Remember Pam Bondi ?

She was a county prosecutor in Florida who refused to return Master Tank, a Katrina dog, to his family.

She was the LAWYER who lied, manipulated, and distorted facts even when presented with the truth/ evidence, causing Tank's family an extraordinary amount of time, expense and emotional energy to get their dogs back.

She was the self-proclaimed "dog lover" who ranted and raved that Tank's family didn't take care of him.....yet, in spite of all the time she had him, SHE NEVER HAD HIM NEUTERED.

She returned Master Tank INTACT to his family. Hmmm...did she plan to breed him or was she just "irresponsible" and a "bad dog owner?"

                              (see Tank's cojones in photo below)

           (photo of Nila, Sandy and Master Tank was taken the day Nila and Tank were reunited with their family)

She was the LAWYER who knew that the law was very clear about ownership of Master Tank (and all other Katrina dogs). She knew that he was the legal property of his Louisiana family who did not abandon him.

She knew that according to the LAW, pets are considered property and owners of lost or stolen property have three years to reclaim their property, by legal action if necessary.

She knew or should have known the law yet distorted the facts to her own self-serving ends.

Even after she returned Tank, she continued to lie, claiming that she was given "visitation" rights with Tank, and a year later, when she bought a St. Bernard puppy from a breeder in CA, she lied again by claiming that she had stayed in touch with the family in Louisiana.

AS IF.

She NEVER admitted to making a mistake or apologize to the family. Not even to the children.




   

The Katrina Pet Syndrome: a few comments on the duct-taped cat

When the story of the duct-taped cat made the news, the shelter received over 100 applications to adopt her, and at least three people tried to claim ownership of her.

She was adopted by a family that has asked to remain anonymous. Good decision; it reinforces that they are more interested in taking care of the cat than in being heroes.

I have to wonder if the 99 others who applied to adopt her realize that this shelter has hundreds of other cats and kittens all equally deserving of loving homes? How many of these 99 people took a look at the other cats at the shelter or the cats at any of the hundreds of other shelters within a 30 mile radius?

Animal shelters across the country are overflowing with tens of thousands very nice cats and kittens. Not to mention all the dogs. Many of these animals have histories as sad as the duct-taped cat, arriving at the shelter from neglect, abuse, rescued from puppy mills, surrendered by irresponsible and clueless owners (not to imply that all or most people who have to surrender a pet are irresponsible).

This is the same thing that happened following Katrina...shelters all over the country took in cats and dogs from New Orleans and Mississippi which were supposed to be fostered while the shelter made their best efforts to locate the animals' owners who were displaced by the storm and flood.

And potential adopters came out of the woodwork - most of them not already looking for a cat or dog to adopt. Most seemed to believe that the Katrina cats and dogs were more deserving than the cats and dogs that were already at the shelter.

Some shelters that took in Katrina animals euthanized animals already there to make room for their new celebrities.

Then the predictable happened: a year or two (or less) after some of these Katrina animals were adopted they began to show up back at shelters, or advertised on Craigslist. The novelty wore off and the new owner got bored, or no longer wanted to put the time into taking care of it. Or they realized that a Katrina dog will chew up their favorite shoe just like any other dog. Or a Katrina cat might have some "issues."

Every time an abused cat or dog makes the news, the shelter receives hundreds of applications. I hope that when this happens, the shelter gives highest consideration to applicants who have already adopted from them, or those already looking for a pet to adopt.

If you have the room in your home, your life and your heart for a cat or dog you will find the ONE for you at a local shelter. Don't be impulsive. Visit the shelters as many times as you need to decide. Very often your new cat or dog will choose you when you allow it to happen.

PLEASE DON'T BUY FROM A PUPPY MILL.