An ethics question. If you were on a house call and the clients children beat, kicked and threw a dog.....?

Question

and you had to listen while it yelped for help and compassion...what would you do?

BTW Rico...I didn't mention what I did or did not do. Don't jump to conclusions. You don't know me.

OK...update:

I used the information gathered from this question, the thoughts of my friends and family and listened to my conscience and called the police. They are investigating the poor dogs so called "owner" as I type this. MAN do I feel better.

In responce to Rico, I did do something at the time, I reacted shocked and appeared ready to run out the door when I heard this horrible situation taking place. The so called "owner" noticed and she yelled at the kids to stop.

I didn't go directly into what I knew to be the right thing to do because I didn't want to loose my position with the company I was there for.

In retrospect, I am not sure I want to work with a company that "Can't get involved".

My new conundrum.

Answer 1

That's a tough question. Despite the passionate, well intended answers here, there really isn't a right or wrong one (well, except for the whole breaking into the house and stealing the dog scenario).

The age of the children is of particular importance, as are the circumstances of the "house call."

Are the children young and the mother "harried" and unable to control her children...or are the parents simply unwilling to stop the abuse because they hold animals in low regard as well? Can the children be reasoned with...are they capable of experiencing shame at their treatment of a helpless animal?

Obviously, you're not a vet on a "house call" to treat animals in the home...and you're probably not a visiting doctor, since most of these professionals would have acted quickly and decisively.

Perhaps you're a social worker, making an inhome visit and you witnessed the beating of a helpless dog. I'd like to think that you'd know exactly what to do in this case, since we know that violent adults usually start out as animal abusing children...

The kind of abuse that you've described is of the "imminent danger" variety and would have required swift action on your part. Sadly, the local animal shelter and humane societies who are very often contracted by cities and towns to provide humane investigations are frequently understaffed and overbudget and can very rarely respond right away to a call such as this.

So I'd recommend calling the police, since the laws that forbid the abuse of animals are not just enforced by animal control officers but by all law enforcement officials.

Be prepared, however: you'll need to be persistent with the police and, in a case such as this, you will be expected to speak up -- as opposed to an anonymous phone call to a humane society -- and tell the police over and over exactly what you saw. And it won't be easy. People who routinely abuse animals can be expected to less than cordial to people they believe are "out to get them" by reporting them to the authorities.

As daunting as this must sound, you have to know that you are one of the few lines of defense this poor dog has and his days are certainly numbered if nobody speaks up for him.

EDIT TO POST: Well done. Well said.

Answer 2

Tell them to stop. Help the dog!!!!!!!!! Show compassion to the animal and set an example to the children. Tell them that is not how you treat animals. Ask them to pet the dog with you. Do not tell the family what you are going to do as it may put the animal in more harm, but, as soon as you leave call your local humane society and get someone out there to protect the dog. If you feel the situation is extrememly bad stay until the humane society gets there and add the police to the list of your calls.

In all actuality, I would really want to go nuts on the ones who hurt the animal but that won't get you anywhere. I have run into the same situation before. You have to at least try to make an impression on the children. They are learning the abuse of animals from somewhere and they think it is okay. Hopefully, by you starting to show them how to treat animals and by being a mentor to the children (showing them kindness by looking them in the eyes without disgust - I know it is hard) maybe they will think abit before they do it again. Its worth a try!

A caught a small cousin of mine with a squirrel in a live cage. He had a BB gunn and had the squirrel all shot up, bloody, and suffering. He thought it was funny. He was 8 years old. Him and his Pop-pop do it all the time. I know his Pop-pop and he wants his grandson to be tough. I took the gun, got my cousin by the shoulders (SOFTLY) and told him that is not how you treat animals, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. I took the cage with the squirrel in it and let it go in a safe place. I am sure it passed away in a bit but there was nothing I could do to save it. At least it was free. THEN, I talked to my family and told them what happened BECAUSE I called the Fish and Game Commission and had them arrested. It broke ties with the family but I have no regrets. I worked with the officer so he would make an impression on my small cousin - show him it is wrong, it is a big deal, and that there are laws for crazy **** like that. What a world we live in! MAKE A DIFFERENCE WHEREVER YOU CAN!

