Re: [RC] Follow up on the MD Neglect Case - Dyane Smith
I certainly think that it is important to have and enforce
laws against animal cruelty. That being said, I can't help but think that
there but for the grace of God go many of us. Even with just 3, I often
feel on the edge of financial disaster.
The other issue that is hard to deal with is that some of
these people have a compulsive desire to collect animals. It is a true
mental illness. An acquaintance of mine had a disorder like
that. She had become aware of her condition and was dealing with it, but
not without having run up a lot of vet bills she couldn't pay and having the
animals (in her case, dogs and cats) removed from her home. Even after all
these consequences, she continues to struggle with the compulsion.
I am not at all against the authorities stepping in on
these cases. I'm just saying that often the problems are complex and
difficult to solve.
