.
Feedback

To Say Nothing, To Do Nothing, Stops Nothing!

Stopping animal cruelty takes education and action.

I am sure by now most of you have read or heard about the . The case where Alex Wullaert allegedly choked his dog Desmond to death and dumped his body, after he says it bit him. I’m not sure how true it is that Desmond actually bit him, but even if it is true, it’s no excuse for what he did. Desmond’s body was found wrapped in plastic . The dog had broken teeth, bruises and almost nothing in his belly. Plastic, and paper and stuff like that were found in his belly which indicates the poor thing was eating that stuff because he was starving. So that means he was beaten and starved, yeah I think I would bite too. This weasel admits to only feeding the dog a cup of rice a day and leaving it for up to 12 hours a day while he worked. Now, how someone who works 12 hour days couldn’t afford dog food is beyond me.

We can only imagine the life poor Desmond endured at the hands of the waste of space. It saddens me to think about it, but we must. We can not turn a blind eye to animal cruelty any longer. People who commit crimes of this nature will move on to hurting people. There is no room in our society for these people. Taking advantage of an animal’s trust or innocence is to me on the same level as hurting a child, and should be met with the same level of outrage and anger. But sadly it is not. It is treated in the court system like a traffic ticket. Even the charge for dumping the poor dog’s body was littering. Littering? That’s offensive. Desmond was a living, breathing and loving creature not an old newspaper.

As outrageous as this crime is stuff like this happens every day, and in some cases much more horrific. If the way we treat animals is a reflection on us as a country, or as a species, then we should not like what we see. From factory farming, the circus, puppy mills and all the way down to the bottom of the barrel, dog fighting. It’s sad that humans feel being the top of the food chain gives us the right to exploit, and abuse animals. It should be the exact opposite. We should be their protectors. We should be their guardians. Just imagine what a different world we would be living in today if humans as a species felt this way. I know, I know dreamland. I just feel in order to move the evolution of the human race in the right direction, we need to address and fix how we treat the creatures in our world that are vulnerable. Choose to protect rather then rule over. Choose to cherish rather then abuse. Choose to love rather then hate. These are virtues that were instilled in me my whole life and if we have any hope, these virtues need to be instilled in the younger generation. Everybody must do their part.

There are a small percentage of us out there that see animal cruelty, abuse and neglect and choose to act. We just need this to be the majority of us if there is any hope. It all starts with awareness. Pay attention to what goes on around you. Open your eyes to the cruelty humans inflict on the helpless, the innocent and the silent. If there is any hope for the future we most stop animal cruelty in all its forms.

R.I.P. Desmond

Mary Richardson May 19, 2012 at 12:51 am
So very true! Abuse against all Animals needs to be stopped and should be punished just like it would be for a human! I hope Desmond gets the Justice he deserves and this waste of space is punished for what he did!
Nancy Hirsch May 19, 2012 at 02:18 pm
Your words brought tears to my eyes. You should send it to all of our state representatives, senators & congressmen. The laws need to be changed. How can a creature with a soul be considered litter? I so don't understand this society we live in.
Sam the man May 19, 2012 at 03:26 pm
A few years ago, I went to a local shelter to adopt a dog and was made to feel like I was adopting a child. I was asked for references and filled out a lengthy questionnaire upon which I answered a few questions wrong and was reprimanded. In the end, I had to go elsewhere because my yard was not fenced in. (I leash walk my dogs) Why was this guy allowed to adopt this dog in the first place? Did he have a vet reference? I know many people who gave up on the petfinder process because it was just too difficult .. who gave this guy a dog???
Robin Carlson May 19, 2012 at 10:24 pm
Nicely written V.J.!
CitizenVoice May 19, 2012 at 11:53 pm
Nice piece, V.J. Ya made me cry but then again, I cry every time I hear about one of these cases. The news of this almost made me physically sick. Sam, I agree that screening should be done, complete with references, before adoption is allowed. Maybe if we start writing, calling, emailing, texting, lobbying and generally staying in their faces, we might get a few legislators to introduce a bill that would carry a much higher penalty for these scum. Back in my younger and crazier days I'd be calling for some instant "Biker Justice" for this piece of crap. But now I just try to change what laws I can, and tell everyone I know that if they even suspect someone of animal abuse, report it.
Lise Cavallaro May 20, 2012 at 01:03 am
Alex W. is a piece of ____ who should definitely pay for what he did to his dog. I don't want to hear any excuses. I have adopted two dogs from EH Animal Shelter-and everyone there is fantastic!! My dogs (Champ and Apollo) were and are a huge part of my life. They are like my children, and I have 2 children as well. Life is meant to be respected. Alex W. should pay whatever the highest price of punishment is.
Rosie May 20, 2012 at 01:52 am
This story is sickening. Why have an animal if you are not willing or able to take care of it? We have 2 dogs, one adopted from our EH Animal Shelter, (our 3rd rescue) and I love them so much. Now that my children are grown, they are my babies. They sleep on the bed with us, lay on the couch, have the run of the house, have toys, blankets and yes, clothes, are well fed and exercised regularly in our large, fenced in yard. Tthey get gifts on holidays, and special treats for their birthdays. They are a huge part of our family, and we love them. That is how you treat a pet. They are not possessions, they are family.
Poppy's Pets May 20, 2012 at 05:28 pm
Very well said VJ! I was thinking the same thing about the food. If you're working 12 hours a day, you have $20 for a bag of dog food! It sickens me to think the dog was so hungry he ate the toilet paper and other toiletries.
I believe this guy only adopted the dog to get back at his girlfriend who dumped him.....after he tried to STRANGLE her. I hope the court sees the pattern here and gets this scum off the streets. He IS a danger to society!
Wonderfully written VJ, much more eloquent than I could have said without a ton of swearing. There is a Justice for Desmond Facebook page that keeps everyone up to date on the case, and there will also be a peaceful protest on his next court date.
Thank you Lise and Rosie for adopting from the EH shelter!
Hi Sam - Some rescues do seem to be a little overzealous in their adoptions, but on of the reason they do this is exactly so that someone like Alex is not allowed to adopt an animal. At the EH shelter, we do vet checks, reference checks, and we also check the police database to look for any prior violent crimes. We don't discriminate against people without fences, etc......we just want to make sure that our animals are going into good homes. I do hope you'll consider rescue again.
pigglett May 21, 2012 at 04:46 pm
Great piece VJ. Thanks for writing it and giving a voice to the voiceless!

Newsletter & Alerts

Get the best stories each day and important breaking news

Subscribe

Not from North Haven Patch? Find your Local Patch »

Note Article
Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something