Answer 3

Do a rescue even if you have to do it at midnight or if you have to jerk the leash out of their hands, throw the dog in the car and race off. I've done it both ways. I once climbed over a fence after talking to the dog until it calmed down so it wouldn't bark, crawled to where the dog was chained, got him loose, lifted him over the fence, got my fat old self back over and ran with him. The part that made it scarey was that there was a huge party going on, they were gang bangers and black. I am white and would hve stood out that I didn't belong there. I had to lay down behind a bush when a guy came outside to pee. The reason I did this is because the dog was bone thin, had no shelter and it was really cold. It was next door to a client and I hadn't been able to get animal control to do anything. They are good people but they have to do things by the book. This dog would have been dead before they did anything. I once told some kids who had been dragging an exhausted puppy for days that when it got away a car ran over it and I had taken it to the dump. Another dog that was near death as it was only about 6 weeks old. The children's mom was mentally ill and talking to her was a waste of time. I got them a large cat that could take care of itself and bought the food for it for years. I also found an excellent home for the dog. I am associated with a large network of old ladies who have nothing to lose if we are caught liberating animals. It also adds a sense of exitement to our otherwise boring retirement years. We also transport dogs to new homes for rescue groups and help with puppy mill raids. I'm just sorry we are limited to helping dogs like this. I'd like to help the children too but we are all too old to do foster care now as we did in the past and if you crawl over fences and snatch needy kids it is still kidnapping and you go to prison for a long time. If we lived in Ireland we would probably belong to the IRA but this is something we can do to help animals now. Now, tell me where this dog is at so I can get someone to help it.

Answer 4

I would call animal control. What you are witnessing is a crime. It is covered under cruelty and neglect to animals laws in most places in the USA. To witness and not report a crime is also a crime. It makes you a party to the action. By not reporting it you are implying that you condone such actions. Definately I would call animal control or just call the local police department.
If you saw a child mistreated like that, what would you do? Pain is pain, human or animal. And for Michael E. sometimes you have to speak out when you see something bad happen. It is the right thing to do. A person's "privacy" does not include the torture of animals. You are probably the type of person that would turn your head if you saw someone being harmed in any situation, child, elderly or whatever.....safe in your little me, myself and I world.......oboy.

Answer 5

first of all, your father is the two the two nuts in any different case rather cowardly. do you be responsive to why? because of the fact till i'm incorrect, wherein case I do make an apology, he remains with that tramp calling herself your mom. genuinely that does no longer be the case for no reason could it? Regardless, I say get your self a place of your man or woman NOW and flow out with your dogs, for the reason which you're being abused, face it, and your brother specifically could deserve a real flavor of discomfort (thank lord i don't be responsive to the place he lives). those are no longer kinfolk, they are fascists. We the two be responsive to the type. talk with your dad and permit him be responsive to which you will no longer stand for this from now on, and if he fairly loves you, he will completely help your determination to go out because of the fact he will comprehend. you may desire to get a marvelous existence which you for sure have not got stunning now and be waiting to concentration on your self, your dogs and your analyze. people who've the midsection to wreck animals are organic psychopaths and could properly be much greater risky to fellow people. that's why you may desire to comprehend that there is not any longer something left for you there, do your self the favour and take the step. it fairly is for the greater advantageous, and you deserve greater advantageous! unfavorable animal, i'm hoping she's very properly ;(

Answer 6

I'd take the dog with me when I left. I'd probably face some kind of legal issues, but the support of national humane organizations would assist me, and the legal hassles would be worth it if I could save the dog's life.

Being a person without children, my husband and I made a family with canines and other animals. No...we are not kooks. But we take in animals that others cannot care for. And the gratitude and love you receive from them is unparalleled.

Answer 7

I would have said, "Oh, no, honey, dogs can't be treated like that."
I would have said to the client - I'm sorry, I'll give you a few minutes so you can help your dog." If she demurred, you would have to say, I'm sorry, I'm unable to stay here while a creature is being mistreated. Then, leave. Then report them to animal welfare.

No amount of money is standing by watching a being get tortured.

Unless you're george bush and you're into that sort of thing.

Answer 8

So... why didn't you do the right thing? An animal is being abused right in front of you, and you sit there pondering ethics? Good grief!

Answer 9

I'd probably kick one of the kids. That's why I'm not in that line of business.

Answer 10

Call animal control.