While "mall-crawling" today (a warm and beautiful sunny day, for a change, baruch haShem YHWH!) I happened upon a barking dog trapped in a hot car.
While the windows were cracked, I could literally feel the hot air coming out of those cracks, and I felt sorry for the poor, long-haired Cocker Spaniel inside - and was once again left quite bewildered and angry and wondering why some pet owners are totally brainless....
Anyway, the dog was panting like crazy and clearly distraught - barking furiously, but apparently, not at me. He was simply barking in a tone that made me realize he was trying to solicit my help. It was kind of desperate barking, which actually increased as I walked away.
Feeling sorry for him, I returned to the vehicle, feeling helpless and not knowing what to do (as I knew from experience that 911 doesn't respond to calls about animals in distress, and will only give you the number for animal control - who may or may not bother to come)....
Now, don't get me wrong - if I had seen the dog pass out or laying there motionless, I probably would have broken a window to get in, but he still seemed to be okay at that point. Just very hot and distressed and unhappy.
Anyway, after a few agonizing minutes, I left the dog for the second time, and by the time I got to one of the mall entrances, his barking had actually become even more frantic, and so I decided I HAD to do something. I absolutely CANNOT stand to see an animal in distress!
So, I approached a mall cop about the situation and he followed me outside where he could see the car in the distance, and hear the dog's frantic barking - and, to my relief, he called his boss, and assured me they would figure out a way to help the dog.
And so I left to grab some lunch - but unable to get the poor trapped dog off my mind, I later went back outside to see if they really HAD done something about the situation. (I just don't trust people completely...) To my delight, I discovered the dog and the car were gone.
Well, the same mall cop happened to see me as I re-entered, and he let me know that his boss had somehow managed to do something to find the dog's owner (I think he said they somehow found her via her license plate number), and that she had been given a stern talking to...
GOOD! I hope that woman was embarrassed to pieces! She deserved it!
In all honesty, I personally think people who leave their pets in hot cars for hours while they're shopping, should be sentenced by the police to two hours of being locked in a hot car, so they can see for themselves what it's like to overheat in 130-degree temps, feeling trapped and helpless and terrified!
In Genesis 1:26-30 we find that man is given dominion over the animal kingdom. YHWH created man in His image, and man's responsibilities were clearly outlined as He gave us the gift of dominion, which sets us apart from the animals. He never said we had a right to hurt or abuse animals! Just like us, they are living souls, and we have a duty to take proper care of them.
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