713
:Veronica: because I just asked, how
do we know that these people that also
714
:people surrendering for no good reason.
715
:They move to a new apartment
and they decide to get another
716
:pet and they just can do it.
717
:That's not right.
718
:And , I just feel like there's
gotta be more accountability when
719
:you surrender a pet for, 'cause
you don't have time, quote unquote.
720
:You need to be doing more
than signing a paper and I've.
721
:Called out the SPCA for that, and I said,
you need to at least have them volunteer
722
:a day, make them watch a film, have, some
kind of educational awareness brought to
723
:them when they surrender so that they just
don't think it's, and oh, no big deal.
724
:Dixie: And I believe there are
cases when people need to surrender,
725
:medical issues, things of that nature.
726
:I understand that.
727
:But like you said, for some
of these things where it's
728
:just like, oh, we're moving.
729
:Let's go get rid of the dog.
730
:Let's go surrender the dog.
731
:Or, I'm having a baby.
732
:Let's go get rid of the cat.
733
:And I think that definitely
is a part of the problem.
734
:I, I do wish people understood what went
into it when they do surrender an animal.
735
:And in a lot of the times it's
not so much with the dogs.
736
:It does happen.
737
:But like with adult cats, they
grieve themselves to death.
738
:They'll stop eating.
739
:Veronica: I know it's horrible.
740
:I love cats are, like the
forefront of my heart.
741
:I try to help as many as
possible and people just don't
742
:understand how bonded cats get.
743
:And there's been some little research
done on cats so I can't even imagine.
744
:I think probably 50 years from now
people are gonna find out the cats.
745
:Are like these deeply feeling, highly
intellectual, beings that we have
746
:discounted for so long, and they do.
747
:They grieve, they stop eating, they
start having behavior issues using
748
:the bathroom outside the litter box.
749
:It's just very sad because
cats do not do well in new
750
:environments, a lot of the time.
751
:Dixie: What message would you like
to share with our listeners who are
752
:passionate about helping animals?
753
:Veronica: I would say please get
involved because the problem is
754
:so overblown now that it's gonna
take a lot more than us in rescue.
755
:To make a difference.
756
:We need every single person who you
know, cares about animals or thinks that
757
:it's sad when they see an animal abuse.
758
:Write a letter, write an email,
keep the same email, copy
759
:and paste it if you need to.
760
:I often put emails that I send online
and on social media, and they can
761
:copy and paste that or make a call
and just say, I'd like to leave
762
:a message for mayor so and okay.
763
:What's the message?
764
:We need stricter penalties
for animal abuse.
765
:And I voted for him and I
expect to see it happen.
766
:It's very simple.
767
:They work for us, put 'em to work.
768
:We need help.
769
:Dixie: Definitely.
770
:Thank you for sharing all
that information with me.
771
:It was very informative.
772
:Some things definitely that I didn't know.
773
:So I'm so glad that you were able
to come on the show with me today.
774
:Veronica: Thank you Dixie.
775
:I'm so excited that you have this show.
776
:I love it.
777
:I always listen to it.
778
:Dixie: Oh great.
779
:Veronica: So thank you so much for
doing all this hard work because I
780
:know it's not easy and thank you for
being, bringing awareness, to people.
781
:Dixie: Sure.
782
:If you know anybody else that wants
to be on the show, please let me know.
783
:Veronica: I will.
784
:Thank you so much for having me.
785
:Dixie: Alright, you're welcome.
786
:It was good talking to you.
787
:And that's all the time we
have for today's episode.
788
:If you are in animal rescue, or if
you know someone that has a story that
789
:should be told, please contact us.
790
:We would love to have
you or them on the show
791
:. Thanks for listening, and please
join us next week as we continue to
792
:explore the world of animal rescue.
